Foam Board Insulation Fire Protection
Although foam insulation boards are natively resistant to fire, meaning they ignite really hard, there still is a small chance that they will eventually ignite. When a foam board insulation material ignites a dense black smoke containing a plethora of toxic gases is emitted. The combustion characteristics of foam insulation products vary with the combustion temperatures, chemical formulation, and available air.
Because of the aforementioned dangers, foam insulation boards require some kind of protection as a fire barrier. This fire protective barrier comes as a half-inch thick gypsum wallboard. Some building codes, however, do not require an additional fire barrier for certain metal-faced laminated foam products. Check with your local building code/fire officials, and insurers for specific information on what is permitted in your area.
