- Science Fair Projects
- Grade
- Topic
- Supplies
- All Science Fair Projects
Turn Up The Heat: Comparing the Flammability of Residential Siding Materials
Ever wonder about the fire rating of housing materials? After a wildfire nearly devastated her neighborhood, California junior-high school student, Avery Hunker, got to thinking about the various products that had been used to construct her how and how they would have fared against the blaze - specifically how the old cedar shingles on the front of her home might have compared to other siding choices. With the help of her parents, she devised an experiment to test the flammability of common residential siding materials; cedar shingles {both new and aged samples}, composite siding, stucco siding, and pine siding.
A few suggestions...
- Be sure to include the most common siding choices in your neighborhood or community {if they differ from Avery's selections}.
- Avery came to some interesting conclusions in testing both a new and aged sample of cedar shingles. To extend the project, you might consider collecting samples of each shingle type in varying stages of wear, comparing tests between samples at each benchmark - i.e. new, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, etc.
- Be sure to compare the performance of each siding sample to their published fire rating.
- If you have an interest in another type of material or want your project to be a bit more original, test the performance of a different building material!
Be sure to follow the link to Avery's project summary for inspiration in completing your own flammability tests!
Related Blog Posts
View MoreWhich Gum Brand Lasts the Longest?
Chewing gum; while flavor is key when purchasing a pack of gum, another important factor that we...
Read MoreCan Our Eyes Fool Our Taste Buds?
Photo Source: Rowan Frances Ever wonder if what we see influences our perceptions of taste? I...
Read MoreBuilt To Last - Exploring Skyscraper Design wit...
Photo Source: buildinglegoswithchrist.blogspot.com Ever wonder what it takes to design a skyscr...
Read MoreBeautiful Blooms: What Makes A Flower Last the ...
Photo Source: thebottomlessbag.blogspot.com Bouquets of beautiful blooms are lovely as centerpi...
Read MoreDoes the Shape of an Ice Cube Affect How Quickl...
As Christine, Selah Junior High School student, watched the ice cubes in her soft drink melt she ...
Read MoreShake It Up! - Which Soft Drink Spews The Most ...
Photo Source: blog.lib.umn.edu/paldr001/myblog/ We've all made the unfortunate mistake of openi...
Read MoreAre All Sugars The Same?
Ever wonder if table sugar is the same as sugars found in honey, fruits, etc? For middle school ...
Read MoreHow Greasy Are Your Potato Chips?
Photo © 2010 espensorvik, Flickr If you've ever eaten a serving of chips, it's likely you notic...
Read MoreMentos + Diet Coke - Pour Six Sodas At One Time!
Photo Source: stevespanglerscience.com Did you know you could harness the reaction between Ment...
Read MoreIs Sensitivity Heightened On Your Dominant Side?
Photo Source: Education.com Created by Megan Doyle of Education.com, this science fair project ...
Read MoreMake Your Own Wind Turbine - Science Fair Project
© Hans Hillewaert / CC-BY-SA-3.0 For those students interested in engineering and environmental...
Read MoreWhich Soft Drink is the Worst for Your Teeth?
Photo © 2006 Flickr, Rex Sorgatz We've all heard that consuming too much soda (or pop) can be d...
Read MoreKeeping Drinks Hot
Whether you're a coffee, tea, or cocoa drinker, if you plan to enjoy a hot beverage, chances are ...
Read MoreNail Polish: Price vs. Quality
Ever wonder how drug store brand nail polishes stack up to salon quality products? Kelsey, middl...
Read MoreRecycled Water - Does It Effect Plant Growth?
For students interested in botany, ecology, and recycling, this science fair project that studies...
Read MoreExploring the Preservative Qualities of Various...
For middle school students interested in microbiology, this is sure to be a great science fair p...
Read MoreHydroponics - What is the Best Liquid for Germi...
Photo Source: www.kew.org If your upper elementary/middle school student is interested in biolo...
Read MoreAll That Glows - Exploring Fluorescence
Photo Source: howstuffworks.com Black lights are not only neat, they can actually be quite usef...
Read MorePizza Box Solar Oven
Photo Source: Simon Fraser University If you're interested in cooking and alternative sources o...
Read MoreTornado in a Box
Photo Source: instagram.com | hardroadlilly We were inspired by this Instagram picture taken by...
Read MoreKeeping Your Gadgets Going... with Solar Power!
Photo Source: adafruit.com In this age of technology, it seems as if everyone has a smart phone...
Read MoreHarnessing the Sun's Rays for Cooking
Solar energy is a low-cost technology that can be used to heat homes, power lights, and even boi...
Read MoreDoes Eye Color Affect Peripheral Vision?
Photo © 2009 Mikleman, Flickr Reading a book. Riding a bike. Driving a car. These are all thing...
Read MoreDoes Music Help You Study?
With the ability to access your favorite music almost everywhere, have you ever wondered if takin...
Read MoreVideo Games and Your Heart Rate
Photo ©2011 Microsoft Sweden, Flickr Perfect for the upper elementary/early middle school crowd...
Read MoreHow Clean is the Air You Breathe?
While it may seem to the naked eye that the air we breathe is clean and clear, the reality is, w...
Read MoreWhat Makes Ice Melt Fastest?
Photo © 2008 Matt Seppings, Flickr The Department of Transportation (DOT) is always interested ...
Read MoreAre We Frying Our Brains with Radiation?
Radiation is exists throughout our universe and we are exposed to many different kinds on a dail...
Read MoreMusic To My Heart
Photo © 2008 Fe Ilya, Flickr Ever wonder if different styles of music affect a person's heart r...
Read MoreDo You Know About the Germs You're Carrying?
While many students have explored school bathrooms, doors, and other surfaces for germ content, h...
Read MoreMaking Batteries from Fruits & Vegetables
Photo © 2008 Rob Nunn, Flickr Did you know that you can use real fruits and vegetables to creat...
Read MoreEngineering + Physiology - Building an Articula...
Photo Source: www.instructables.com | rgraylint For students interested in engineering and phy...
Read MoreGender & The Stroop Effect
Photo Source: Eric H. Chudler, University of Washington Check out the picture above. As fast as...
Read MoreEgg in a Bottle
Photo © 2006 RatRanch, Flickr This egg in a bottle project from Science Fair Adventure would be...
Read MoreFun with Popcorn - Which Brand Pops the Most Ke...
Photo ©2009 Vegan Feast Catering, Flickr Talk about having the best-smelling, greatest tasting ...
Read MoreThe Happy Meal Project
Real or hoax? Sally Davies purchased a McDonald's happy meal in April 2010 and, three years late...
Read MoreFont and Memory
Class syllabuses. Handouts. Lecture notes and presentations. Throughout the learning process, st...
Read MoreMicrowaves and Plants
Photo ©2007 Tim Patterson, Flickr You're probably wondering what kind of science fair project i...
Read MoreWhy Does Popcorn 'Pop'?
Photo Source: Lucian Muset Popcorn is a delicious snack, but have you ever wondered how the har...
Read MoreSubliminal Messaging: Is It Effective?
Photo Source: buysubliminal.com There is a lot of controversy surrounding subliminal messaging ...
Read More