This has always puzzled me. In the US most homes scream flamability.Using timber and more recently plastic for exterior finishing. Massive single glazed windows (usually with no shutters), heck even timber shingled roofing.
In Australia most homes are brick (even in cities and suburbs). Those that build in fire prone areas (ie the whole of Australia) do seem to take atleast minimal efforts to minimise fire damage. Lots of water outlets, compulsory water storage for fire fighting, low famability in materials etc. Cinder/besser blocks, core filled and usually cladded in some sort of armour like fibrocement or cut sandstone, corregated steel roofing (in various colours as colour bond) with fibrocement sheeting underneath to stop cinders getting in. Shutters go over windows (they can roll up into wall cavities or being european style shutters) further enhancing fire resistance.
Then people mention ecofriendly and all of a sudden the whole thing is built out of timber... Termites and fires will love that.
All this is just fire resistance. There is no such thing as fire proof. Even an underground bunker isn't "fire proof" (people still die getting to them and in them).
In Australia in rural areas most people shed it while they are building their dream fortress. Extremely energy efficent. Slab (usually) 100mm thick, 10x10m tin shed uses almost no metal (you can fit the material for 10 sheds on a truck) and very little fuel to get it to the location.
* 3 x 120w solar cells and 12v 250A/hr batteries can run a home. Flatscreen LED, laptops, desktops, stereo, water pumps, fridges, lighting etc. More if your closer to the polar regions sure, but thats the level you need to aim at.
*Instantainous LPG is an excellent way to heat water. 45kg cylinder runs my house hold for about 12 months (2 people, shower everyday). Solar boost it and it would last 5 years!
* Even in the 2nd driest continent Australia 100m^2 of roofing is enough to collect all the water 2 people will need.
* Heating comes from firewood that would normally rot releasing Co2 anyway. (I live on acres but LPG would also be pretty effective)
Mobile homes suck, small, stinky, expensive, etc. We looked at mobile homes and shipping containers but crossed it off. Build a shed. If it burns down you can build another one off your credit card in 2 weeks.
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This has always puzzled me. In the US most homes scream flamability.Using timber and more recently plastic for exterior finishing. Massive single glazed windows (usually with no shutters), heck even timber shingled roofing. In Australia most homes are brick (even in cities and suburbs). Those that build in fire prone areas (ie the whole of Australia) do seem to take atleast minimal efforts to minimise fire damage. Lots of water outlets, compulsory water storage for fire fighting, low famability in materials etc. Cinder/besser blocks, core filled and usually cladded in some sort of armour like fibrocement or cut sandstone, corregated steel roofing (in various colours as colour bond) with fibrocement sheeting underneath to stop cinders getting in. Shutters go over windows (they can roll up into wall cavities or being european style shutters) further enhancing fire resistance. Then people mention ecofriendly and all of a sudden the whole thing is built out of timber... Termites and fires will love that. All this is just fire resistance. There is no such thing as fire proof. Even an underground bunker isn't "fire proof" (people still die getting to them and in them). In Australia in rural areas most people shed it while they are building their dream fortress. Extremely energy efficent. Slab (usually) 100mm thick, 10x10m tin shed uses almost no metal (you can fit the material for 10 sheds on a truck) and very little fuel to get it to the location. * 3 x 120w solar cells and 12v 250A/hr batteries can run a home. Flatscreen LED, laptops, desktops, stereo, water pumps, fridges, lighting etc. More if your closer to the polar regions sure, but thats the level you need to aim at. *Instantainous LPG is an excellent way to heat water. 45kg cylinder runs my house hold for about 12 months (2 people, shower everyday). Solar boost it and it would last 5 years! * Even in the 2nd driest continent Australia 100m^2 of roofing is enough to collect all the water 2 people will need. * Heating comes from firewood that would normally rot releasing Co2 anyway. (I live on acres but LPG would also be pretty effective) Mobile homes suck, small, stinky, expensive, etc. We looked at mobile homes and shipping containers but crossed it off. Build a shed. If it burns down you can build another one off your credit card in 2 weeks.