By John Grant
–
1 October 2020, Build 180
Controlling fire spread between residential buildings and outbuildings is important for protecting life and property. We recap the requirements and look at an area of confusion – fire rating of windows and doors in walls close to a boundary.
Read more
By Kevin Frank
–
1 April 2018, Build 165, Feature article
It’s important with higher-density housing in urban areas to ensure fire doesn’t spread from a lower roof to an adjacent, taller wall. BRANZ fire researchers are delving into the validity of the current 9 to 5 rule.
Read more
By Ed Soja
–
1 April 2014, Build 141
When residential buildings have a wall less than 1 m (or sometimes 5 m) from the boundary, there are requirements for the boundary walls to have specific fire resistance ratings (FRR) and exterior surface finishes.
Read more
By Dr Colleen Wade
–
1 February 2014, Build 140
A new BRANZ research project is looking to improve the methods of determining the level of fire resistance necessary in parts of buildings to limit fire spread.
Read more
By James Firestone
–
1 February 2010, Build 116, Feature article
Sprinkler systems are proven to control fires and minimise damage. Developments in technology mean that home sprinkler systems can be a viable addition to homes of all ages, as this example of a system designed for an 1891 villa demonstrates.
Read more