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“As an older Australian (age 68), I remember well the introduction of the word ‘apartment’ in the early 1960s, just as I was looking at buying or renting a flat. The word is USA based and was introduced to mean a luxury flat rather than something that was bigger than a flat, though you are correct in that an apartment was (generally) bigger.

Most times it was used as a selling tool to advertise a flat for a higher price. If you called a flat an apartment, you got a better price!”

So there you go, another example of how a fancy word is used to add a non-existent value to a product!

But jokes aside, I realize that for many of you English is not your first language, and that my British readers have never had a reason in their life to call a flat “an apartment”, so I decided to continue this linguistic quest and get more answers to what the difference between flats and apartments is.

And summarizing the information that I found, here are the other differences between flats and apartments:

• A flat is on a single floor - an apartment can be a duplex (2-story) apartment
• A flat has its own street entrance - an apartment can be only entered from inside the building
• A flat has the entire floor to itself - apartments are many on one floor.

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The dangers of Formaldehyde

Here Nelson Larrosa from The Demand Group explains why Formaldehyde - a toxic chemical - is especially dangerous: “FORMALDEHYDE is the next dirty word that should be on everyone’s lips and if you care anything about your health, your families health and our environment, you’ll say NO to this chemical!

What does that actually mean? In Australia, there are lots of products that will contain formaldehyde in very minute quantities. Our standards only allow for products to contain very small quantities of this very harsh substance. Bodies are embalmed using this fluid, it is a known carcinogen and detrimental to the health of those who are exposed to it. The level and length of exposure will determined the severity of the illness.

So why am I telling you this? Because there are lots of imported insulation products coming into the country that contain high levels of Formaldehyde and whilst we haven’t tested any samples, there are reports of installers being violently ill whilst installing imported batts. The Formaldehyde gives off a very strong odour and this is exacerbated in a confined space, like a roof cavity.

There are many countries, like the US and Canada that have banned certain products due to them containing Formaldehyde. We have Australian Standards and all imported products should meet these standards, however this is somewhat questionable give the products we’ve seen on shelves and being installed.

Again when choosing an installer for your insulation and the product that you’re about to purchase, beware! Choose an Australian made product, preferably one that doesn’t use formaldehyde in the process to manufacture or that is used as a bonding substance. Polyester batts manufactured in Australia do not contain formaldehyde and are by far the healthiest option available.

I hope you can use this information. I have never really worried about formaldehyde until the rush of imports and the distinct odour that is associated with it. However, I would just use my nose to let me be the judge. Formaldehyde is a silent killer and I don’t want to find out that my not so keen nose missed something.”

The dangers of foil insulation

And now let’s move on to another dangerous kind of insulation - foil insulation. According to Archicentre, use of foil insulation over ceiling joists or beneath rafters in homes can conceal structural faults and make it almost impossible for inspectors to find potential electrical, plumbing or termite problems.

While it is true that in new homes foil installed in the roof contributes to energy efficiency, we must know that retro-fitting it inside existing homes creates a whole set of issues with locating and fixing faults, and with safety.

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“The most recent report by the NSW Firebrigade is that there have been a little more than 60 fire caused by insulation installed in ceilings. All were attributed to Cellulose fibre insulation (CFI). Which is basically, recycled mulched up paper. This is treated with a harsh chemical known as Borax (Octoborate), which is a fire retardant. Wool was not a contributing factor in any fire where insulation has been the cause.

Halogen lighting is a concern and as long as you have professionals install the insulation along with appropriate light protectors or an adequate air space left around the light and transformers there shouldn’t be an issue.

The safest form of insulation available from both a fire and personal long term health perspective are Polyester batts made from 100% polyester fibre. This and ensuring that your chosen installer is using a reputable manufacturer, i.e., a local manufacturer that is manufacturing polyester batts in Australia to the AS/NZS4859.1 and AS1530.3.

Beware of importers that advertise that their products meets the relevant AS/NZS4859.1 These products may not necessarily have been tested as rigorously as a product manufactured in Australia.

However, having said all that, the number of fires in relation to number of houses that have been insulated are relatively small and the long term benefits to the occupants and the environment are well worth the Government’s financial support. Like all else that consumers are likely to purchase, it is always BUYER BEWARE.”

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Do we have a fire drill in our house? Yes, we do. Since yesterday So don’t feel bad if it didn’t occur to you that you, too, need to have a fire drill.

Jokes aside, here is how you family can be prepared for a house fire. You need to have certain equipment and get trained to escape.

Equipment

1. Install smoke alarms and test them as required. Have a chart that says when they were last tested.
2. Get a fire extinguisher and teach all the adults in the household how to use it.

Actions

1. Draw a floor plan of your house and mark 2 fire escape routes for each room.
2. Agree on a place outside your house for everybody to meet after they got out of the house.
3. Get out and stay out - don’t re-enter the house, call for help from a payphone, mobile phone or the neighbor’s house.
4. Everyone in the household should practice in crawling from their bedroom via the escape route outside. Make them do it blindfolded, because if there’s thick smoke people won’t be able to see much.
5. Only follow your escape route if it’s clear of smoke - otherwise use your other escape route. If you must go through smoke, don’t walk - crawl.
6. If there’s a closed door in your way, feel it before you open it. If it’s warm - don’t open it, go via another route.
7. Never take keys out of the locks. Any door or window that is locked and you don’t have the key can be your death sentence. Fumes are more dangerous than flames, people get disoriented in the thick smoke quickly and there won’t be time to look for the key.
8. Always keep a torch by the bed because most fires happen at night.
9. Have this fire drill at least twice a year, to keep all the members of your household “in a good shape”.

A special thanks goes to Rachel, a reader of Homeiown and my friend, for sharing her fire-safety tips.

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Thermo-Gel is an innovative product, created to save lives and property from fires. It is a concentrate, which mixes with water to create a fire-preventing and heat-absorbing gel. This gel is spayed on the walls of the house, the glass windows, any types of surfaces and that way a barrier is created to protect the house from fire. It can even be sprayed on plants, trees, shrubs and other kinds of vegetation and works very effectively to save them from fire. It is not affected by low humidity and works much better than foam that uses an encapsulated air. It is very water efficient, non-toxic and minimizes the time it takes to contain the fire.

As a matter of fact there was a ‘cool’ test performed to show exactly how effective Thermo-Gel is. They burnt down a house No, I’m not kidding. One half of the house was treated with fire-protective foam and the other half - with Thermo-Gel. Then they burned fuel for 10 minutes and used a fan to simulate wind. After 10 minutes the foam side was a total wreck and Thermo-Gel side … remained just the way it was before the fire, untouched. Unbelievably, even the window pane didn’t crack from the heat.

Not only houses and vegetation can be protected - but also power poles, pumps, supply lines, fuel tanks, etc. When you no longer need it, either wash it off with a strong jet of water pressure or just leave it on - it’s biodegradable. There’s no need in any training to apply it, just use the nozzle in the home kit to spray it over the surfaces you want to protect.

Have a look how simple it is (they have a video on YouTube)

And if this product has helped you save your property, I’d love to hear what you think - so that together we’d help more people do the same.

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