Typically, fire regulations will test equipment and materials with the purpose of saving lives rather than the property. Structures are to withstand fire for 30 minutes in order to be classed as suitable for a building. But there are materials that are more fire-proof than this, to create an ultimate fire safe home that resists fire penetration and flame spread.

Smoke Detectors

Firstly, your home should be fitted with smoke detectors. One is required on every floor of the home, and no more than 3m away from a bedroom door meaning two may be required per floor in larger homes. Heat sensors can be more efficient in the kitchen, as they will sound when the temperature reaches 55°C.

Concrete

Concrete is an extremely fire-resistant material for the home, which is why it is one of the most commonly used materials. It is often used to protect and reinforce steel structures in a building to prevent fire spreading.

Walls and Ceilings

As a basic requirement, walls and ceilings should be able to withstand fire for 30 minutes. This means the ceiling should be at least 12.5mm of plasterboard under floor joists. Multiple layers of plasterboard can increase the fire resistance, up to 4 hours for walls and 3 for ceilings.

Doors

Fitting fire doors in your home can provide extra security against fire. Self-closing doors were previously the go-to fire prevention measure however half-hour resistant doors are now the favoured option. There are two places where a fire door is necessary though, this is between the garage and the house, and between the third and second storey of the home, or loft conversion.

Windows

Egress windows are designed to provide a suitable escape should a fire occur. Building regulations state that they must be within 1,100m of the floor and able to open no less than 0.33m². Securing your home with tempered glass windows means the windows are much less likely to break and allow fire to spread outside the home, as they are 4x stronger than typical glass.

Roofing

Fire resistant roofing can provide extra safety and peace of mind that should a fire occur, the structure will remain intact. Metrotile’s steel roofing has been given a fire rating of EXT.S.AA. The two A’s mean that it has been given the highest standard for resistance to fire penetration and flame spread. The roofing has been extensively tested and it has been found that there was no spread of flame after an hour. There was also no fire penetration after an hour of testing.

To find out more about Metrotile’s fire resistant roofing and to ensure your home is completely fire safe, you can speak to a member of our team on 01249 658 514 or you can contact us online.