As our neighbors consider rebuilding their homes following the horrifying wildfires that tore through the region just a little over a week into the new year, more and more homeowners are taking careful consideration into what materials and practices build fire-resistant homes. Sadly, a fully fireproof home just isn’t feasible.

Otherwise, we may not be going through the ongoing headache of losing the home insurance California brokers keep dropping. But by utilizing fire-resistant building materials and strategies, you can improve your home’s chances of withstanding the destructive rampage of the wildfire seasons to come. 

Using Fire-Resistant Building Materials for Resilient Structures

Photo credit: Mikeog39

Possibly the most important consideration you can make when attempting to construct a home that’s fire-resistant is the construction of the structure itself. Though it’s initially a more expensive option than a standard wooden skeleton, employing building blocks called insulated concrete forms (ICFs) offers a much higher degree of fire resistance. Again, a fully fireproof home is a fairytale. But by using these fire-resistant building materials, your home’s structure could be capable of withstanding up to four hours of fire exposure. 

So what is an ICF? It’s basically a polystyrene block with a heat-resistant concrete coating. But it’s not enough to simply slap some ICFs together and call it a day. To achieve maximum fire resistance, you need to work closely with your architect to strategically arrange these interlocking blocks in the safest orchestration. It’s a bit like a game of Tetris. This extends beyond the arrangement of the blocks themselves and to the actual design of the home’s floorplan. Generally speaking, fewer corners equate to higher fire resistance. 

ICF construction is a sound investment, even if you’re fortunate enough to avoid the path of wildfires all your life. That’s because these building blocks insulate from sound and even adverse weather conditions, making temperature management much easier and more efficient. For the most part, designers have reserved ICFs for commercial buildings. But as these natural disasters continue to literally hit close to home, we’ll see more families turning to ICFs as reliable materials in the construction of fire-resistant homes. 

Roofing Isn’t Just for Rain in Wildfire Country

Photo credit: Envato

While ICF construction is a great starting point for building the closest thing you can get to a fireproof home, you’ll also need a well-constructed roof designed from fire-resistant building materials. You can use a variety of materials and styles including:

• Cementitious Composite
• Concrete
• Metal
• Slate
• Standing Seam 
• Tile

But no matter which material you use, it’s important that it secures a Class A fire rating, and that the construction leaves no gaps where a wildfire can compromise the structure. One way to ensure this is by implementing a fire-resistant cap sheet beneath the roofing material. 

Design itself also matters. Opting for a flat roof as opposed to a steep pitch can leave your home more prone to falling embers. With an angled roof, the embers will frequently roll right off. But with flat roofs, embers stay in place, smoldering until they compromise the roofing or ignite into a full-blown blaze. 

Your roof should terminate in a fire-resistant (preferably metal) drip edge for added security. Likewise, gutters should be crafted from metal. If you can’t maintain the cleanliness of your gutters (which are prone to clogging with combustible debris), then invest in fire-resistant gutter covers. Even then, it’s not a bad idea to push yourself to check for dry leaves and other buildup, just to be on the safe side. 

Photo credit: Envato

Keep Fire-Resistance on Your Side with the Right Siding

While ICFs create a reliable skeleton for your home, you still need siding comprised of fire-resistant building materials to further protect your home from wildfire damage. Bricks present a time-tested, reliable siding solution, offering a maximum fire resilience of up to four hours. Of course, brick siding’s effectiveness relies heavily on design. While vinyl siding is a popular choice, it’s an easier material for fire to compromise if its coverage is in any way broken. Therefore, when risking the use of vinyl siding, it’s imperative to ensure adequate coverage. 

Materials best utilized for fire-resistant siding include:

• Brick
• Concrete
• Cultured Stone
• Fiber Cement
• Metal
• Stucco
• Tile
• Vinyl

Windows Are Weak Points But Can Still Be Strengthened

Even with all of the above precautions, your windows could still give wildfire easy access to your home’s interior. Therefore, it’s integral to prioritize windows that can withstand intense heat without shattering. For your best solution, look no further than your sliding glass doors. These are typically made from tempered glass that’s also insulated to help keep in cool air or heat, depending on your needs. But they’ve also been found to be extremely effective in resisting extreme levels of heat when compared to standard plate glass windows. 

Photo credit: Envato

You can take things further by double-glazing your windows’s exterior surfaces, imbuing tempered windows with an added layer of protection. If you’re committed to installing a skylight, keep in mind that the standard acrylic variety simply gives you another weak point to worry about. But size also matters when it comes to maximizing a window’s fire resistance. The smaller the window, the better. 

You can also hedge your bets by investing in wired glass designed to remain intact, even when cracking from heat stress. For window frames, metal is a typically safe bet with steel as the top choice followed by aluminum. Of course, none of this is relevant if you have the budget to invest in fire doors that can be pulled down from your roof in the case of an emergency, protecting your windows and doors with metal. 

When It Comes to Doors, It’s What’s Inside That Counts

Speaking of doors, it’s worth noting that the popular wooden varieties won’t give you much protection if a wildfire comes sweeping in your direction. Fortunately, doors of fire-resistant building materials are readily available. You can even have a wooden door as long as it has a metal interior, offering you that added degree of protection. Fiber-cement offers another popular option. 

Photo credit: Envato

Garage doors are also another point of a home that’s easy to compromise. While attached garages may be convenient, they’re also a liability when it comes to wildfire season. That’s because garages are often a depository for a home’s most flammable products. If fire safety worries you, opt to build a detached garage at least 30 feet from the main unit for a safe alternative to an attached garage. But if you absolutely need that attached garage, do yourself the favor of investing in a metal door that leaves no room for smoldering embers to breach it. 

Curb Appeal and Fire Repellant Go Hand in Hand

The exterior of a home can also put up a strong front, keeping wildfires at bay with some smart precautions… or attracting them without them. Wood is a popular material for yards with fences, decks, and the like, but untreated wood is simply additional fuel for the fire. That doesn’t mean you have to give up on fences and decks. You just need to use fire-resistant building materials. Rather than the traditional wooden fence, consider using masonry. And for that deck, make sure that the wood is treated. You could also take your ideas in a completely fresh decoration by ditching the deck and opting for a concrete balcony or patio. 

And though a garden always brings something special to a yard, it’s a major hazard if you don’t maintain it. In Southern California, xeriscaping may be your safest option, using the area’s natural arid climate to create fields of stone as opposed to highly flammable mulch and vegetation. Any plants that you decide upon should be kept at least five feet away from your structure’s perimeter. Though it’s an enduring trend to keep plants right up against a home’s facade, it increases the chance of a fire spreading to the home itself. 

Photo credit: Envato

A Few Additional Exterior Precautions to Consider

You can also tactically utilize your home’s exterior to add an extra degree of fire resistance (even if a fully fireproof home remains ever elusive). Your driveway is one of your most vital considerations where wildfires are concerned. For one, your driveway should be large enough to accommodate a fire truck. Not just for firefighters to park it. Rather, the driveway must be large enough for responders to easily maneuver their truck for optimum firefighting capabilities, including reversing it if necessary. Likewise, amply-spaced gates that open inward as opposed to outward can aid in a firetruck accessing your home unimpeded. Any sort of outside construction including driveways, porches, patios, and the like should be crafted from fire-resistant building materials. 

Consider installing lights and sprinkler heads on your roof to aid firefighters. Lights will allow them to get a better look at what they’re combatting if having to fight a fire at night. Sprinklers can help to minimize a fire’s inertia. If you have a swimming pool, you may also want to install a pump so that responders can easily access a ready reservoir of water to fight the blaze. 

Again, there is no such thing as a fireproof home. Yet, by trusting in fire-resistant building materials and sound strategies, we can give our homes a higher degree of resilience that’s becoming increasingly necessary for habitability in wildfire-prone regions. If you live in an area of the world at frequent risk of wildfires, don’t roll the dice on your home’s safety and security. Invest as much as you can in your safety, and the peace of mind you feel will be instantly worth it. 

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