Safe Roofing for Fire Zones
Your goal is to prevent inevitable wind-borne embers from catching your home on fire when they land on the most vulnerable surface, your roof. When living in a fire prone area, the roof of your home is the most vulnerable element of the structure. When living in mountainous, timbered, and scrub packed hilly lands where fires start easily and spread quickly, a fireproof roof is your best defense.
Usually, building codes in fire prone areas require fireproofing materials be used to roof your home. Even if your home falls outside that strict code, it is smart to use fireproof roofing regardless of where you live. Better safe than sorry, right? When selecting your roofing, watch for building code guidelines. These guidelines are spot-on specific about grades of materials to use. There are different categories and types of fire proof roofing.
Clay and concrete tile roofing is popular on Spanish, Southwest, and Mediterranean structures. Concrete and concrete tiles are fireproof. One thing to watch is weight. This type of roofing is heavy, so be sure your home can bear the weight or be reinforced if necessary. Slate roofing is categorized in the same group and has similar properties to clay and concrete roofing. Slate is equally as heavy and requires a contractor to install. Often supporting beam and braces need to be installed to support the slate’s weight. Slate is more expensive than concrete tiles.
Wood shingles aren’t safe in fire areas and are rated at a lowly Class C; however, certain shingle roofs are fire-safe. Class A roofing shingles are the most resistant to fire; classes B and C have lower fire protection, if any. Grade A will cost more, but how much is your family’s lives worth as compared to saving money on your roof.
Class A fiberglass shingles may last up to two hours before fully catching fire, giving you time to get out safely, but is it worth the risk? As a less costly option, metal roofing can be manufactured to look like wood shingles and other attractive roofing and is fireproof. Check building codes before purchasing any roofing if you live in fire zones.
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