It is a well-known fact that houses can easily catch fire from flames or flying embers. Flying embers are extremely dangerous, and can destroy homes up to a mile from the actual wildfire. So, as a responsible homeowner, you must protect your home by using various ember-resistant building materials.
It is important for a home to be resistant to ignition from flying embers. Even if your house is distant from the actual location of a wildfire, and there are minimal chances for the flames to reach your home, it is imperative that you make necessary preparations to keep your home safe and protected from wind-blown embers that usually get carried away from the actual wildfire.
Here are some useful tips that you can follow to harden your home against flames, provided by Marin County roofing company ARS Roofing, Gutters, & Solar.
1. Roof – We all know that roof is the most vulnerable part of any home, and if your home roof is made of wood or shingles, it is probably at a higher risk of getting destroyed by flying embers. So, in order to safeguard your home roof, you can consider re-roofing with fire-resistant materials like ceramic tiles, composition, or metal. Make sure that you block any space between the covering and the roof decking in order to prevent wind-blown embers from flying in.
2. Vents – Flying embers enter our homes through vents. So, in order to prevent any possible destruction by flying embers, you can consider covering up all vent openings of your home with a proper metal mesh. Make sure that you do not use plastic mesh or fiberglass because they could melt under the ember’s heat.
3. Soffits and Eaves – Eaves and soffits are also prone to the destruction caused by flying embers, and therefore, you can consider protecting them with non-combustible or ignition-resistant materials.
4. Windows – It is a well-known fact that the heat from wildfires can actually break your home windows, which could eventually allow the flying embers to enter and ignite a fire inside your home. As a matter of fact, large windows, as well as single-paned windows, are highly vulnerable to wildfire. In order to prevent fire ignition from wind-blown embers within your home, you can consider installing dual pane windows. You can also install a single pane of tempered glass in order to reduce the chances of glass breaking in your home.
5. Decks – In order to protect your home from flying embers, make sure that your home deck is built with non-combustible and ignition-resistant materials. You can also remove combustible items from beneath your deck area in order to prevent any fire ignition from flying embers.
These are just several tips that homeowners can use to begin fire-proofing their homes. You can also avail the help of professional wildfire proofing services that are offered by ARS Roofing, Gutters, & Solar, a roofing company in Marin County.
If you want more tips on shielding your home from wildfires, you can consider speaking with our expert roofers at ARS Roofing, Gutters & Solar at 707-584-5900.