Is Your Home Built With Lightweight Building Materials? Learn How To Protect It

Lightweight building materials structurally fail much faster in a fire than traditional lumber. However, there are ways that you can protect the framing in your home from fire. View Mr. Doddridge’s most recent interview with NBC News Boston below. Two apartment buildings in the Boston Area were destroyed recently. Both buildings were under construction, one was only weeks away from occupancy. A recent code change states that if your home is built with lightweight building materials that are left uncovered, such as in a basement, those materials must be protected from fire. Since this code change is fairly recent, your home’s framing may not be fully protected. Here are some ways you can protect your home and your family.
  1. Gypsum drywall ceilings nailed to manufactured joists last three times longer in a fire than 2×10 dimension lumber joists not covered by gypsum.
  2. A partial sprinkler system installed with manufactured joists is part of residential cold water system protecting certain zones of the home.
  3. Mineral Wool Insulation has been in use for years and installs easily by quickly dropping batts into place between manufactured joists with no stapling or nailing required.
  4. You can also buy manufactured joists with a thermal shield over ceramic fiberboard. When in contact with fire, it automatically activates and expands into a strong, thick fire shield, limiting fire greatly.
  5. Drop-In-Drywall Fire Protection allows easy access to plumbing, heating and electrical. Using 1/2″ gypsum makes it easier to install, no nails or screws required.