Recladding in Australia: What You Must Know

Fire safety is of paramount importance in Australia and internationally, particularly within commercial and industrial buildings (including high-rise residential towers). While all such new builds in Australia must now, by law, incorporate DtS non-combustible cladding, remediation projects are also recommended to replace combustible cladding on many existing buildings. 

Deemed-to-Satisfy non-combustible cladding may be retrofitted for improved fire safety compliance, as well as updating, modernising, and enhancing the energy efficiency of a building.

Key Takeaways

• The use of combustible cladding is now banned in Australia on new builds and renovations. Many existing buildings are either required or recommended to remediate combustible, non-compliant facades.
• Recladding is the upgrade or replacement of external façade materials to improve energy efficiency, modernise appearance, and replace combustible cladding materials with DtS non-combustible cladding for fire safety compliance.
• The best DtS recladding solutions improve not just fire safety but also the building’s energy efficiency, aesthetics, durability, installation speed, and sustainability.
• A superior DtS non-combustible aluminium cladding product, Mitsubishi ALPOLIC™ NC/A1 delivers confidence and optimises fire safety performance, is compliant with all regulations, boosts property value, and may help reduce insurance costs.

What is Recladding?

The use of combustible cladding on new building projects is now banned in Australia. These older materials, however, remain in situ on a lot of buildings constructed more than a decade ago.

Recladding involves replacing or otherwise upgrading exterior facade materials  with DtS non-combustible cladding sheets or panels; for example, ALPOLIC™ NC/A1 non-combustible mineral core aluminium composite cladding (which is designed and engineered for commercial and industrial buildings in Australia). Not only does a recladding project optimise fire safety performance, but it can help improve the energy efficiency of a building while also modernising its appearance.

A Few Common Q&As About Recladding

1. What is the impact of cladding in a building fire?

Exterior façade cladding may either arrest or feed a fire, depending on the type of material used and its proper installation. This includes not just the finished surface but also the underlying structure (insulation, sheathing, subframing). The right cladding product and its installation will remain inert under extreme heat or flames, will not ignite, nor will it contribute to fire spread.

2. What are the current cladding regulations in Australia?

Exterior façade cladding in Australia for commercial, high-occupancy residential, and industrial buildings is regulated according to the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 with an additional 2020 advisory note. All new builds and renovations must comply with these requirements: all external walls must be made from DtS non-combustible materials. This includes cladding, insulation, internal lining, and framing. Furthermore, issues regarding existing non-compliant cladding must be rectified.

3. What are some key benefits of using DtS non-combustible cladding?

Exterior cladding is classed as non-combustible if it passes the stringent AS1530.1 testing requirements.  Using the right DtS non-combustible cladding delivers for you in terms of fire-safety compliance, durability, sustainability, speedy installation, and aesthetic versatility.

4. Do I need a building permit for recladding in Australia?

Building permits are usually required for recladding if the project alters the structure, safety, or fire-resistance of the building. Most exterior recladding projects – except for small, non-structural, or single-occupant residential houses – will require council approval and/or a building surveyor’s report and approval to ensure compliance with the local building code.

5. What is Deemed to Satisfy?

A Deemed-to-Satisfy or DtS classification confirms that a cladding product is non-combustible and has met the legislated benchmark for this based on a series of demanding, small-scale lab-based ignition and flame-spread performance tests to determine its safety if a fire occurs.

6. What makes Mitsubishi ALPOLIC™ NC/A1 the superior option?

Not only does this product improve building aesthetics and energy performance, but it has been scientifically proven to be the world’s safest aluminium façade product based on large scale fire tests. It is exclusive to the Australian market and is deemed-to-satisfy per the local building code. It is approved for use on Project Remediate and has passed all CPSP (Cladding Product Safety Panel) testing criteria.

Conclusion

Undertaking building remediation via a recladding project using a DtS non-combustible aluminium cladding product offers a highly effective, high-return-on-investment method of improving the fire safety, energy performance, and aesthetics of any building. It also increases building value, may help reduce insurance premiums, and contributes to the long-term integrity of the property.