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Standards / ASTM E2707
ASTM E2707
Test method for whether an exterior wall assembly resists fire penetration under a direct flame impingement exposure.
Covers: Vertically oriented exterior wall covering materials, products, or assemblies under a laboratory direct-flame exposure.
Does not cover: Deck walking-surface class, roof class, an OSFM listing number, or a local installation approval.
ASTM E2707-22 is a test method for exterior siding wall assemblies. A vertical specimen takes a laboratory direct-flame exposure. The method records whether fire penetrates into the cavity or the unexposed face. ASTM’s published scope says the procedure closely follows SFM Method 12-7A-1. Oregon R327, where adopted, uses a 10-minute E2707 path as one wall option. It is not a deck walking-surface class.
Why it matters
Embers collect at the base of the wall. Nearby fuel can put flame against the covering. This test asks whether that flame punches through the wall into the cavity or the interior face. A pass is a lab result for that specimen. It is not a permit and not an insurance designation. Flame on walls is a different exposure from ember-only checklists. See ember versus flame versus radiant heat.
How the test works
The active document is ASTM E2707-22 (ASTM store record). The published scope covers a vertically oriented specimen in a simulated wildland-urban interface external fire. It measures whether the wall covering material or system resists fire penetration from the exterior into the wall cavity or the unexposed side. Joints and other end-use details belong in the specimen when they represent the product as installed.
ASTM states that results are valid only for the exposure conditions in the method. The standard does not, by itself, complete a fire-hazard or fire-risk assessment of the product in a real fire.
Oregon does not leave “pass” undefined. Where R327 is the adopted code, R327.3.3.2 requires tests in triplicate. If one of the three fails, three more tests run, and all of those must pass. The conditions of acceptance are no flame penetration through the wall assembly at any time, and no glowing combustion on the interior surface at the end of the 70-minute test (amendment PDF).
The paths
E2707 is a performance path for walls. Other wall rules do not use this number. Deck boards use other tests.
| Problem | What decides it | Not E2707 |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior wall covering or wall assembly | R327.3.3 where adopted. California siding listings sit in OSFM 8140 and name SFM 12-7A-1. | A deck board class |
| Walking surface | R327.3.5 where adopted (ASTM E2632, ASTM E2726, ASTM E84 or UL 723, exterior FRT wood, or noncombustible material). California OSFM 8110 names SFM 12-7A-4. | E2707 |
| Under-deck enclosure | R327.3.4.4 enclose-to-grade or protect, including an ASTM E2957 option. | E2707 |
1. Prescriptive path, Oregon R327 where adopted. Use noncombustible material, ignition-resistant material, heavy timber, or log wall construction. You do not submit an E2707 report for those items. The covering must run from the top of the foundation to the roof and terminate at 2-inch nominal blocking at overhangs, or at the underside of an enclosed eave.
2. Deemed-to-comply, same section. One layer of 5/8 inch Type X exterior gypsum sheathing behind the cladding, or the exterior portion of a 1-hour fire-resistance-rated exterior wall assembly. That is how some wood coverings meet the wall list. The gypsum is part of the assembly.
3. Performance path, Oregon. A wall assembly tested to ASTM E2707 for a 10-minute direct flame contact exposure, with the conditions in R327.3.3.2. Coatings are not on the R327 wall list. See Findings.
4. California listing path. CWUIC is the live book as of 1 January 2026. People still search Chapter 7A. OSFM category 8140 is exterior wall siding and sheathing. The handbook names SFM 12-7A-1 as that category’s protocol. ASTM says E2707 closely follows 12-7A-1. A handbook row is still not an E2707 report number. Listing remains voluntary for most WUI products. See OSFM BML and CWUIC.
5. Not a deck path. Do not spec E2707 as the walking-surface class. Use the decking page for boards, joists, and under-deck enclosure.
Oregon and California are not the same job. Read R327 versus CWUIC.
What people mix up
- Treating E2707 as a deck-board or walking-surface class. R327.3.5 and OSFM 8110 use other tests. See decking.
- Treating a lab pass as a permit. The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) still stamps the job.
- Treating an OSFM 8140 ID as an E2707 report, or treating E2707 as an OSFM listing. Listing bodies and ASTM methods are different documents. How to read a listing.
- Calling a flame-spread index a wall fire-penetration pass. ASTM E84 or UL 723, extended, is how R327 defines ignition-resistant material. ASTM E136 is how it defines noncombustible. Neither is E2707.
- Painting a coating on wood siding and calling it the E2707 path.
- Writing a brand name on a drawing and calling it the tested assembly. Deschutes County wants handbook products on the drawings. Show the product on the drawings.
How to check
Read the adopted code for the lot. If R327 applies, pick a numbered path from R327.3.3. If you use the E2707 path, get the test report. Confirm triplicate results, the two conditions of acceptance, and that the specimen matches the covering, joints, and substrate you will build.
If you spec a listed siding model, open the product page, then the listing URL. Match the listing ID and the model. OSFM 8140 rows on this site name SFM 12-7A-1. Confirm the live record. Do not invent a listing ID.
On the house, walk the wall. Note the covering, the first two feet above grade, roof-to-wall joints, and anything attached to the cladding.
Limits
This page does not decide what your building official will stamp. It does not rate decks, roofs, or vents. It does not make the house fireproof. ASTM states the method is not, by itself, a fire-hazard assessment. Absence from the OSFM handbook is not an automatic ban. Presence is not an automatic permit.
Related records
No product YAML on this site names ASTM E2707 as the listing protocol. Empty product tables are honest. Wall models live under siding. Walking-surface models live under decking.
Sources
- ASTM E2707-22 (ASTM International)
- 2023 ORSC Section R327 amendment (Oregon Building Codes Division)
- OSFM Building Materials Listing and WUI handbook (CAL FIRE OSFM)
- 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code
- SFM Chapter 12-7A (ICC / California; ASTM says E2707 closely follows 12-7A-1)
- Fire Hardening Requirements (R327) (Deschutes County)
- BCD wildfire hazard mitigation (Oregon Building Codes Division)
Is ASTM E2707 a deck walking-surface class?
No. E2707 is a wall-assembly direct-flame test. Oregon R327 walking surfaces use ASTM E2632, ASTM E2726, ASTM E84 or UL 723, exterior fire-retardant-treated wood, or noncombustible material. California OSFM category 8110 names SFM 12-7A-4, not E2707.
Does a pass mean I can install that wall on my lot?
No. A pass is a result for that specimen, in that orientation, as built for the test. Adopted code, any listing program, and the building official are separate steps.
Is ASTM E2707 the same as SFM 12-7A-1?
No. ASTM’s published scope says E2707 closely follows SFM Method 12-7A-1. They are not the same named protocol. OSFM handbook category 8140 rows name 12-7A-1. Read the listing and the test report, not a brochure paraphrase.