Strategies Used: Heavy timber, treated natural wood, and stone exterior materials; non-flammable vegetation in defensible space Zone 1 & adequate spacing between trees in defensible space Zone 2
With wildfires becoming an ever-increasing reality for homeowners, it’s important for design professionals to do all we can to ensure that the homes we design are as safe as possible. What you might not know, however, is that architects and builders are continually evolving in their approaches to design and construction details to help homeowners tackle this complex challenge. From your property line to your living room, there are several ways to design a home with an increased resilience to fire from day one.
Keeping the area around your house free of vegetation that is likely to catch fire is one of your home’s first defenses against wildfires. Architects work with your local fire marshal &/or forester to create a fire mitigation plan that clearly indicates a zone of safety around your house to act as a natural buffer between an encroaching wildfire and your home. Your property is broken into 3 “defensible space” zones with an increasingly restrictive list of materials & plantings that are allowed as you move closer to your home.
- Zone 3 – Consists of traditional forest management.
- Zone 2 – Reduced fuels in the form of singular trees or clumps of trees/shrubs spaced with noncombustible materials in between.
- Zone 1 – Should have no combustible vegetation.
The first 5 feet from your home in Zone 1 should have no combustible materials whatsoever. This includes combustible patio furniture, firewood stacks, and easily ignitable vegetation. Designing with landscape rock, gravel, stone, and hardscape goes a long way to reduce risk while creating a thoughtfully curated and aesthetically appealing buffer around your home.
Fire-Resistant Building Materials: Creating a defensive shell around your home
Fire Suppression Systems: A final line of defense
Creating a defensive shell around your home is another method architects can take to increase resiliency to fire. In combination with fire-resistant underlayments, selecting fire resistant materials such as stone, stucco, brick, concrete, or even heavy timber will go a long way in boosting your home’s fire resistance. Cementitious sidings come in many styles including board and batten, shingle/shake, stucco, wood plank, and more. Noncombustible alternatives are often indistinguishable from the flammable material they seek to emulate and significantly increase your home’s resistance to wildfires. For those who wish to use authentic materials and love the look of real wood for the exterior of their home, there are several options. Heavy timber is naturally fire resistant. As it burns, the charring of the outer layers prevents the inner layers from catching fire. This allows the core to remain intact and maintain a level of structural stability. Natural wood is now able to be kiln-dried and then pressure treated with fire retardant to increase its fire resistance. Fire rated roofing material and proper roof venting also increase your home’s resiliency by preventing embers from infiltrating the outer layer of defense and igniting a flame on or within your home. Design professionals work with your contractor, building department, & product reps to provide you with a selection of exterior materials that fit your aesthetic and guard your home.
Strategies Used: Heavy timber and stone for exterior materials; Standing seam metal roof and asphalt shingles
Fire suppression sprinkler systems are often the final line of defense for your home. This technology has improved and expanded in recent years. You may think the interior of your home is the only location for this type of fire protection, but exterior fire suppression sprinkler systems are emerging as an additional tool for the fight against wildfires. These smart sprinkler systems track wildfires in your area and will automatically turn on when a fire is within a set distance from your home. They use a combination of water and flame-retardant foam to saturate the environment, significantly reducing its flammability. This solution is particularly appealing as it can help prevent a fire from reaching your home entirely. Fire suppression systems are also able to be programmed to pull water from pools and hot tubs in the event that the water supply to your home is cut by firefighters for their wildfire containment efforts.
Strategies Used: Sprinkler system; noncombustible landscaping surrounding the house; stone, cementitious stucco & siding exterior materials
Combining Strategies for maximum protection
Implementing any one of the mentioned methods will help increase your home’s resistance to fire, but combining as many of these as you can will begin to build a system which becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Beyond resilience to fire, combining these strategies can lead to a smoother permitting process, increased insurability in forested areas, and greater peace of mind. While architects can’t prevent wildfires from starting, we can be an integral part of the team that helps protect your home and your family from them.
