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Rastra
bricks claim to provide a fire
proof solution for homeowners.
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 Last
Update: 03/25/2002 18:20:52
As fire danger remains high across New Mexico,
so does the potential loss of homes. Now a new
building material could help make houses more
fire resistant.
It's called "Rastra," and it's made
from mostly recycled styrofoam.
"It's basically your old coffee cups
being reground, and also packing materials,"
said Ted Wright, who recently used the material
for his home.
Wright says the material is good for
insulation as well as fire protection.
"The tests done on this consisted of a
five-hour test with a 2,000 degree flame placed
against one side of the structure," he said.
"And the opposite side of the structure,
after five hours, there was only a temperature
increase of not more than seven degrees."
Wright says a Rastra home is also seven times
stronger than a wood-frame structure. Termites
can't touch it and you can stucco and hard
plaster straight onto it.
A new Rastra manufacturing plant plans to open
next week in the Albuquerque area.
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