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by Joanne A. Calitri
T
he beauty of building one’s dream home in heavily
wooded areas such as the foothills of Montecito has
evolved to include growing concerns regarding building in
fire-prone environments and, perhaps more importantly,
how
to build fire-safe in those environments. Luckily, the chance of
surviving a fire in these areas has been greatly increased because of
extensive new research on building materials, home water reservoirs, and
landscape design. Although some of the building materials have been
available for years, a large majority of contractors in California continue to
use items such as high-moisture woods to build homes.
In Montecito, construction is turning to the “safer” build model. Most
homeowners in the fire areas wishing to rebuild have decided to use fire-safe
building materials, paints, attic ventilation systems, window and doorway
systems, external building siding, landscaping, water tanks, reservoirs,
swimming pools and water pumps as lines of defense in case of another fire.
It is important to remember that fire containment requires a synthesis of
building materials to withstand a major fire regardless of advance warning.
We have come a long way from spark arresters on chimneys.
The following are just some examples of this continuing trend:
Beginning with an approved architectural plan, a foundation is laid out.
The exterior and interior walls are made of fire resistant Hybrid Block
materials versus flammables such as wood. The Hybrid Block system is
created using a lightweight composite called CICF (Composite Insulating
Concrete Form), first made in Austria in 1972. In the United States,
the material is made entirely from U.S. sources by U.S. plants. CICF is
made with 85% recycled polystyrene and 15% reclaimed cement. Then,
100% of any toxins are removed, making them environmentally safe for
homeowners. The polystyrene is CFC (chlorofluorocarbon)-free. The
properties of the Hybrid Block include a thermal barrier with a 4-hour fire
rating, no flame spread, no smoke development and no heat conduction.
It has been tested at 2000 degrees with an “R” value of 48. R-value is a
rating of a material’s thermal resistance. Other benefits of Hybrid Blocks
are mold, termite and dry rot resistance.
The blocks are eight feet long and each weighs a mere 110 pounds; they
are cut and shaped for flat or curved wall designs. Once set in place, the
blocks’ interior channels form a grid of 6”diameter columns. The columns
are filled with rebar (steel threading) and concrete. The grid is set up to
match the load capacity required for single or multi-story building and
seismic zone applications.
The interior wall of the block can be cut for fitting electrical outlets,
cabinets and other internal designs. The interior walls are finished with dry
wall, plaster, stucco, brick or stone veneers.
Montecito
homeowners
Kareen and Kevin
Hart are rebuilding
after the recent
Montecito Fire