DIY Network

Weather Management: Afterthought Damage Control From "Blueprint for Home Building" episode DBHB-212

In the final segment of "Weather Management," host Jeff Wilson introduces a few interior additions to your home for protection against fire and tornadoes, with smoke detectors, in-home sprinkler systems and safe rooms.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Afterthought Damage Control

In this episode you've found out what it takes to protect the exterior of your home against the elements, and now it's time to take a look at some projects you can add to the interior once your home is complete to add even more protection.

• Once the walls are up and you've moved in, the most effective life-saving device is the smoke detector (figure A) -- and installing one is something you can do yourself.

• You may want to consider having a sprinkler system (figure B) installed as well. Dollar for dollar nothing can protect your home better than smoke detectors and sprinklers.

  Safety Alert: Be sure to check the smoke-detector batteries regularly. Fire Departments suggest new batteries every time the time changes in spring and autumn, but it's smart to check the batteries on a regular basis.

• In the case of a small fire, be sure to keep a fire extinguisher or two in your home, and the kitchen and garage areas are where you should store them. Make sure you know how they work, however, because the foam comes out with "high" pressure and the residue can be bountiful once you've used one.

• If you live in an area prone to hurricanes or tornadoes, for full protection you may opt to add a "safe room" to your home's layout. This is known as a tornado room, where everyone plans to meet in case of a disaster emergency. A safe room should have NO windows and be stocked with food and other items your family might need -- such as batteries, radio, emergency kit, etc.

  If you don't have a room that's appropriate to become a safe room during a storm, underground safe rooms (figure C) can be installed as one-piece containers that are inserted into the garage floor. Made of fiberglass coated steel, they can hold up to eight people, costing between $2,000 and $3,000 -- and they can be installed in one day.

• Areas subject to flooding have their own concerns. To keep the electricity flowing, you'll want to run the bulk of your wiring above known flood lines.

For more information on solving drainage problems, click here for an episode of Weekend Handyman (WKH-302), and click here for the "Drainage System" episode (DBHB-202) of Blueprint for Home Building.

In the final episode of Blueprint for Home Building the "home of the future" is examined.

GUESTS :

John Holton
Senior Architect
Ibacos
Website: www.ibacos.com

Dana Bres
Research Engineer
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20910
Phone: 202-708-4370
E-mail: dana_b._bres@hud.gov

Robert Osborn Jr.
2517 w 237th St., Suite D
Torrance, CA 90505
Phone: 310-326-5678
E-mail: ozzyrobert@netscape.net

Elizabeth Shanahan
President
FC Construction, Inc.
PO Box TT
Newport Beach, CA 92662
Phone: 714-412-6180
E-mail: FCConstruction@earthlink.net

Rod Hans
General Contractor
2052 Newport Blvd.
Suite 6 PMB 135
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Phone: 949-701-1942
E-mail: hansco@surfside.net

Skip Weahunt
Homeowner
E-mail: skip@ownerbuildercenter.com

Andy Beasly
PO Box 214
Hillside, CO 81232

Mills Pierre
Urban Planner
E-mail: mills@millspierre.com

Kenneth R. Quick
Fire Prevention Specialist
E-mail: Kenneth.quick@culvercity.org

Thomas Black
Executive Director
Metal Roofing Alliance
3309 56th St. NW
Suite 105
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
E-mail: tlblack@ix.netcom.com

Lou Volpe
Building Contractor
1735 Fisk Ct.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Phone: 805-449-1627