Fire Rated Doors, And Other Ways To Keep Your Home Safe From Fire

In Ray Bradbury's classic novel, Fahrenheit 451, the author describes a futuristic society where homes are fire-proof, and firemen are actually used to burn things, rather than help fight fires.

The future Bradbury describes is definitely an upgrade over our current one at least, as far as fire-proof houses are the only point of conversation. Today, houses are as susceptible to fire as always, and it's important you take separate steps to keep yourself, your home, and your family safe.

First, let's talk smoke alarms. Every home should have at least one working smoke alarm, and the truth is there's no harm in having one in every room. An effective smoke alarm can be had at any typical hardware store. They are cheap, and they are effective. Some statistics have shown a working smoke alarm can often double the chances of survival for individuals in a burning building.

Batteries only need to be replaced once a year, and the device itself is ridiculously inexpensive. Why wouldn't you put one in every room?

If you're looking for something larger to add to your home for fire protection, another highly recommended device is fire rated doors. Required by many recently remodeled buildings, fire rated doors are extraordinarily heavy doors constructed of fire-resistant materials, like metal or gypsum. The role of fire rated doors are to contain fire and smoke to one room, offering protection to inhabitants as well as to the objects and possessions in the home.

The term fire rated means the door itself will not combust during an extended period of time exposed to flames. More commonly seen in places such as government buildings and college dormitories, fire rated doors are being used more and more in private homes.

There are also affordable home safety sprinkler systems available. Typically, a sprinkler system is only seen in larger, highly populated buildings, such as a school or a hospital, etc. But recently, private companies have been offering cheaper, less expensive fire safety sprinklers to private homes. These are highly recommended for people with small children or who take care of the elderly.

Every year, over a thousand senior citizens perish in fires. Similarly, children were responsible for setting over 20,000 house fires just last year. As tragic as it is to print, children and the elderly can be a deadly combination when it comes to fires, and a home fire safety sprinkler system may just be the solution.

So until the days when homes are built in the same fashion as the houses in Fahrenheit 451, take these steps. Get smoke detectors, fire rated doors, sprinkler systems whatever it takes to keep yourself, your home, and your loved ones safe.