Hardening your home means taking steps to reduce the vulnerability of homes to embers and heat that accompany most wildfires. Good construction technique and choice of building materials greatly increase the resistance of homes to wildfire.
How Homes Ignite
Buildings ignite during wildfires as a result of one or more of these three basic wildfire exposures: embers (also called firebrands), radiant heat, and direct flame contact.
Embers, Direct Flame & Radiant Heat
Zone 0
The area nearest your house, from 0′ to 5′, including the surfaces of the structure itself, is the most vulnerable area. We call this “ZONE ZERO,” because it’s ground-zero when it comes to protecting your home from embers. There should be ZERO combustibles in this zone!
What is Defensible Space? Get to know your Zero Zone
VENTS
Vents on homes create openings for flying embers. Ember entry through vents can result in ignition of combustible materials in the attic, and result in a building burning from the inside out. The importance of ember and flame entry into vents during wildfires has resulted in the development of commercially available vents designed to resist the intrusion of embers and flame, and recommendations for new or retrofit vents to protect existing openings.
DIY: This Quick Trick Could Save Your Home from Wildfire
SOFFITS AND EAVES
Eaves are located at the down-slope edge of a sloped roof and serve as the transition between the roof and fascia/wall. The underside of this overhang, when given a finished appearance, is known as the soffit, Eaves and Soffits are vulnerable to damage from wildfires.
Home Ignition 101: Soffits and Eaves
GUTTERS
Combustible debris such as leaves and pine needles can accumulate in gutters. If ignited, combustible debris in the gutter may ignite the edge of the roof covering. Depending on the condition of the wood and presence (or absence) of metal flashing at the edge of the roof, debris in the gutter may make it easier for fire to enter the attic.
Home Ignition 101: Gutters
ROOFS AND CHIMNEYS
An untreated wood shake or shingle roof covering is the greatest threat to a home. Wind-blown debris will accumulate on roofs and in gutters. Dry debris can be ignited by wind-blown embers. Regularly remove vegetative debris from your roof and gutters. Chimneys require a spark arrestor screen with openings no smaller than 3/8 – inch and no larger than 1/2
Home Ignition 101: Roofing
SIDING
Aiding is an important component in terms of providing protection for the building from the weather, and also in terms of the aesthetics of the building. In most cases it is less important from a wildfire exposure perspective compared with other components and assemblies. With proper selection and maintenance of near-home vegetation, most siding products will be able to resist typical wildfire exposures.
Home Ignition 101: Siding
EXTERIOR SPRINKLERS
The function of an exterior sprinkler system is to minimize the opportunity for ignition by wetting the home and surrounding property. Sprinkler systems should be able to protect a home against the three basic wildfire exposures: wind-blown embers, radiant heat, and direct flame contact. Given the potential issues regarding performance, it’s recommended that use be a supplement to, and not a replacement for, already proven mitigation strategies
Home Ignition 101: Exterior Sprinklers
COATINGS AND GELS
Be very cautious about the use of coatings used on exterior surfaces. Experiments conducted at IBHS indicated that they did not weather well. Given the current performance limitations of coatings, we recommend other proven mitigation strategies to reduce the vulnerabilities of homes to wildfire, such as using ember-resistant design features (home hardening) and creating and maintaining defensible space zones.
Home Ignition 101: Gel Effectiveness
DECKS
The vulnerability of decks to wildfire will depend on the decking board material, any combustible materials stored under the deck or kept on the deck, and the topography and amount and condition of vegetation leading to the deck.
Home Ignition 101: Decks
FENCING
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recommend non-combustible fencing products when placed within five feet of a building. Using non-combustible fencing where it attaches to the building reduces the opportunity of a burning fence igniting the exterior of the structure.
Home Ignition 101: Fences
GARAGES AND DRIVEWAYS
Install weather stripping around and under your garage door to prevent embers from blowing in, and store all combustible and flammable liquids away from ignition sources. Maintain vegetation along driveways, access roads, and other public roads adjacent to your property with a minimum of ten feet of clearance on either side
TARPS
A tarp covering must be securely fastened, to prevent embers from finding their way to the woodpile even during the strong winds associated with wildfires. Also, be sure to check the tarp’s integrity annually – long term performance when exposed to UV is unknown and may vary from product to product.
MOBILE HOMES
Manufactured homes are produced according to the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) safety standards. These unified national safety standards help make sure that manufactured homes are as safe as site-built homes. Embers are the most common cause of ignition for both site built and manufactured homes.
DEFENSIBLE SPACE
A coupled approach, using a fire-hardened home and good defensible space, is necessary to provide the greatest level of protection. Preparing and maintaining adequate defensible space will guard against flame contact and radiant exposures from nearby vegetation. The Home Ignition Zone is an area approximately 100 feet around a home including the home itself. This is the area where defensible space work needs to take place.
Defensible Space