By Jean Sealey
Northeast Florida Builders
Association
Fire prevention historically has focused on three areas - detection, suppression and public education.
Although many systems have been developed to detect and suppress fires, the focus has been on reacting to a fire after it has started.
Once a fire has started, extensive damage to the home or building and the people inside is possible before even the best system to detect and suppress kicks in.
When fire starts in a home, it may produce enough smoke to fill a room and then move on before it is detected. And, studies have shown that many homeowners are relying on smoke detectors that are not functioning properly. Based on national data, nine out of 10 people who died in fires last year died because of smoke inhalation.
These statistics indicate the need to keep fire from starting. Technology exists to do just that.
In the late 1990s, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and environmentally safe fire-retardant products were developed. These new and revolutionary products take away two necessary components for fire - fuel and the chemical chain reaction needed to support it.
No-Burn Inc. recently introduced its non-toxic, food-grade products for use in residential and commercial structures to the Jacksonville market. A member of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, No-Burn Inc. is working with area builders to provide a safer, healthier home to First Coast residents.
“When a porous item is treated with a No-Burn product, it becomes highly resistive to fire,” said William Kush, president of No-Burn. “When wood, drywall, fabric, paper or any number of items are treated with No-Burn, these ordinary items that normally contribute to the spread of a fire become incapable of burning.”
In addition to retarding fire, No-Burn’s Wood Gard Mih also inhibits mold.
“The climate in Northeast Florida is conducive to the growth of mold,” Kush said. “This product will help solve two problems for homeowners - the threat of fire and mold.”
Black mold has been the basis of millions of dollars in lawsuits all over the South. Statistics show the average mold remediation claim for a 2,000-square-foot home is approximately $35,000.
Another product from the No-Burn family is Fabric Gard, a non-toxic fire-retardant application for cloth materials in home or office furniture. Couches, chairs and drapes are the main fuel source for home and office fires.
“An application of Fabric Gard basically renders these types of materials incapable of catching fire, thus reducing a fire’s ability to start, spread and create a deadly smoke output,” Kush said.
Kush said builders are incorporating No-Burn products into the construction process, which will save lives and property in the future.
“No-Burn is the new wave of fire-retardant technology, and it is available now,” Kush said. “The products are non-toxic, environmentally safe and reasonably priced so they should be presented as an option to any new-home buyer.”
For information about No-Burn products and their application for your home, contact Mark Skipper, president of No-Burn of North Florida Inc., at (904) 276-8335, or toll-free at 1-866-466-4443.
The Northeast Florida Builders Association provides education, research, legislative representation, media relations, promotions and programs for its 1,500-plus builder and associate
members.