Fireproof Your Workshop

It hardly needs to be said, but you should of course do everything you can to reduce the risk of fire in you workshop. Fires are not only dangerous and expensive: Big ones are also frightening in a way that few domestic events can match. Fire is one of Mother Nature's ways of reminding us of her raw and immeasurable power.

A few simple precautions are in order. For one, consider at the planning stages what you will do with flammable materials, liquids such as solvents, paints, and finishes, for example, should be stored in a metal cabinet away from the furnace or any other source of heat. Make sure the top of each can is tightly closed. If you ever use gasoline for cleaning parts or other tasks, use it outdoors or in a well-ventilated space separate from the house. Don't store gasoline, benzene, and other inflammable solvents in your home.

In planning and, eventually, in working in your shop, you must consider the risk of fire—and how it can be minimized. In woodshops in particular, the dangers are considerable, because of the omnipresent sawdust. If your shop is within the walls of your house, a light, fireproof door is a sensible precaution. A double layer of gypsum wallboard on the cellar ceiling or garage dividing wall (it may already be in place there, as it is code in many areas) will act as a fire barrier.

But the simplest and easiest precaution you can take is to install a smoke detector. It's an inexpensive, yet highly effective way of alerting us to the presence of a fire, often before our own senses call detect it. The loudness of a smoke alarm is undeniable—and when there's a fire, that's good news.

Some smoke detectors can be fooled by dust and steam. But when sensibly located they perform an essential service when a fire occurs and are no inconvenience when nothing is burning.

The fire extinguisher has been around for awhile, but today's models are cheaper, easier to use, and highly effective. Along with the smoke detector, one or more fire extinguishers also belong in your shop.