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/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hybrid Office Design: A Guide for Architects and Employers

Image
Hybrid office design is now standard practice across the board. Some companies still require employees to be in the office full-time, while many others offer a permanent hybrid work alternative.  Gallup  states that hybrid workers are, on average, coming into the office three days per week, which requires a rethink of modern office architecture. We need innovative office spaces to accommodate the diverse needs of hybrid work. That being said, our team of architects in NJ have put together a guide to hybrid office design based on the most recent commercial office additions to our portfolio. What Are Hybrid Work Models?    What are flexible and hybrid work models at their core? They link remote workers with on-site employees and include spaces such as home, the office, and a third space that could be a local coffee shop or a more ambitious spot like the beach. Employees have the flexibility to choose when they will be in the office, unless there are team-specific ...
Read more

How to Keep Commercial Building Costs On-Budget

Image
Commercial building projects are highly complex and demanding – and it’s important that they not only stay on schedule, but that they stay on budget too. While unforeseen circumstances can push both of these goals out, there are ways recommended by  Commercial architecture in NJ   to help prevent delays and rising costs. Know the Weak Points in  Commercial Building Design  and Construction Projects  When a commercial building project is facing delays and rising costs, there are several areas where weak points in the project are often found. By knowing these weak points and having a strategy that prevents them from collapsing, your project should move forward much more smoothly. These weak points include: Lack of vital design information –  Incomplete architectural plans that lack certain details and specifications will cause confusion, delays, miscommunication and even more work due to tear-outs. Choosing cheap contractors –  Contract...
Read more

How Residential Architecture is Responding to Climate Change

Image
Climate change is something every industry, including architecture, has started  adapting to. Building residential architecture that is made for the ever-changing weather challenges like extreme hot temperatures, flooding, and storms has become an integral part of the future.  Climate adaptation in architecture has changed to increase sustainability and the safety of the people who reside in homes that experience extreme weather patterns. Our team of  residential architects in NJ  takes a closer look below:  Evolution of Climate-Responsive Residential Architecture Climate architecture considers the environment and the structural adaptations of a building to thrive in its abode. Here are some ways in which the building industry has transformed residential architecture for climate change: Using eco-friendly resources Incorporating natural building materials Maximizing the building structure Focusing on the environment to reduce carbon emissions has become vital. T...
Read more