The Washington times., 1923-08-11
ALLEN EXPLAINS
F|RE-PROOF|NG
BUILDINGS
Modern Methods for Construct
ing Safer Homes Are Told
by Writer.

The problem of building fire-safe
homes, says Leslie H. Allen of the
House Division. Portland Cement
Association. in the July Building
Age" is of even greater importance
than the problem of building fire
safe commercial buildings. The
fire underwriting profession has
for years been rendering a great
service to industry in America by
teaching manufacturers how to
build fire-safe factories and insist
ing on fire-safe theaters. stores
and churches. and in doing so it
has reduced to a very large extent
the fire risks and fire losses. thus
reducing the huge tax that fires
impose on American industry.
The fire underwater can still
further increase the service he is
rendering to the community by
Joining in a movement for encour-
aging fire resisting construction in
homes, for in them the annual fire
loss is even greater than 1t is in
factories and the risk to life is
greater and facilities for fire fight
ing often absent.
Losses Cause Concern.
Our huge annual fire losses
tsixty-three million dollars in resi-
dences alone) are causing increasing
concern, and the conviction is rap
idly growing that in the public in
. terest and for public safety the use
of permanent. fire-resistant mate
rails ought to be encouraged-espe-
cially as their relative cost today
is so little in excess of less per-
manent materials. Present legis-
lative restrictions on their full and
free use ought to be examined and
modified wherever present day ex-
perience shows this to be possible.
In this particular, the work of
the Building Code Committee Of
worthy Of special mention and it
is to be hoped that the adoption
Of the code prepared by this COM
mittee with it's reasonable regula-
tons for the reduction of the
thickness Of masonry walls of
chimney construction. will soon
become universal and lead the way
to greater use of fire-resistant
construction.
Explode Old Theory.
The old idea that any incombus-
tible material was necessarily fire
resistive has been the cause Of
many disastrous fire losses. It is
recognized today that many ma
terials that will not burn are fail
ures as fire retardents. Materials
vary so much in thermal conduc-
tivity. In rare Of expansion when
heated and In strength after heat
ing-factors that are of para
mount importance in fire resist
ance. The fire resistive qualities
of a building material bear no re-
lation to their strength or conduc-
tivity.
In building materials like gyp-
sum. steel. clay, tile, concrete
block. lumber. cast iron and stone
are found some that are high in
fire resistance and low in strength
and vice versa and even those that
are high in both vary great deal
in thermal conductivity. rate of
expansion and contraction and
other factors that affect their sta
bility. Therefore. each building
material must be examined. tested
and rated on its merits from the
of view.
Public Informed.
It ought not to be necessary 70
force people to build fire-safe
homes common sense alone
ought to inpel them. But the
trouble is that the public does not
know the simple methods and eco
nomical materials that will insure
safety for him. and it may he diff
cult to arouse a public interest in
fireproof building because fire in.
eurance rates are such very small
tax on his annual outgoings.
From the standpoint of economy
there is very little encouragement
to the home builder to spend more
money in making his house fire
safe. But inasmuch as fire-resis-
tive construction is also permanent
construction, it makes a house rigid,
free from maintenance, warm ami
dry.
The economy on this head makes
the proposition more attractive than
from the standpoint of premiums
alone and now with the aid Of con-
crete construction the cost of a
fire resisting house has been re-
duced to q point where 1t costs
very little more than the ordinary
type. The advantages Of a fire
proof home which used to be con-
efdered a luxury only available to
the rich, has now been placed with
in the reach of the man Of moder-
& ate means.
The rapid development Of con-
crete units of light weight and low
Z cost is making this possible. Con-
crete block and concrete building
tile are now being used in many
cities instead Of frame construc.
ton, and as they make a perfect
rigid non-yielding base for Portland
cement stuccO. a very beautiful
house at low cost can be considered
with their aid.
Builders Laud Concrete.
There are many builders who use
this material continually and re-
port that the difference in cost be-
tween that and frame construction
is negligible The Minneapolis
journal, which is now building
three demonstration homes in Min
neapolis to show the advantage of
good construction and to explain
methods of sound financing, found
that on a $4,000 house the bids for
concrete were only $135 more than
l,I,