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metal roofs fire traps???

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Guest User
12/13/2006
We just had a metal roof put on. Now, in the last 2 weeks there have been 2 serious house fires with deaths. Info stated they both had metal roofs that kept the flames & heat inside. Is this a fact???
Allan Reid
Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc.
12/14/2006
Until recently, most building codes requirements relating to fire protection were designed to protect the home from a fire on the outside trying to get in. The new building codes have a provision in it that when re roofing over an existing roof creates a combustible conceald space, the existing roof must be copvered with a fire barrier. Many people have looked to vertical ribbed sheet steel as a quick easy remedy for their roofing problems and installed the roofing on strapping creating the combustable space and did not use a fire barrier. This can allow a fire to move in this space. If everyone followed the code there would not be issues. On the up side, tests have proven that a metal roof with its light wieght and strength will hold the structure together considerably longer allowing more time to exit and for the firemen to controll the fire and significantly reduce fire pressure on the nieghbouring properties. All in all the benefits are there for metal especially if it is installed to the building code.
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