BCD 2017

T H E B U I L D I N G C O N S E R VAT I O N D I R E C T O R Y 2 0 1 7 77 ROOFING 3.1 RECOMMENDATIONS Additional research is needed before comprehensive advice on reducing the risk of thatch fires can be issued. In the meantime, the following recommendations for the safe use of wood-burning stoves will help reduce the risk: • The wood burner installed must be appropriate for the size of the space to be heated. Over-specifying the stove output increases possible operating temperatures. • Wood burners should always be lit and operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Models that have a separate ash- pan door should never be operated with the ash-pan door open. • Do not use paper or cardboard to help light a fire. Fire-lighters and dry kindling produce fewer sparks. • Burn only fuels recommended by the wood burner manufacturer. Do not use softwood, unseasoned wood or joinery/carpentry offcuts, or use the fire to burn paper and card. • Stay with the wood burner during lighting and refuelling, and reduce venting once the fuel is alight. Maintaining strong ventilation during normal burning increases the temperature and velocity of flue gases and may increase the risk of thatch ignition by various means. Operating the wood burner with a bright flame indicates that the fire is oxygen-rich and operating at Litton House, Saville Road, Westwood, Peterborough PE3 7PR Office hours telephone 01733 843341 After-hours 08444 936075 Email info@e-bound.co.uk www.e-bound.co.uk Wireless movement detectors mounted on a clerestory wall: for church roofs, movement detectors often require bespoke lenses and sensors. Mounted at the west end of the north aisle, this sensor provides an early warning of unauthorised access to the church roof. A sensor behind a parapet wall, supervising an area of roof on the north aisle of a church. Great care is taken with regard to sensor placement and installation. E-BOUND AVX LIMITED IS THE UK’s ONLY DEDICATED ROOF ALARM COMPANY E-Bound specialises in roof alarm protection for churches in the UK. Established for more than six years, we have installed over 750 alarm systems across the country. E-Bound is the first dedicated roof alarm company to be endorsed by leading church insurers so installing one of our roof alarms on your church will facilitate a pay out in the event of an attempted theft or theft from your church roof. With our extensive knowledge and experience of customer requirements, we provide effective and reliable security systems, including perimeter security and intruder detection solutions for a wide range of clients. The E-Bound alarm system is the result of many years of successful development and customer feedback, resulting in an affordable package that doesn’t compromise on quality, reliability or performance. Designed and manufactured in the UK, E-Bound is not a distributor of other manufacturers’ equipment. higher temperatures than necessary. • Install a stove pipe thermometer to ensure that the wood burner is operated at the correct temperature. These indicate when venting needs to be reduced to lower temperatures and reduce flue-gas velocities. It also shows when the stove is being operated at too low a temperature, which can increase the accumulation of soot or tar on the inside of the flue, providing fuel for a chimney fire. • A flue liner is recommended for all properties where the condition of the flue brickwork or mortar may be in question; this will reduce the risk of hot gases escaping from the flue into adjoining thatch. • A bird guard or bird deterrent should be fitted to the top of the chimney to prevent birds nesting. The device must neither impair the operation of the flue nor be capable of becoming blocked, nor should it hinder thorough chimney sweeping. • Chimney flues should be swept at least once a year, but more often if the fire is used frequently. Check requirements with your insurer. • A camera survey should be undertaken every 12 months, even in chimneys that are fitted with a liner, to observe their condition and suitability for continued use. • Increasing the distance between the top of the chimney and the surface of the thatch LEAD PROTECTION reduces the risk that sparks or burning material ejected from the chimney will ignite the thatch. A minimum distance of 1.8 metres between the top of the chimney and the thatch surface is recommended. This may be achieved by adding a chimney pot or additional courses of brick or stonework (or both). Rarely, removal of the most recent layers of thatch may be justified to help increase effective chimney height. ALISON HENRY is a senior architectural conservator in the Building Conservation and Research Team at Historic England, with a special interest in thatch, mortars and earthen materials. JIM GLOCKLING is technical director of the Fire Protection Association and Director of RISCAuthority. FPA is a not-for-profit company which provides research support on specialist risk management to the insurance industry, military and commercial estates. Email jglockling@thefpa.co.uk Further Information K Benjamin, ‘Fires in thatched buildings: A survey of 148 fires between December 2008 and May 2016’, Burgoynes, London, 2016 (www.burgoynes.com/articles/2013/12/ fires-in-thatched-buildings) English Heritage, Practical Building Conservation: Roofing , Ashgate, Farnham, 2013