After the devastating wildfire that scorched through Betty's Bay in 2019, we as Interior Designers were deeply touched and stunned by the impact it had on the community. We were surprised at how few houses survived. This led us to look into how structural materials and design elements can be used within Interior Architecture to prevent the spread of fire.
We don't want to burst your bubble, but NO structural building materials are 'really' fire proof. However, well designed and constructed houses/buildings can help delay such tragedies by using relatively fire-resistant materials. That is why manufactured materials undergo several tests and are rated in respect to the time in which it takes the fire to affect its structural abilities.
The building materials to consider:
Windows - it would take fire longer to burst the windows when installing dual-paned glass, which is energy efficient.
Tempered glass is also effective, as it's heat-treated which makes it about four times stronger than normal glass.
It's important to note that the best protection for window frames are steel, followed by wood and aluminium.
Concrete - it is a excellent fire-resistant material. It is non-combustible and has low thermal conductivity, meaning it takes a long time for fire to affect its structural ability. Amazingly, concrete is the best fire-resistant roofing materials. Since Roofs are extremely vulnerable, one shouldn't overlook it as essential in fire protection.
Stucco - has been used for centuries, for both artistic and structural purposes, as a plaster. It provides an excellent and durable fire-resistant finish material that can cover any structural material, such as brick or timber. It can easily delay a fire by an hour.
Gypsum - type X gypsum board is specially treated with additives to improve its fire-resistive qualities. The paper on the exterior burns slowly and has a non-combustible core that doesn't contribute to fire spread.
Brick - If the popular tale of the 'Three Little Pigs' has thought us anything, it's that the big bad wolf's huffing and puffing isn't the only thing bricks can resist.
Bricks are made in highly intense fire and therefore can save you 1 to 4 hours according to the fire-resisting rate.
Therefore, incorporating these structural materials in Interior Architecture can help prevent the spread of fire and as designer, we need to keep this in mind.