Advice for Remodeling After a Fire



Fire can quickly devastate a home, causing damage from smoke and flames as well as from the flooding required to put it out. When remodeling or rebuilding after a fire, the focus is not only on restoring what you have lost – it’s about installing measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Here’s some advice from a leading home remodel architect in NJ.

  • Safety first: Fire restoration is a dangerous job and the site may be structurally compromised. No one should enter the site until it is fully investigated for safety and stability by your residential architect, contractor and structural engineer. All specialists on the project should be licensed, insured and qualified.
  • Process of elimination: Each part of the building must be evaluated to decide what will stay and what must go. This entirely depends on the fire damage and the quality of the original materials, so some structures and materials may remain viable while other structures may have to be demolished and entirely rebuilt.
  • Fire rated construction: Fire prevention begins with fire rated construction. All materials used in the build or remodel should carry a listed fire rating to show their ability to withstand fire, from a 1-hour fire rating and upwards. These materials form the base of your home and include doors, floors, roofs, etc. The more hours on the rating, the better their quality.
  • Fire-stopping: One of the best ways to prevent extensive fire damage in future is to include fire-stopping measures in your home’s design. This means pacing non-combustible materials as a calking at critical points in the home (like pipes or holes through fire rated materials) to prevent the spread of a fire, should one occur.
  • Detectors and alarms: Your home should have several safety systems installed during the remodel or rebuild, including smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire alarms and fire suppression systems. New Jersey has code guidelines for how and where these should be installed, as well as advice on how to test them each year to ensure they are in good working order.

Partner with a Specialist Home Remodel Architect in NJ 


The firm of Seth A. Leeb is a full-service residential architect firm, and we have considerable experience working on residential projects, including home remodeling and new builds. We consider designing and building your home as a privilege, and we’ll work with you to make the process as smooth and rewarding as possible. For more information on our home remodeling and residential architecture design services in New Jersey, please contact us today or visit our website at https://leeb-architecture.com/

Original content posted on https://leeb-architecture.com/advice-for-remodeling-after-a-fire/

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