>>> I wrote this article only about three weeks before the firestorms ripped through our nearby community of Gatlinburg, TN, just over an hour from where I live. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy. <<<
While I grew up in North Carolina, spending many summers hiking & camping in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, later in life I moved to California and worked in the Hi-Tech industry. It was in California that I learned about wildfires – occasionally being around them first-hand – and unfortunately for them they are not uncommon due to their dry environment. Now after having returned to North Carolina I am in those beautiful mountains once again – and I am horrified to see that things have changed so much that now I am seeing wildfires every year in mountains that may not have known wildfires for a thousand years. As far as we know it was always too wet, too green, too lush with green foliage to allow any fires to be sustained – in fact there was a time not too long ago that the “southern blue ridge escarpment” received the 2nd highest amount of rainfall in the country, second only to Washington state’s Olympic peninsula. Not any more, that’s for sure. All week the air in Asheville has been grey and smokey – burning your lungs if you breath too much. Very sad.
But anyway – the point of my posting – is we are receiving much interest lately from all parts of the country regarding our flame retardant foam. EPS foam panels or SIPs have the foam core melt at very low temperatures – this can negate their ability to provide structural support even if flames are not touching a building. The foam core can melt and the building can collapse – simple as that. Our closed cell polyurethane foam core will NEVER melt – take a look at the two video links below – and if we or your home uses fire resistant siding materials – then – well, we would expect them to perform much better than traditional methods. I think you would be much better off if a forest fire or wild fire gets close to your home – or even if you have a kitchen fire inside your home (those can achieve 1,700 degrees just right over the stove) your home should be much better off. And we have seen some insurance companies offer lower homeowner rates in part because of this (they rate it as “Superior Construction” – USAA and Allstate are two of them).
Please see these video links!
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