If you’re building or renovating, the list of planning can seem endless. Along with hiring contractors, choosing paint colours and keeping to a budget, one thing people often overlook is a priority of how to keep your home safe from fires.
More Australians are killed in residential fires each year than through other natural hazards – floods, storms, and bushfires – combined, according to a new study released by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre.
Preventable causes of house fires include:
- Cooking
- Kids playing with fire
- Smoking
- Heating
- Electrical
- Candles
- Flammable products
- Dryers
- Christmas Trees
Besides being on top of home maintenance and being cautious in your home, there are some smart ways you can fireproof your home when choosing fittings and fixtures, which could make all the difference in a fire.
Here are 7 fireproofing tips to consider when designing your home
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Choose integrated fire door hardware systems
Fire seals and fire door hardware are a vital part of a fire door assembly, helping to defend buildings and homes against the spread of fire. Smoke seals restrict smoke movement around a building, giving people time to escape, and reducing property damage and door closers, handles and locksets ensure people can exit safely. There are a range of levers and handles in Aluminium, brass or stainless steel, which use the latest engineering technology to stand high resistance against solvents, chemicals, corrosion, and fire.
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Use fire-resistant plants
If you live in an area prone to fire, you need to decide what to keep near your house and what to remove. The most flammable trees are cyprus, pines, eucalyptus, and some other natives, some of which have been known to explode once engulfed in flames.
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Install fire-resistant glass
Fire-resistant glass is a specialist glazing product developed to provide a period of protection during a fire. Many different types of glass offer various benefits. Therefore, it’s essential to understand how to choose the right glass for your project. Fire-resistant glass can slow the spread of high heat and temperatures for specific periods. Standard fire-resistant glass is tested to withstand 30 -100 minutes of direct flames, making all the difference for safety and evacuations.
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Rethink where gas and gas bottles are stored
Gas bottles are prone to an explosion in a fire and cause catastrophic damage. Keep gas bottles to the furthest corner of your home and have them inspected in your regular home maintenance checks. If you have a portable gas bottle on a BBQ, keep it stored out of the elements when not used and away from the central part of your home as possible.
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Keep your roof cleared
Gutters full of leaves, twigs and debris not only can cause damage to your gutters and leaks through your roof but are a fire hazard. This is especially true when the weather has been dry for a while. Even small embers can ignite a spark in a gutter, causing an entire home to burn.
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Upgrade your locking systems
We often think of security systems to keep burglars out of our home. But updating faulty door handles and old locking systems for easy access could also be the difference between you and your family escaping in a home fire with ease.
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Install a fireproof safe
If you have a home office or store important documents and valuable items, a fireproof safe can be a crucial component to your home. Fire ratings indicate the degree of protection a safe would provide its contents in the event of a fire. This is important when the aim is to protect important documents from smoke and heat damage. When choosing a fire-resistant safe, the items being protected also need to be considered. For example, digital media, such as DVDs and USB sticks, are more vulnerable than paper documents.
At SPL Security, we have an extensive range of fire door hardware systems, locking solutions, designer doorways and safes to suit any residential or commercial property new builds or renovations.
Contact us today so we can safeguard the security of your property.