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A backdraft (North American English), backdraught (British English) [1] or smoke explosion is the abrupt burning of superheated gases in a fire caused when oxygen rapidly enters a hot, oxygen-depleted environment; for example, when a window or door to an enclosed space is opened or broken.
Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2019. We are republishing it as part of our winter coverage. Bitter-cold temperatures can make your home do strange things in the winter months.
Especially in case of fire, the stack effect needs to be controlled to prevent the spread of smoke and fire, and to maintain tenable conditions for occupants and firefighters. [2] While natural ventilation methods may be effective, such as air outlets being installed closer to the ground, mechanical ventilation is often preferred for taller ...
Water cannot flow from the sink to the tap in normal circumstances, even if the water supply loses pressure. An air gap, as related to the plumbing trade, is the unobstructed vertical space between the water outlet and the flood level of a fixture. [1]
The precise measures required to prevent backflow depend on the risk of contamination, i.e. the condition of the water in the connected system. This is categorized into different risk levels: [2] Category 1: No risk. Potable water; Category 2: Aesthetic quality affected, e.g. water which may have been heated
A flue liner is a secondary barrier in a chimney that protects the masonry from the acidic products of combustion, helps prevent flue gas from entering the house, and reduces the size of an oversized flue. Since the 1950s, building codes in many locations require newly built chimneys to have a flue liner.
Waterproofing a structure from the exterior is the only method the U.S. International Building Code (IBC) recognizes as adequate to prevent structural damage caused by water intrusion. Waterproofing an existing basement begins with excavating to the bottom sides of the footings .
The house posts are also distinctively capped with larger-diameter discs at the top, to prevent vermin and pests from entering the structures by climbing them. Austronesian houses and other structures are usually built in wetlands and alongside bodies of water, but can also be built in the highlands or even directly on shallow water.