Special Reports

Safety experts say newer construction burns hotter, faster than old

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Newer may not always be better when it comes to fire safety at home. Safety experts have studied current homebuilding materials, and they have found homes built in the last 30 years are burning hotter and faster, putting lives in danger when a fire breaks out.

Virginia Mladin and her husband spent weeks of work building a new addition to their house in Hickory that was built in the 1950s. In the early morning hours of Oct. 23, a fire destroyed their work.

“Everything that we bought that was new, all the wood, burned so quickly like it had gas on it,” Mladin said.

The new sits in piles of charred rubble outside their older home, which is still intact.

Several studies are proving newer homes are not holding up to fires like older ones do. They burn faster and hotter, creating a higher risk for flashovers and fire deaths.

Experts are arguing it's because of the materials builders are using now.

Ken Willette, with the National Fire Protection Association, calls it lightweight construction. Unlike the sturdy, solid wood used a generation earlier, many builders now use engineered particle boards and plywood.

Willette said they're cheaper and can hold the same weight of a home, just not under a fire.

“It can't endure the heat and it can't endure the fire and may fail sooner. When it does because of its engineering designs, it can be a catastrophic failure,” Willette said.

Experts contribute those fast burn times not only to what your home is built out of, but what's inside. Much of our furniture now is made of synthetic materials that can act like fuel for a fire, making time tighter to get out.

“The more synthetic material you have, the greater the fire load,” Willette said. “They are coming together and creating like a perfect storm.”

University of North Carolina Charlotte Associate Professor of Engineering Technology Aixi Zhou has tested construction materials in this lab.

  • CLICK PLAY: Zhou shows demonstrates different buring materials

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Zhou has found the thinner, manufactured wood many builders use now contains adhesives which shorten ignition times and cause fires to spread faster.

Experts say that all proves families have to be ready when a fire breaks out. Because of these materials, they are warning people: Time in not on your side.

Experts stress families need to have working smoke alarms and a home escape plan. They also need to know how far the closest fire station is and what equipment they have to respond.

If you are building a new home, experts suggest installing a fire sprinkler system. A sprinkler cost less than $2 a square foot.

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