The Labour government has emphasised its commitment to boost housebuilding in areas of the UK most in need over the next five years, setting out a plan to build 1.5 million homes by 2029.
By implementing mandatory housing targets, the agenda of the new government is clear, with ambitions laid out to help more people buy their own homes and drive economic growth.
However, there is a lack of attention being given to the materials going into new build houses, and more importantly, to the safety of their residents. New build housing is notorious for utilising cheap and low-quality materials that are prone to fast wear and tear – so how can we ensure the safety of homeowners in the future?
Fire safety in new build homes
Housebuilders today often use plastic fittings in construction, for applications such as pipes, seals, windows, doors, floor coverings, cables and insulation, due to the lower cost of the material. This is despite growing evidence to show the adverse environmental and health effects of plastic, particularly following on from the Grenfell disaster in 2017.
Due to its cheaper cost, the fire safety credentials of plastics are often overlooked. Most plastics are flammable and will burn when exposed to an open flame, releasing flammable gases that can fuel a fire even further.
Polyvinyl chloride, used widely in pipes, cables, roofing and flooring, will ignite in the event of a fire despite being less flammable than other plastics. Polyethylene and polypropylene have low melting points and catch fire at temperatures of 400 degrees Celsius or less – a lower ignition point than the temperature of an average building fire.
The role of copper in building a safer future
While progress has been made by the previous government to ban flammable cladding and insulation materials in buildings, due to the Building Safety Act 2022, there is still a lack of control over the materials used in construction – as well as a lack of checks in place to determine their safety credentials.
Attention must now be turned to non-flammable materials and their benefits over unsafe materials in homes, to prevent future disasters from taking place.
With a very high melting point of over 1000 degrees Celsius, copper can withstand extreme temperatures, UV and pressure without altering its natural state. It isn’t flammable and will not melt or leak.
By choosing metals such as copper over plastic for pipes in construction, progress can be made to build a more sustainable and safe future for all.
To find out more, please visit: https://www.cuspuk.com/fire-safety/.