Construction Maison

In January 2015, a massive fire in Edgewater, N.J., demonstrated that buildings with sprinkler systems are not always protected against fire. The blaze destroyed 240 residential apartments and displaced 500 people from the Edgewater Avalon apartment building . The fire began when a maintenance worker’s plumbing torch accidentally ignited wooden wall studs , and flames quickly spread throughout the structure. Fifteen minutes passed before workers called the fire department . In that time, the fire spread throughout combustible void spaces (between walls and floors) and soon engulfed the building. Emergency personnel from 35 different cities and towns ultimately responded to the incident. Thankfully, there were no fatalities. Immediately after the blaze, people asked why the fire was so devastating. The building had sprinklers, after all. Shouldn’t the sprinkler system have extinguished the fire? To make matters worse , this building had already burned down 15 years prior during i...

LAFAYETTE, La (KLFY) – A ribbon cutting was held Wednesday afternoon to mark the completion of a major renovation project at Holy Family Apartments . Holy Family Apartments is a low- income housing complex owned and operated by the Diocese of Lafayette. The property has been undergoing renovations for about two years. “We have replaced everything in each apartment down to the interior and exterior stud walls ,” said Ed Boustany, Director of Projects for the Diocese of Lafayette. “This includes all sheetrock, flooring, cabinets, appliances, air conditioning systems , electrical components, and for the first time in the history of this property our residents are better protected with the complete installation of a fire sprinkler system .” The exterior also received some much needed repairs. “All of the units have new roofs, windows, doors, and siding,” said Boustany. Boustany says the renovations cost over $20 million. He says this is the first major renovation since the complex ope...