By Sean Myers – Calgary Herald

Builders say changes to the provincial building code designed to improve fire safety will cost new homebuyers thousands of dollars and create as many problems as they solve.

The Alberta chapter of the Canadian Home Builders Association sent copies of its critique to its 1,500 members Tuesday, hoping to rally enough support to force the province to revamp the code again, before it’s implemented early next year.

“The challenge for us is the Alberta government didn’t follow the normal National Fire Code review process and didn’t give stakeholders the opportunity to take a real close look at it,” said Michael Nyikes, the association’s director of safety and technical services. “As a result, there might have been a couple things overlooked.”

One of the key changes the building association challenges is the new standard of installing a fire retardant material such as gypsum under vinyl siding.

According to Nyikes, industry analysts and technicians say the drywall material may slow the spread of flames but could also break down under Alberta’s weather cycles, trapping moisture and causing a potential mold problem.

“We may be solving one problem, but are we creating another problem?” said Nyikes.

The changes to the building code are aimed at averting fires that rapidly spread from building to building. Fire chiefs across the country have been calling for changes to construction standards they say have led to fires rapidly engulfing multiple homes, including several incidents in Calgary and Edmonton.

The new National Fire Code won’t be finished until 2010 — too long to wait, say Alberta fire officials.

“We’re very pleased with the revisions for the Alberta Building Code,” said Calgary fire Chief Bruce Burrell. “We’d like to see it done as rapidly as possible.”

Burrell said two fires on Aug. 17 that destroyed three houses and damaged another three in Citadel and Douglasdale were examples of the type of high-intensity blazes the new code is meant to avert.

The province took action to address building standards following a massive blaze in an Edmonton neighbourhood in July 2007 that destroyed nine duplexes and damaged another 76 homes.

The legislature passed the altered building and fire codes in May with implementation planned for January.

New rules include restrictions on windows; adding sprinklers on balconies, attics and patios in multi-family buildings; and using gypsum wallboard and heat detectors in residential garages.

“What we’re saying is here’s what we’ve seen in the fire industry and here’s what we can do about it,” said Burrell.

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