The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
New York Firefighters Highlight Dangers of Lightweight Construction
JOE ARENA
WIVB
Reprinted with Permission
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - It's a more cost efficient way to build a home. But could your low cost home actually be a fire trap?
Some local firefighters say it's a real possibility.
Every assignment could be a deadly one, for the brave men and women who get the call to put out fires. And while they may look alike, every home is different and potentially more dangerous.
Orchard Park District Fire Chief Dan Neaverth said, "My daughters curling iron has a warning label on it that would scare you never to us it. There's no warning labels on $200,000 or $300,000 homes."
Neaverth is referring to lightweight construction. Odds are, he says, any home built between now and the 1970's is made with lighter weight materials that in the event of a fire can burn faster. But firefighters look at a home like this one and sometimes cringe.
Neaverth said, "When it comes to lightweight construction I'm not super critical of it, but I do see that there are some flaws."
Particle boards are a mix of different wood pressed into a form to create a wall. Lightweight homes also typically consist of lumber less than the standard two by four inches to form I beams that are used to create ceilings and floors. Neaverth took News 4 to a home that recently suffered fire damage. Luckily his men had the time they needed to fight the blaze, because this home was built with heavy duty materials.
Fire coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf is directly involved in training our bravest, and says because of lightweight construction keeping firefighters safe is even more difficult.
Schmittendorf said, "We used to say that a fire can double in size every two minutes, that time has certainly been compressed it's probably a minute or less."
Both Schmittendorf and Neaverth say it's a good idea to get to know the structure of your home and to ask the builder about the dimensions of the materials.
Above all when fire does occur, get out of the home as quickly as possible, because the only thing that can't be replaced is you.
News 4 contacted one of the companies that makes the materials used in these lightweight constructed homes.
Copyright WIVB.com
WIVB
Reprinted with Permission
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - It's a more cost efficient way to build a home. But could your low cost home actually be a fire trap?
Some local firefighters say it's a real possibility.
Every assignment could be a deadly one, for the brave men and women who get the call to put out fires. And while they may look alike, every home is different and potentially more dangerous.
Orchard Park District Fire Chief Dan Neaverth said, "My daughters curling iron has a warning label on it that would scare you never to us it. There's no warning labels on $200,000 or $300,000 homes."
Neaverth is referring to lightweight construction. Odds are, he says, any home built between now and the 1970's is made with lighter weight materials that in the event of a fire can burn faster. But firefighters look at a home like this one and sometimes cringe.
Neaverth said, "When it comes to lightweight construction I'm not super critical of it, but I do see that there are some flaws."
Particle boards are a mix of different wood pressed into a form to create a wall. Lightweight homes also typically consist of lumber less than the standard two by four inches to form I beams that are used to create ceilings and floors. Neaverth took News 4 to a home that recently suffered fire damage. Luckily his men had the time they needed to fight the blaze, because this home was built with heavy duty materials.
Fire coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf is directly involved in training our bravest, and says because of lightweight construction keeping firefighters safe is even more difficult.
Schmittendorf said, "We used to say that a fire can double in size every two minutes, that time has certainly been compressed it's probably a minute or less."
Both Schmittendorf and Neaverth say it's a good idea to get to know the structure of your home and to ask the builder about the dimensions of the materials.
Above all when fire does occur, get out of the home as quickly as possible, because the only thing that can't be replaced is you.
News 4 contacted one of the companies that makes the materials used in these lightweight constructed homes.
Copyright WIVB.com
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Anthony Correia on
-
At least in NJ roof trusses are marked with red triangle with a R on it. It appears since many states are shooting down sprinkler legislation, we as firefighters should mark the sides of these houses with a picture of a firefighter with a circle and slash through it. Telling the public we won’t enter these houses.
Also everyone who plans to buy 1 of these houses should be required to watch the NIST Research video showing how fast and hot these type of buildings burn.
-
Permalink Reply by ashfire on
-
Its time to start educating the public and the media as to what is going on. That the builder associations are shafting the public over the price of a new house with cheap material and trying to get the state legislators to remove or not enact sprinkler requirements for the death traps.
The public has Hollywoods idea what sprinklers will do when a fire happens is that they flood the house out because all the sprinkler heads will go off when theres smoke or someone sets off one.
Maybe when your dept makes up the mapbooks for your communitiy, mark areas where the light material homes are so that you only will have to know to rescue the owners and surround and drown and protect the exposures.
-
Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
-
It isn't so much cheaper materials but cheaper methods. Light weight construction is faster, easier and less expensive. How can that be bad for a home buyer?
It's a bit self-important to presume that everything has to be built for our safety. Nor is it our business to tell the consumer what they can and can not buy. It IS our business to understand how these houses burn and deal with them appropriately.
I do agree with residential sprinklers and the only reason I have ever come up with why the NHBA is against them is that it's more profitable to build a NEW home than it is to re-build/repair an existing one.
-
-
I have since I checked these out felt this is the way to go. You could get more building for your buck and save in heating and air conditioning in the long run. You can add spinklers and if a tornado comes by the building won't disappear.
Many schools, churches, businesses and homes have been built by this company in the US and around the world.
They even offer fire station designs.
www.monolithic.com
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
