Fires

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Fires

Postby Burgerman » 09 Oct 2017, 20:50

How is this possible?
Confused...

Our roofs aare all either slate, ceramic tiles, concrete, or made from the same stuff as engineering bricks. They dont burn.

Yours are made from what? :shifty:
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Re: Fires

Postby rustyjames » 09 Oct 2017, 22:28

The majority of roofs here use asphalt saturated shingles, which typically last 20-30 years. I'd guess that least 75% of the houses are asphalt. In California and Florida there are quite a few roofs that are tile. Metal roofs are starting to gain in popularity, and the same with the cementitious type. Obviously, our building practices are nothing like the European, or other countries.
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 09 Oct 2017, 22:37

But that means they are both flamable and have a coating/soaked in fuel! Thats quite crazy for safety reasons! Esp in an area that sees wildfires and hot glowing stuff blown by the wind.

And it may be cheaper to make wooden shingle roofs, but they dont last as long either. So long term its not really cheaper. Many ceramic/slate/other heavy tiled roofs here have been on for hundreds of years on some older buildings.

We have planning laws, that force us to do things the expensive ways. Usually for good reason. But it can be a pain if you are trying to build or extend or something. Boith time and cost. Almost every roof uses these https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=roof+ ... 27&bih=618 But not always that clean!

Found some shingles here. Like these? Dont think these are used on anything you would live in here, used on stables, garages, farm buildings, tempory homes like holiday homes etc. https://www.roofinglines.co.uk/product/ ... k-of-21-3m
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Re: Fires

Postby rustyjames » 10 Oct 2017, 00:11

Yes, those are the shingles although there are variants. The majority of our houses here are basically sticks, tar paper and plastic siding. As you can see they are quite combustible, unlike European houses.
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 10 Oct 2017, 00:25

You feel safe sleeping in a tar (fuel) soaked wooden box? :shock: Anything could set light to it. A wire, a cigarette, a fire nearby with wind blown sparks etc. Even fireworks!

Not sure I would. Cant get off my bed without calling a carer!

My walls and roof, are all brick, ceramic, same with floors, all or mostly concrete, tiles, etc. Inside is all rendered, painted. Nothing much to burn. Maybe the sofa and wooden kitchen and bathroom units. Even so when I go to bed power is turned off to everything. The cooker, heating, all indoor lights, washing machines etc dryer, dishwasher, all power is off at the wall. Only the fridge remains powered. Even so I have 3 smoke detectors, and wireless cameras outside the house looking in. So I can see anything going on.

In my bedroom which is huge, there is everything going on! But I can see it. So not worried. And I have a fire extinguisher close by. And 2 phones.
Eg my PC runs 24-7 as does my solar system, cjhargers, etc.
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Re: Fires

Postby sad_vampire » 10 Oct 2017, 01:50

In California you could usually escape from a fire caused by these brushfires, but you probably don't want to be next to a brick wall or under a heavy tiled roof when the next earthquake inevtitably comes along.

Chances of a damaging earthquake where you are John, perhaps a M7.0 every thousand years or so, but out in the North Sea along the rift.

You could also get a tsunami when material slumps down into the abyssal plain from the shelf up off the coast of Norway every 5000 years or so.

As for people building houses from sticks around the Gulf of Mexico, well, that's just daft.

History is what changes the way we build houses, remember that until 1666 most houses in England were bult from sticks, & they had thatch for a roof. The US doesn't have the long history yet.
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 10 Oct 2017, 03:04

Amazingly, theres still some of those thatched houses left. They used wattle and daub to build walls. (mud, shit, straw, all mashed together,with a wodden frame. And a thatched roof full of insects and mice! But it lasted!
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Re: Fires

Postby rustyjames » 10 Oct 2017, 03:24

SadVampire raises a valid point, masonry structures aren't preferable in an earthquake, better off in the combustible box!
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 10 Oct 2017, 08:30

We all endup in one of those... :ambulance

Theres alot more of those roofs burning now. Watch the news. Time to leave. Or in the US :worship or... :ak47 and a lot of :argument and a fair bit of toiletpush
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Re: Fires

Postby greybeard » 10 Oct 2017, 23:45

wireless cameras outside the house looking in

Sorry for going off topic but:
Just out of curiosity, BM, how do you power your external wireless cameras?
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 10 Oct 2017, 23:58

There are two external double sockets. Used for pressure washers, or vacuums when doing van cleaning. So I just plug the brick in there outside the house. And another near my solar panels looking at the back of the house. Theres more outdoor plug sockets down there. And another on the garage. Same thing. Where a mower would plug in.
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Re: Fires

Postby greybeard » 11 Oct 2017, 00:02

Using mains power for a wireless camera is just cheating! :) :)
Thought you were going to recommend some exotic lithium fix. Got any bright ideas on that score? The usual 9v PP3 solution is no good long term.
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2017, 00:11

I also have the bot. It lives in the dog kenel if I want it outside. I can see down the drive at anything passing or comming in. And its pics also go to my laptop. Thats self powered with 16.8V and 2x 5.8aAh lithium packs. So good for a day survailing. I can also drive it around the neiborhood...

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/gopro/bot2.mp4

Download to desktop first!

Thats a bit more exotic... Can look in everyones house from my bed. And I also hide and sleep under the van watching people pass by...
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Re: Fires

Postby Gnomatic » 11 Oct 2017, 02:08

Burgerman wrote:I also have the bot. It lives in the dog kenel if I want it outside. I can see down the drive at anything passing or comming in. And its pics also go to my laptop. Thats self powered with 16.8V and 2x 5.8aAh lithium packs. So good for a day survailing. I can also drive it around the neiborhood...

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/gopro/bot2.mp4

Download to desktop first!



That is awesome, I want one! :mrgreen:

I assume you made that yourself, BM. I've had my eyes on something like this.

http://www.kumantech.com/kuman-arduino- ... p0036.html
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2017, 03:54

Yes DIY, but easy to buy parts. Its actually for cutting the bits of my grass that my auto robotic mower misses between the trees etc. Will have a spinning blade out front! Its a bit multi purpose. And it has a mini roboteq controller. Meaning we can test lennys scripts for the bigger roboteq in my BM3 etc. Before it spits me out! :dirtbike

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/gopro/fastmower.mp4 my mower shaun.
Your link is dead.
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Re: Fires

Postby Gnomatic » 11 Oct 2017, 04:22

Your link is dead.


The link works for me in multiple browsers.

At the end of the day, I'd like to have a bot like that.
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2017, 05:17

I get server not found after a long wait. In IE, Firefox, and chrome! maybe its down.

The bot? Order a few parts! Start building!

I am laid on my bed at 5.12AM, and driving it around outside, spying on my neibours cat. It doesent like me following it about. Lights were off. But while I was hiding in the corner of my drive, the cat was creeping around. I turned its "eyes" on as the cat was aproaching. The cat toiletpush
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2017, 13:45

http://www.kumantech.com/kuman-arduino- ... p0036.html

Now works. Must have been down. That robot will be fun. But it wont have the control, or low speed smoothness or stability. As the bigger 4x4 lower base and the roboteq with lennys script that we are using for powerchairs too. And the motors they supply are horrible quality, so you will end up buying different ones. And the size is a little small when you start trying to add everything you need and harder to work on so it ends up tall and unstable. But dont let all that worry you as its all good learning and cheapish... Its all good educational fun!

Heres an example of those things I mentioned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Jyf2_ ... e=youtu.be


youtu.be/H2Jyf2_y_WE
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Re: Fires

Postby Gnomatic » 11 Oct 2017, 16:23

Burgerman wrote:
The bot? Order a few parts! Start building!



I wouldn't know where to begin! Obviously, your bot is quite a bit more impressive. I would love to have something like it.

Burgerman wrote:But dont let all that worry you as its all good learning and cheapish... Its all good educational fun!



It seems like a decent place to start for someone with little experience with this stuff, like me. I want something I can drive around from my PC. The main purpose, other than fun and learn something new, would be to drive it around my yard at night before letting my dog out the final time of the night and scare all the critters away.(including skunks!) Unfortunately, my dog can't get it through his head that the black "kitties" with two white stripes are best left alone! banghead
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Re: Fires

Postby Sully » 11 Oct 2017, 17:06

John Williamson quote; "We have planning laws, that force us to do things the expensive ways".

"Building regulations" But you want to be rid of all regu!ations, we have such regulations as well, It is simply far too late to rebuild every home in the USA to meet such a roofing regulation as you guys seem to have. Boy oh boy would the roofer's, constructors and homeowner's scream, if such a regulation were implemented for every home in the USA. Many many regulations are simply written because they are great idea's. But too often there is no way such a regulation can be practically be implemented, or enforced. For instance aren't your solar cells made of a plastic material prone to burning if hot embers were dropped on to them on a hot day?
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2017, 17:20

No. Those are low iron glass. And very heavy...

These are what we all fit in the UK.
Theres building regs!

Theres about 30 manufacturers, all basically clones...

This specific one is the one I used for 10 of my panels. I have another three a different make, and not black. Cheaper! Where they cannot be seen. aAll ise tempered low iron glass. And at 25 to 40 degrees never need cleaaning.

http://www.buypvdirect.co.uk/index.php? ... ento_id=65 :admirer
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 11 Oct 2017, 17:24

http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/solar-p ... riment.htm

Scroll to bottom!

DIY... Of course theres another 4 panels now, so it covers all my bills in summer, and often see 2.5 to 3kw of free power coming in.
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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 13 Oct 2017, 15:35

Wooden houses. Complete neibourhoods just gone! And bodies just ash.
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Re: Fires

Postby Sully » 13 Oct 2017, 16:38

I am betting there were some brick buildings with tile roofs among the original houses there. HAVE YOU ever seen glass windows in a building even close to a very hot fire" They melt and break in moments, allowing the inside of the house to combust. Hell Even solid metal stuff like steel ships will combust under the right conditions. No building is a totally fire safe building in firestorms like is occurring in that California raging fire. Concrete encased steel beams used in modern high rises have a fire rating of about two hours, remember the World Trade Center, they collapsed because the supports surrendered to the fire.

Roofing that is fire resistant is great for small field fire where not too many flying embers are present. But in such a fire storm as this, not much is a perfect protection. Sad!
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Re: Fires

Postby popschief » 13 Oct 2017, 17:37

California has many tree huggers who have made it impossible to cut down trees. :admirer In some places you can be fined for cutting down trees on your own property. Oregon in many places cuts down all the trees 75 feet back from the highway and the powerlines are safely away from both trees and the road. :thumbdown: In the California forest you sometimes feel like you're driving in a tunnel with the beautiful green pines spreading out over you right through the power lines. :admirer Most of the devastating California fires have been attributed to very dry 18% humidity and moderate 40 mph winds that have blown the power lines together causing sparks. Now the tree huggers have no trees and many have no homes. banghead

Stupid is as stupid does.

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Re: Fires

Postby Burgerman » 13 Oct 2017, 19:01

All true. But hopefully there may be a few broken windows near the trees, but most of that area in my picture has almost no trees where the houses are. The firestorm itself carried on throught the wooden houses leaping from one to the next using them as fuel. Across a large area. Hopefully most would heve left at the early signs of trouble.

But at least a few didnt. Theres one pic where there are whole streets of cars all in pairs, where they would have been inside the double garages. Which are totally gone. Presumable the people were in those houses as the carswere still there.
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Re: Fires

Postby popschief » 13 Oct 2017, 19:58

People want to move to California for the sunshine, the ocean nearby, the mountain hiking and winter skiing nearby. They're coming here in droves and moving to homes built out in and near the hills where there is a tremendous fuel load already. It's like living on a bomb. Then every year Cal Fire extinguishers as many fires as they can so the fuel load grows and grows.

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