When I renovated my first home, I was determined to do everything by the book. But when it came to installing smoke detectors, I quickly realised that not all alarms are created equal—and not all of them comply with New Zealand’s building standards. There’s a lot more to fire safety than just picking up the cheapest alarm at the hardware store. If you're building, renovating,...

Fire safety is something many of us take for granted—until it’s too late. We install smoke detectors in our homes and assume they’ll always work when needed. But like any household device, smoke detectors don’t last forever. Knowing when and how to replace them is crucial to ensuring your family’s safety. How Long Do Smoke Detectors Last? Many people assume that as...