If you’ve experienced a fire in your home, you know how devastating the damage can be on both financial and personal levels. Remodeling and putting getting your home back in order can bring some healing and help you move on after a stressful event. But since you’re remodeling anyway, why not choose fire resistant materials? Not only can you cut back on the risk of widespread damage in the event of another fire; you can also buy yourself some peace of mind that helps you feel safer in your home.
As you begin the repair and remodeling process, keep the following ideas in mind.
Consider flame-treated products. It probably won’t surprise you to hear that lumber typically offers very poor fire resistance. However, flame-treated wood boasts a charred barrier around its surface, which resists catching fire and burns more slowly if it does. Often used on exterior features of houses, flame-treated wood can help guard against fires that start outdoors.
You can also use treated cellulose insulation inside your walls, instead of traditional insulation like fiberglass or cotton. The cellulose (from recycled paper) is treated with borate to make it much less flammable. It’s not foolproof, but treated cellulose insulation does slow the spread of fire within the home.
Use fire-resistant glass in windows. Even if a window is not in direct contact with flames, the heat from a fire can break the glass. Dual-paned windows are a common choice these days, due to their energy efficiency, but they also double the time it takes for a window to break when a fire encroaches near the home. Tempered glass is another option, since it’s heat-treated to make it about four times stronger than regular glass.
Go for stucco. Stucco can work for both exterior and interior walls, and a one-inch layer of stucco can provide a one-hour fire rating. That means when exposed to flames, it takes at least an hour for stucco to catch fire. Choosing stucco won’t mean your house can’t burn, but it will give the fire department more time to respond and gives you time to get out!
These are just a few of the more common fire-resistant materials often used in home remodeling projects. For more information on this topic, contact our office and we’ll be happy to help.