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Letters to the Editor: Costly Fire Sprinklers Aren't Needed
Dear Editor:
I oppose the mandate that would require fire sprinklers as part of the code reported in your Nov. 2 issue, “NAHB Loses First Vote on Fire Sprinkler Mandate.”
This is absolutely unfounded and should not be part of any requirement or mandate. It’s just a bureaucratic, political effort to add yet another code that might be more appropriate for hotels and larger apartment buildings. Sprinklers are not needed at all in single-family homes and they impose an additional expense that is just not necessary.
Diane Danes
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Dear Editor:
Requirements for fire sprinklers in townhouses and condominiums are understandable because these are multifamily homes. They are not, however, understandable in single-family dwellings.
Not only are sprinkler requirements making it harder for families to afford housing, they are trampling property rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Now if a home owner elects to put in a sprinkler system, it should certainly meet code requirements.
At a time when the nation is trying to put health care and financial stability within reach of all Americans, it should also be promoting fair housing at a reasonable cost.
Tony J. Wetta
Louisiana
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