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Residential Home Fires

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:11:51 +0000

About 82 percent of all fire deaths in 2004 resulted from home fires.fatal fires occurs at night when people are likely to be less alert. Half of home fire deaths in 1999–2002 result from fires reported between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Most structure fires are preventable.According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in the year 2004.

In 1982, wood-burning appliances accounted for more fires, more fire deaths, and greater property damage than any other kind of heating fuel — about 140,000 fires, 250 deaths and $257 million in property damage. These losses represented 20 percent of all residential fires in the U.S., 5 percent of all fire deaths, and 8 percent of estimated property damage.

CPSC research indicates that most wood heating fires involve the chimney and not the appliance itself. The majority of these fires are contained within the chimney and cause no damage to the house. The Commission is concerned, however, not only about the chimney fires that did ignite other parts of the house, but also about the potential future hazard from the continued use of chimneys whose structural integrity has been compromised by a chimney fire. This is especially true in light of the fact that many contained chimney fires are not reported to the fire services; in fact, consumers may not even be aware that a chimney fire has occurred.

Therefore, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a special safety alert concerning chimneys used with woodburning stoves, fireplaces, and fireplace inserts. The Commission urgently warns consumers to be aware of the potential fire hazards associated with these chimneys.

Now that the nation has entered the heating season, the Commission strongly urges you, if you have a stove or fireplace, to have the chimney inspected for any damage that may have occurred in the past heating season. If it is difficult to examine the chimney, a local chimney repairman, chimney “sweep,” or dealer can help. Have any damage repaired NOW.

Most fires involving either masonry or prefabricated metal chimneys occur because of improper installation, use or maintenance. The Commission staff has identified the following common causes of fires:

1.)Improper chimney installation too close to wood framing.

2.)Installation of thermal insulation too close to the chimney.

3.)Improperly passing the stovepipe or chimney through a ceiling or wall, causing ignition of wood framing.

4.)Structural damage to the chimney caused by the ignition of creosote (a black tar-like substance that builds up inside the chimney in normal use).

5.)Structural damage to metal prefabricated chimneys that results in wood framing being exposed to excessive temperatures or leakage of potentially toxic gases to the interior of the home can take the following forms:

6.)Corrosion or rusting of the inner liners of metal chimneys.

7.)Buckling, separation of the seam, or collapsing of the inner liner of metal chimneys. (This can result from too hot a fire, especially in high-efficiency stoves and in fireplace inserts, or from a creosote fire.)

Structural damage also occurs in masonry chimneys, often associated with deterioration or improper installation of the chimney. The tile inner liner and the surrounding brick or block structure may crack and separate, perhaps as a result of the ignition of creosote that has built up in the chimney. Many old chimneys do not have a tile liner. If your chimney does not have a liner, the addition of a properly installed liner is advisable. Also, a clay liner should be sealed with refractory cement.

Even when the heating appliance is properly installed, people with either metal or masonry chimney systems should frequently check the chimney for creosote deposits, soot build-up, or physical damage. This involves only a simple visual examination, but it should be done as often as twice a month during heavy use. If you see heavy creosote buildup, suspect a problem, or have had a chimney fire, a qualified chimney repairman or chimney “sweep” should perform a complete safety inspection. They can arrange for any necessary repairs or creosote removal, which must be done before the heating appliance is used again.

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Beauty Your Garden By A Mountfield

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:30:45 +0000

Whoever you are either an individual or an agency must often get pages hassle if your home or office so messy and full of grass and trees are not arranged neatly. If we measure how much money must be spent to spruce up the home page or our office. The best decision is to buy a lawn mower and chain saws that I have ever experienced. There is a very famous brand since 30 years ago ie Mountfield. Once we buy it as long as we have a page that should be regulated, it will help us straighten Mountfield its rapid and impressive.
After I bought the Mountfield, how many times used always give satisfactory results. Then if we give order on expert gardener of course the cost was so expensive. But with a Mountfield, we could save budget doubled. Moreover mountfield very easy and practical operation so that when we are off work while out with wife and children could use to organize and manage Mountfield beauty of our home page. There are several types of uses and specifications of such Mountfield, Mountfield Lawnmowers and Mountfield Mowers is extremely valuable to the beauty of our yard. There are also various Mountfield Petrol Lawnmowers that specs is more sophisticated.
I am lucky to have garden tools and machinery that are reliable Mountfield branded and third-year warranty. Also when I bought it online from the World of powers, get a free gift and free shipping cost facilities. Many other advantages that we get to have a bona fide Mountfield on this site. Please visit the depths of the site to prove it.

How Does a Fed Cut Affect Home Mortgage Rates?

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:12:46 +0000

You hear quite a bit lately that “the Fed is cutting the interest rate.” Maybe you’ve been considering a refinance, and you’re waiting to move forward till the Fed takes action again. But be smart about waiting and watching. A Fed cut doesn’t directly affect long term rates (for instance a 30 year fixed mortgage), but it does impact long term mortgage rates. The problem is the impact might not have the result you’ve been waiting for.

Who is the Fed? Well, it’s really the Federal Reserve. And when the Fed cuts rates, it usually cuts the Fed Funds Rate, which is the rate banks lend each other money. However, when the Fed lowers the Fed Funds Rate, Prime Rate, the rate banks give their best customers, usually drops as well. Ok, that’s great. But what does that really mean to the average person on the street? It means that anything that has an interest rate tied to Prime is directly affected by the Feds’ rate cut. Typically, these are short term loans. For instance: a credit card or a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). In general, these rates decline when the Fed lowers rates. On the flip side, a Fed rate cut means your savings will perhaps not yield as much interest and your CD (certificate of deposit) won’t be at such a great rate. So, it’s not all good.

Why aren’t mortgages directly affected? Because mortgage rates are typically longer term rates and are influenced by buyers and sellers in the bond market. Daily movements in the bond market cause mortgage rates to change. That’s why you might get a quote from a loan officer on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, your quoted interest rate has increased .125%. The Fed lowers rates to help stimulate the economy. Ultimately a healthy economy is good for the real estate market. Jesse Lehn, Senior Vice President for Mortgage Investors Group, believes, “…a liquid real estate market is beneficial for the mortgage market and that keeps rates competitive.” So, when the Fed lowers rates, indirectly it can help mortgage rates, but there is no direct correlation.

Another misconception is that mortgage rate changes occur in direct relation to when a Fed rate cut happens. In actuality, most mortgage rate changes, positive or negative, occur regardless of whether the Fed is actually meeting. That’s because the mortgage market anticipates what the Fed is going to do.

A good loan officer should have their finger on the pulse of the market, but again it’s a gamble. Remember to have a target interest rate in mind if you want to lock a loan but are watching the market. Trying to lock an interest rate on the day the mortgage rates have reached their lowest point in a year is like trying to get a royal flush in poker. It happens, but it’s not a realistic goal. It just means you were lucky. Just stick to your home financing goals and consider the big picture, and you’ll be fine.