Smoke Alarms and Fire Doors Are Vital
There is a very good reason why the law states you must have a working smoke alarm fitted in your home, and ensure it is tested every three months to make sure the batteries still work. Whether a fire breaks out during the night when you and your family are asleep, or in the day time because you are cooking carelessly; leaving too many things plugged into overloaded sockets; or obviously for reasons that cannot be helped; raising the alarm can give you enough time to make sure everyone makes it out of your home alive.
Most homes do not have the necessary equipment to tackle a blaze, and there is a reason why the law does not state you need to have it; it is quite simply, too dangerous for you to take on a raging inferno yourself. Professional help is essential, so you must call the fire brigade as soon as the danger presents itself and your smoke alarm is activated.
A small fire extinguisher can help even in a home environment, as they are only ever intended to make sure you can make it through the door to safety. You should never attempt to take on a fire with a fire extinguisher, unless it is obviously safe to do so, and you are sure you are using the right type of fire extinguisher for the right kind of blaze.
One of the most important things to consider when it comes to making it out of an inferno alive is therefore the exits themselves. It is vital to ensure that your doorways are not blocked, as a fire can break out at any time. The doors can play an important part in your escape; ageing, wooden doors present much more of a risk should a fire break out than a modern UPVC composite door.
The sale of wooden doors is becoming increasingly rare compared to composite varieties, and this is thanks, in no small part, to the safety aspect afforded to you by UPVC doors. Thicker plastic can buy valuable time, and most doors are coated with a flame retardant layer that can keep a fire at bay for long enough to aid escape.
Thanks to advances in recent years, dedicated fire doors are becoming cheaper and increasingly effective at preventing fires from spreading. However, standard composites are also a much safer bet than a wooden panel version. It is important to make sure that your doors are able to stand up in a life or death situation like a fire, and therefore UPVC plastic is the way to go.
Composite doors are obviously much safer than wooden versions should a fire break out; however, dedicated fire doors are the best protection money can buy, and could make all the difference in a life or death situation.
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