Sprinklers and Storms

Hot Debate

The NAHB pays close attention to discussions

about mandating residential fire sprinklers (Debate Rages, April 1). Home builders must be advocates for the families who will buy new homes and who are affected by the costs of excessive regulation.

One correction to the story: Although the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) does reference the use of residential fire sprinklers, the information is not contained in the body of the code, but in the appendix. Should a local jurisdiction choose to mandate sprinklers, the model code requirements are available there and must be adopted separately.

This placement echoes the stance of NAHB regarding residential fire sprinklers, which we believe should remain voluntary. Proponents of mandatory installation in new home construction often cite frightening and, unfortunately, flawed statistics when they make their pitch. However, there exists no definitive study demonstrating that mandating residential sprinklers is a cost-effective solution.

What is proven, however, is that modern home construction techniques, the use of smoke alarms and fire safety education for consumers have combined to dramatically reduce the instance of death and injury from fire.

Gerald M. Howard, NAHB Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Washington, D.C.

Storm-Resistant Roofing

Storm-Resistant Roofing in the March issue of Professional Builder caught my attention. Because the effects of hurricanes and tornadoes in North America are a significant issue, I read the recommendations for storm resistant roofing with enthusiasm.

That was until I reached the section on wind and impact-resistant covering. I was expecting to read a few lines on the strong wind resistance of metal roofs. To my surprise only standing-seam metal roofs and impact-resistant asphalt shingles were mentioned, and the UL test numbers listed referred to the asphalt-shingle testing and impact resistance of prepared roof covering materials.

I just want to add that granular-coated metal roof panels also perform great during storms. Choosing the appropriate wind and impact resistant roof is always important, especially in hurricane and tornado prone areas. However, no matter what type of covering is chosen performance is affected by numerous factors, including installation practices, job site conditions, time of year, weather, temperature, microclimate variations and other specific circumstances (ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com ).

Allen Reid, PresidentDura-Loc Roofing Systems, Courtland, Ontario

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