May 1 2009 - Feature
Remember Safety When Renovating
By David George
Because people's homes can be part of their lives for many years, renovation is often undertaken to transform the living space to make it more aesthetically pleasing, functional or to serve new requirements. Whether it involves remodeling kitchens, bathrooms or other living spaces, renovation can be mind-bending. This is particularly true in older homes that may have been constructed with very few electrical outlets.
Today, requirements for modern kitchens include higher current wiring and outlets for many appliances. One area of utmost importance and confusion in renovation is the home's fire and life-safety systems.
The NFPA 72 guide states that hardwired (AC powered) or battery-operated smoke detectors listed under UL 217 shall be replaced after 10 years. Considering that hardwired smoke detectors have been required in all new homes since the early 1970s, and that most of these detectors are still in service, this widens the timeframe of what is considered an "older home." In fact, fire and life-safety renovations should be considered more frequently.
Keeping Up With Codes
Whether it's a sketch on a cocktail napkin or full-blown architectural plans, some type of planning and design always comes first. Renovation of any area of an older home also requires that it be brought up to code. Usually this means only the section being renovated needs to be brought up to date.
The one exception is smoke alarms. If a permit is pulled for any type of repair or any work on a house, smoke alarms are required to be brought up to the current code. In fact, no matter when a home was built, you can't sell it without meeting the current fire code.
Selecting the correct fire system for a home renovation project hinges on understanding state and local codes, and then installing the right products to meet those codes, according to fire alarm specialist Greg Smizer, owner of Sprint Security Inc. in Waltham, Mass. For 30+ years, he has been installing fire alarm and security systems in renovated homes across New England.
"Get to know your local authority having jurisdiction, your AHJ. Often, it is your state fire marshal. Get to know the local and state fire alarm codes. Become familiar with the various licenses and permits that apply to your job: NPFA 72, local building codes, state building codes, Article 760 of the National Electrical Code [NEC], to name a few," advises Smizer.
Codes such as those from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are what regulate fire system design. Another accepted nationwide code is the International Residential Code (IBC), which is implemented by the International Code Council (ICC).