Is it Better to Repair or Replace a Fire escape?

You’ll find that more often than not, your building fire escape is very badly maintained and might not be able to support egress. Neglect of fire escapes is fairly common, especially if they’re not on the front façade and are out of sight. Usually front façade fire escapes are well maintained because they might damage the aesthetic appeal of the building. If a fire escape in New England is showing signs of extreme wear and tear, the people often ask whether they should try to salvage it or replace it entirely. Here are a few things that would help you make that decision.

Fire Escapes are Built to Last

You need to keep in mind that most fire escapes are built to last for as long as the building does. Unfortunately, lack of proper maintenance and care can damage it. But, often the damage isn’t too extensive and the structure can be refurbished. To determine whether the structure is salvageable, you need to call in an inspector.

Get a Thorough Inspection

It’s a good idea to hire a professional and get a thorough inspection done. The inspector would access the general health of the fire escape in New England, check to see if it can bear the right amount of load, check if the rust hasn’t penetrated too deeply, and it’s securely anchored to the siding. The inspector would offer the right suggestion to you regarding the health of the fire escape.

Replacement or Repair?

Naturally, if the inspector suggests that replacement is your only option and the fire escape is well beyond repair, you need to replace it. Usually, the inspector wouldn’t make such a recommendation lightly, knowing the amount of hard work and expense involved. You can always get a second opinion on the matter, but if fire escape absolutely needs to be replaced, it’s a good idea to replace it.

However, if your inspector doesn’t think that replacement is absolutely necessary, you should repair the fire escape in New England. The advantages of repairing are as follows:

Repairing a fire escape is cheaper than replacing it.
Repairing would cause fewer disturbances in general and you don’t have to deal with the noise of uprooting the fire escape and replacing it.
Repairs are usually quicker than replacements.

These are the reasons why you should repair when you can. If you want to know more about fire escape in New England, you can call Boston Ironworks at 617 657 3117. You can also fill in this contact us form. We’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.