The idea of making your house fireproof is never a luxury. Especially when you reside on a bushfire or wildfire-prone area. The unfortunate thing with any kind of fire incident is, you can never know when it will happen. That left you with one option, take all the preventative measures you can.
There are several ways you can prepare your home for a fire incident. When you are building your house, pay attention to the design and materials resistant to fire. If that’s not possible, take the necessary steps to decrease the exposure to the fire. And finally, implement various fire safety features like a smoke detector, sprinkler, fire extinguisher, etc.
Making your house resistant to fire can be a challenging task. But the amount of time you spend on researching and doing actual work worth every second.
In the next few segments, we will discuss what causes fire incidents and how to fireproof your home. Not only that, but we have also answered some frequently asked questions related to fireproofing your house.
Now without further delay. Let’s dive in.
A Few Common Causes Of Fire
A fire incident can take place by an unintentional human fault or by any natural forces. These are some common reasons behind a typical fire break out.
Wildfire or Bushfire:
Wildfire and Bushfire are the two most common phenomena that can be caused by human error. Like an unattended campfire, discarded cigarette, burning derbies, etc.
Fireplace:
Poorly designed fireplace or neglect to use it appropriately can cause a fire breakout. Always use the fireplace cautiously and put out the fire in the correct way.
Home appliance:
Appliances like stove, oven, dryer, a heater can pose a serious threat, if not used properly. Most of the house fires are caused by these Appliances.
Flammable chemical:
Many people keep flammable chemicals in their kitchen and garages like petrol, spirits. Excessive heat to those chemicals can cause a fire in an instance.
Barbecue:
It’s not a good idea to barbecue too close to your house. Any gas leak or fire derbies from the grill can lit table clothes, trees or even your house.
Faulty wiring:
Houses with Faulty wiring can cause a fire incident with a small spark.
Candles:
Candles can trip over easily and start a fire quickly to your carpets, clothes, and furniture.
Smoking:
Smoking is not only bad for your health, but it can also create a fire hazard if you are not careful.
Kids playing with fire:
Kids are always curious about everything. Playing with matches, lighter or any flammable object is always a risk. So, keep a watchful eye on those things.
Best 3 Ways of How to Fireproof Your Home
1. Building A Fireproof House
If you are planning to build a house, now is the best time to put some effective fireproof house designs into action.
* Proper Fencing:
Built a proper barrier around your house to prevent outside fire from getting in. if you use wood or other flammable material, it would feed the fire rather than stop it. You should also create a moderate distance between the house and the fence.
* Use fireproof materials:
Use fire-resistant construction materials while building a house. Bricks, Concrete, and other fireproof house materials can give you a huge advantage whenever there is a fire.
* Windows:
Always use steel or any fireproof frame with tempered glass in your window construction. It will stop the fire from getting in.
* Roof:
Try to build your roof with concrete panels. Usual wood panels are not suitable for preventing fire. There are some great roof panels in the market that does a great job compared to wood panels.
* Wood deck:
Houses with wooden decks are more prone to fire hazards. Instead, you can use bricks, stone, tile, and other fire-resistant materials.
* Access for fire trucks:
Built your house in a way that fire trucks can access your house easily. That way when there is any fire breakout in your house, the fire department can get to your house more quickly.
2. Implementing Various Safety Features In House
These are some of the many features you can use to increase safety.
* Fire alarms:
Various early detection systems like Fire alarms, smoke detectors can play a vital role in letting you know if anything is burning in your house.
* Fire Extinguisher:
Keeping a few fire extinguishers in your home falls under the residential fireproofing standard. Notably, in those places you think can catch fire easily. Like the kitchen and garage.
* Have an escape plan:
It’s normal to panic whenever there is a fire break out in the house. You should have a plan prepared to handle a situation like this. If need, build a special window or place a ladder.
3. Things You Can Do To Reduce The Chance Of A Fire Incident
Even if you built an epic fireproof house, implemented killer safety features. It doesn’t necessarily mean you are all safe. As a matter of regret, fire doesn’t act that way.
* Do regular cleaning:
Cleaning dead bushes around your home, dead leaf on your roof and remove any derbies from the gutter is always great for fireproofing your home. These fragments can catch fire in a second from an amber.
* Appliances:
Always check and replace any faulty appliances that can produce heat that can start a fire. Also, leave no electronic appliances unattended while operating.
* Change old wiring:
Check your old wire and replace it with a new one if possible. Also, remove any overhead power lines.
* Cabins:
If you have multiple cabins around your house or woods. Make sure those are fireproof cabins made of non-flammable materials. Also, you can use fireproof cover to protect it from wildfires or bush fires.
* Teach responsibility to your kids:
Teaching your kids responsibility and proper way to use any appliance, handling flammable objects, and electric equipment can help a long way.
Frequently Asked Questiona Related To Fireproofing Your House
1. What material can withstand fire?
If you are talking about construction materials, Concrete, Mineral wool, Asbestos cement, Gypsum boards, Calcium, silicate, Perlite boards, these can withstand fire comfortably.
2. Are concrete houses fireproof?
Yes. Concrete houses are the most fireproof.
3. Do brick houses burn down?
Manufacturers make Bricks with a high temperature. From the start, they are resistant to fire. So, there are no chances of the brick house to burn down.
4. Which fabric is the most fire-resistant?
Wool is the most fire-resistant fabric. It’s hard to ignite and often extinguished by its fiber.
5. What is the most fireproof material?
From the house building perspective, Concrete is the most fireproof material. It has a higher resistance to fire and temperature.
6. Do bricks explode in the fire?
No. There is no chance of bricks exploding in the fire. Though it might get cracked staying for a long time at high temperatures.
Final Words…
Most of the cases, you can’t stop a fire. But what you can do is take actions that minimize damages to your property and give you a few moments of advantage. So, you and your loved one can get to a safe distance away from the fire.
Hopefully, by now you have the necessary information to understand the causes that can start a fire. As well as how to fireproof your house with suitable construction materials.
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