Hardening Your Home For Fire Season

Hardening Your Home

Flying embers destroy homes up to a mile from wildland areas. Prepare (harden) your home now before fire starts. Here are some of the things you can do to harden your home: Roof: The roof is the most vulnerable part of your home. Homes with wood or shingle roofs are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire. Build your roof or re-roof with materials such as composition, metal or tile. Block any spaces between roof decking and covering to prevent embers from catching. Vents: Vents on homes create openings for flying embers. Cover all vent openings with 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch metal mesh. Do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh because they can melt and burn. Protect vents in eaves or cornices with baffles to block embers. (Mesh is not enough.) Eaves and Soffits: Eaves and soffits should be protected with ignition-resistant* or non-combustible materials. Windows: Heat from a wildfire can cause windows to break even before the home ignites. This allows burning embers to enter and start fires inside. Single-paned and large windows are particularly vulnerable. Install dual-paned windows with one pane of tempered glass to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire. Consider limiting the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation. Walls: Wood products, such as boards, panels or shingles, are common siding materials. However, they are combustible and not good choices for fire-prone areas. Build or remodel your walls with ignition resistant* building materials, such as stucco, fiber cement, wall siding, fire retardant, treated wood, or other approved materials. Be sure to extend materials from the foundation to the roof. Decks: Surfaces within 10 feet of the building should be built with ignition-resistant*, non-combustible, or other approved materials. Ensure that all combustible items are removed from underneath your deck. Rain Gutters: Screen or enclose rain gutters to prevent accumulation of plant debris. Patio Cover: Use the same ignition resistance materials for patio coverings as a roof. Chimney: Cover your chimney and stovepipe outlets with a non-combustible screen. Use metal screen material with openings no smaller than 3/8 inch and no larger than 1/2 inch to prevent embers from escaping and igniting a fire. Garage: Have a fire extinguisher and tools such as a shovel, rake, bucket, and hoe available for fire emergencies. Install weather stripping around and under the garage door to prevent embers from blowing in. Store all combustible and flammable liquids away from ignition sources. Fences: Consider using ignition resistant or non-combustible fence materials to protect your home during a wildfire. Driveways and Access Roads: Driveways should be built and maintained in accordance with state and local codes to allow fire and emergency vehicles to reach your home. Consider maintaining access roads with a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side, allowing for two way traffic. Ensure that all gates open inward and are wide enough to accommodate emergency equipment. Trim trees and shrubs overhanging the road to allow emergency vehicles to pass. Address: Make sure your address is clearly visible from the road. Water Supply: Consider having multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach all areas of your home and other structures on your property. If you have a pool or well, consider getting a pump. If you want to learn about a neat water roof system, Click HERE for Roof Savers Sprinklers.

What to do to protect your from fire

These Simple Acts from CalFire's website give great tips on how to Protect Your Home From Fire.

As nearly a million California residents seek refuge from the devastating wildfires that have caused billions of dollars in damages, many families who have yet to evacuate are wondering when -- and if -- they should leave.
The California disaster is a reminder of the importance of knowing how to protect your home in the event of an emergency. The following tips just may save your home.
 First, turn off the gas -- this simple act can prevent an explosion. Then turn on the lights, which can help you find your way out if smoke gets into the house. Close every door and window to make the house as airtight as possible and also to keep any embers from getting inside.
 If there is time, move furniture away from windows and glass doors.
Open drapes to prevent them from catching on fire from radiant heat. Do not go to your garage; there are too many flammables inside. Also stay out of the basement -- they usually have only one exit.
Instead, identify what direction the fire is coming from and go to the opposite end of the house.
 It's very important to have a fire-resistant roof in order to increase the chances of your house withstanding a fire. The best materials are slate, tile, terra cotta or metal -- never use wood shingles. You also should have double-paned or tempered windows. Single-paned windows will break very quickly.
Finally, clear the brush and trim trees on your property so that there is no flammable vegetation within 100 feet of your house. That clearance could keep a wildfire at bay.

Need more information on what to do to protect your home when a wildfire strikes? Give us a call.  Roof Saver Sprinklers