How Do I Know if My Roof is Fire Safe?
The California wildfires of the last few years shook homeowners all over the state. Whether you live on a wooded hillside, in a valley or in a flat open area, protecting against a wildfire is no longer an idle thought. We’ve seen the blazes burning, if only on our flat panel screens, and the homes being rebuilt are sporting safer roofs.
Update: This article has been updated for 2020.
What to Look for in Fire Resistant Roofing Materials and Fire Safety Maintenance
The California wildfires of the last few years shook homeowners all over the state. Whether you live on a wooded hillside, in a valley or in a flat open area, protecting against a wildfire is no longer an idle thought. We’ve seen the blazes burning, if only on our flat panel screens, and the homes being rebuilt are sporting safer roofs.
In 2008, California passed strict standards for builders to meet if new homes were to be situated in high fire-risk areas. Many of the homes that burned were built before 2008. Unfortunately, a fair number, built after 2008 and up to the new code, also burned. Even so, homes were still rebuilt in those high fire-risk areas.
What Constitutes a Fire-Resistant Roof?
A fire resistant roof starts with roofing materials that meet standards of fire safety. However, the fire safety of an entire roof looks at fire resistance from above – with the Class A, B, or C ratings of the outer roofing materials, in addition to the fire exposure from the building interior (the underside of the roof deck). Together, we call that the roof system.
To be “building code-compliant”, roof coverings are tested and receive ratings. That means that a roof is constructed of certain materials and then, set on fire. How quickly it burns will determine its rating. Class A is the best rating for fire resistance. If a material can’t meet the standards of A, B or C, it is considered unrated. You may also come upon the terms rated “by assembly” which refers to materials that are used under the roof covering within the roof system, such as insulation, to boost fire resistance. A Class A rating for the roof material itself is referred to as “stand-alone.”
Class A Roof Coverings
Class A roof coverings range from composite shingles to tiles and increasingly popular metal roofs and Dura-Last Single Ply custom-fabricated roofing systems. A roofing professional can examine your roof to help you determine its current condition and vulnerability to fire. A study revealed that even terracotta and cement tiles have vulnerabilities. The findings of the National Institute of Standards and Technology showed that firebrands, windblown embers generated in wildfires, infiltrated gaps between certain types of roofing tiles and, once trapped, proceeded to melt the underlayment below.
As any Fire Marshall will tell you, keeping tree branches off the roof and giving your home a defendable space is essential for fire safety. Marin fire inspectors made house to house visits, advising homeowners that even trees that are outside the defensible space on your property may cause a problem if their branches hang too close to the ground. This is because fire travels along the ground and low hanging branches can provide fuel for the fire to ignite and travel upwards, with embers landing on your roof.
Is Your Marin Home Fire Safe?
Here are some things to take into consideration that may affect your home’s fire safety:
- Spaces between roof covering and decking – Block them so embers can’t get in
- Eaves and soffits – Protect them with fire-resistance materials
- Rain Gutters – Use screening to keep leaves and other plant materials from gathering
- Chimney – Install a fine non-combustible metal screen to keep embers from escaping
Firesafe Marin is a great resource to learn more about the how to keep your home safe.
Fire safety is a growing concern for all of us. Please feel free to give us a call for a no obligation estimate from one of our roofing professionals.