Mid build fire risks, what & how?

[epsilonGreedy]

For obvious reasons I have been thinking about how vulnerable a part built house is to fire. I assume the risk is highest mid way through 1st and 2nd fix when the internal structure is open and has lots of exposed wood without the fire retardant influence of fitted plasterboard.

 

I am struggling to come up with likely triggers...

 

[Ian]

The highest risk is during any “hot works”. Usual risk mitigation is to make sure any hot works are stopped a minimum of 2 hours before leaving site and to have appropriate fire extinguishers to hand.

[Ferdinand]

Care with temporary electrical supplies, and big demands being run off small supplies.

 

Have a fire blanket to hand; they are cheap and can hang on hooks.

 

On the Paris Fire

 

Is it worthy of note that in the UK over scores and scores of major cathedral restorations, and similar things in the 200 (guestimate) or so cathedral size church buildings, there has never been a major fire afaik in modern times during a restoration? And York Minster was caused by a lightning strike, and other fires tend to be not during projects - normally arson or when not occupied.

 

The only obvious difference I can see is that most UK church buildings tend to be protestant and relatively stripped out, and French ones tend to have more stuff and decoration everywhere as befits a Catholic tradition.

 

No idea whether that is sigificant.

 

Ferdinand

[Russell griffiths]

Imho, mid build fire risk in a brick n block home would be so minimal I wouldn’t give it a second thought. 

 

However flood risk is far higher up there, every evening check everything is dry and how it should be. 

 

On my last place a plumbing apprentice decided to leave a leak in a newly fitted kitchen cupboard, whilst rushing to get to the pub on a Friday, I called in an hour later to check they had locked up properly to find a damp patch on the floor. 

 

They where given the heave ho on Monday morning. 

 

A far  higher risk I believe. 

[Mr Punter]

In timber frame, arson, hot works and smoking.

[Mr Punter]

6 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

However flood risk is far higher up there, every evening check everything is dry and how it should be. 

  

 On my last place a plumbing apprentice decided to leave a leak in a newly fitted kitchen cupboard, whilst rushing to get to the pub on a Friday, I called in an hour later to check they had locked up properly to find a damp patch on the floor. 

 

 

We had some plumbers connect a hot water run to the kitchen sink on the first floor of the show home.

 

Next morning when I came in the ground floor was like a tropical rainforest, with water pouring through the ceiling and down the walls.  I think a fitting popped off when the pipe cooled.

 

We got rid of the water and put in a couple of large heaters and dehumidifiers and dried it out thoroughly.

 

Rendered walls and tiled floors.  I thought we would be up for new ceilings (2 x 12.5mm pink boards) but the only remedial needed was redecoration.

[Triassic]

We live in a wooded area and we had a woodland fire last year, as a result, I'll be using fibre cement Cedral cladding rather than Larch cladding.

[Mr Punter]

1 hour ago, Triassic said:

We live in a wooded area and we had a woodland fire last year, as a result, I'll be using fibre cement Cedral cladding rather than Larch cladding.

 

Good idea. If there is an external breather paper you may want to make this fire retardant too, as lots of those membranes really flare up, especially in a strongly ventilated cavity.

[Barney12]

Plumbers scorching timbers is a major source of site fires. Example image here: https://buyersask.com/plumbing/burnt-wood-near-plumbing-fittings/

but I totally disagree with their "not of major concern" point. 

 

@Nickfromwales and I have both done "time" on cruise ships (not together, heavens could you imagine sharing a cabin with his arse ). Their adherence to hot works rules is a MASSIVE focus. Its sadly lacking in general construction IMHO. 

[epsilonGreedy]

15 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

On the Paris Fire

 

Is it worthy of note that in the UK over scores and scores of major cathedral restorations, and similar things in the 200 (guestimate) or so cathedral size church buildings, there has never been a major fire afaik in modern times during a restoration?

 

 

The Windsor Castle fire, pretty sure that was restoration related.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, epsilonGreedy said:

 

The Windsor Castle fire, pretty sure that was restoration related.

 

Been rereading about that. It was:

 

Quote

The fire began in the Queen's Private Chapel at 11:15 in the morning when a curtain was ignited by a spotlight pressed up against it.

 

Interestingly the Windsor Fire cost £60m in restoration in today’s money.

 

F