Friends who recently moved here are concerned about their Rejas (on all of their windows) in the event of a fire. They have two sets of doors, one at the front (kitchen) and a double set on the same side of the Villa. In the event of a fire, say in the kitchen or lounge, they would be unable to get out via the windows in bedrooms or bathrooms due to the Rejas. We feel that due to the way the villa is constructed (concrete, ceramic tiles, aluminium windows etc.) that the villa would not burn easily or quickly. Our friends are currently getting prices to have the Rejas adapted to allow for escape in the event of fire but of course this potentially make the property easier to access for burglary etc.
Any advice/opinions/experiences would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance.
We have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen as the main place for a fire to happen. As the villa is constructed of concrete it would hopefully give enough time to get out. We keep keys close by at night not in the door though been locked out several times doing that! Know the way out and remember if there is a fire use wet towels over your face and get outside. Also of course fit a smoke alarm.
The risk is not from the buildings construction , most houses in the UK are built from non combustible product the roofs here are the biggest exception , they dont use wood for rafters and floors or partition walls although they are covered in plasterboard . Its the furniture , blankets , curtains , rugs and other combustible continence that cause the biggest risk and the smoke they produce , often its the smoke from these things that kills . Smoke detectors might be a good idea if their overly concerned .
I doubt you get house insurance in the UK but here in Spain, you have to have them seems to be the norm seal all the windows and cross your fingers you or visitors know how to unlock the doors in a smoke-filled villa at night.
Smoke detectors. :bravo_2:
I thought you could get some reja's that were a fire escape type and I found this on the web
is now Law in many countries, including parts of the US, to install window security grills that can be opened in event of fire. Unfortunately these by-laws are largely being ignored, due to the steep price difference between normal rejas and opening rejas, and many families have become victims of devastating house fires from which there was no escape.
A new company on the Costa Blanca area of Spain have developed and patented a system that allows a window security grill to be opened by handle from the inside, without the need for a key.
This handle developed by SegurEscape is either wall-mounted or embedded in the wall, and is easily accessible in the dark should the need arise, but impossible for the burglar to retrieve.
The designer explained to me that they are much more expensive because for the welder/designer, the most difficult parts to make in any window security grill are the corners, of which there are 4 normally, but in an opening grill are 18.
The Spanish Fire Service have given their full backing to this company, and it is hoped that changes in the law in Spain will make an opening type of window security grill compulsory, in order to save the many lives lost needlessly each year through the use of fixed grills that turn homes into cages.
Fire safety is paramount is any home.
To contact SegurEscape, telephone +34 962 89 90 67 internationally or 902 88 90 60 from within Spain, or click on the link above.
Put the bars on a hinge inside the window frame external bars are useless Because the robbers just jack them off the wall.
Fred
A tip - when you go to bed, make sure you have a (charged) mobile with you so you can at least call for help if you are trapped!
We had our bedroom Rejas taken off and had some lockable ones made. We keep a set of back door keys in the bedroom so that if we get out of the window we still have access to the house.
Yes lockable window rejas have been around in Spain for a long time.
It has been common for upstairs windows.
Not expensive.
Just a smaller version of reja gates which many of us have on patio doors.
Just need to keep the key handy.