BASIC HOME BUYING/LEASING TIPS
1. Containment/Spread Prevention: To stop a fire your building elements must prevent the spread of fire. This basically means they must all be fire rated. A fire rated door, wall, roof, window etc. resists fire until you can exit the building. A few materials have poor fire resistance such as POP ceilings built with fiber may be less resistant than those built with Polystyrene, Mineral Wool or Gypsum Board. Most of our residential doors in Nigeria tend not to be fire rated and this is critical especially for doors leading to balconies and exits. A typical component may have a rating of between 30minutes to up to 4 hours fire rating. These things save lives and you need to be sure if that you are fire safe when you buy these buildings. Another system lies with your layout, fire risk zones such as kitchens should be zoned such that it cannot spread easily into the rooms and this is perhaps the biggest argument against open kitchens because such spaces would spread fire easier.
Finally, your home should have sufficient setbacks and avoid buying in neighborhoods where fire risk is high and setbacks are not followed. For example in a place like Somolu, Mushin with the print mills, you notice most developers keep less than 1.5m setbacks and in some cases build against the walls. This means if their offices are on fire, your home could be at risk. These are issues to consider when buying because a neighbors fire may very well become yours too if you are not at least 4.5m away.
2. Fire Control: Fire is in degrees based on the kind of building, function and a host of risk factors. As such you have Fire resistance classifications A-F in design. A library and a kitchen require fire safety measures but with a library you would require less stringent and passive measures unlike a kitchen which is more prone and requires more active control systems. If you are about to buy a home for example, a smoke detector in the kitchen is necessary. An apartment building requires fire alarms, a muster point which is not exposed to wires and other such risks as we see in some Lagos buildings today. You need to be sure there are fire extinguishers, fire hose reels and other such things. You need to be sure the building facility manager is trained in fire safety. In the case of a stand-alone building like a duplex, you need to be sure there is a community mechanism in case of a fire.
3. Ensure the house is sufficiently protected from Fire. As we approach the dry season especially with rising global temperatures, we should be aware that the risk of fire is one which will never be eliminated completely. Ordinarily, every building must be properly built to prevent fires and this is done in two ways.
In conclusion, you should know the most important thing you must live with is your life and as such you must first ensure everyone can safely exit the building before we try to control fires. This means passive systems and safety practices are your priority. Do not buy a house with wooden doors in the kitchen for example. Rent houses where there are visible exit points. Make sure your exit door swing outward not inward. Do more research on your particular house type or have advisors like ourselves guide you on the right procedure to avoid stories that touch.
Please note, these tips are also valid for renting shops, offices, event halls and many more. We can advise you on how to ensure you are not only fire compliant but 99% safe from potential of any human fires in non-industrial cases.
If you have questions about land or property acquisitions and leases or you have acquired one and need professional guidance from our interdisciplinary team please drop a message here or call 09052266952.
