As per the National Fire Protection Association report, wildfires damage thousands of houses every year. Also, other estimates show the last ten years to be the ones with high cases of houses destroyed by wildfires. So, what are some of the fire-resistant construction techniques to put into practice and protect your house against wildfire? Worry no more! In this enlightening post, you’ll find the crucial fire-resistant construction techniques to try today.

Let’s start!

Use ICFs For Your Building Foundation

Using ICFs for your building foundation is one of the most popular fire-resistant construction techniques. The reason is their ability to hold out against fire for up to four hours. Most people have used them to construct commercial and institutional properties, but home builders recommend them as the best option to rely on to protect your house against unexpected wildfires.

ICFs cost around 1-4% more than the standard wood-frame houses that don’t feature built-in fire protection. The exciting update is that this additional expense is worth your investment because the insulated concrete forms lock-in cooled air and heated air, which can get its way out via the walls. As a result, you should consider going for ICFs for an Energy Star-rated house.

Armor The Roof

Having a fire-resistant roof is another critical factor to consider if you want to protect your house from wildfires. It’s vital to have a concrete structure, but you’ll make your property safer if you pair it with fire-resistant windows, siding, and roofing.

You can use high-quality, fire-resistant materials to build a fireproof house. Examples of these materials include slate, thick metal, and concrete. Also, consider a steeper roof pitch instead of a flat one since embers roll off the house before burning through.

A looming fire blaze sight is an intimidating situation. However, flying embers, of around a hand’s size, pushed by wind can be the primary cause of around 90% of fire spreading. These embers can travel over 7 miles away from the wildfire, finding themselves in gutters.

For increased safety, go for metal gutters instead of vinyl gutters because vinyl gutters are likely to melt, dropping fire onto your home’s sides. Also, your gutters should remain clean every time because dead leaves signify danger waiting for a specific time to ignite.

Go For Sturdy Siding

You don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics to build a fire-resistant house. This works well in all features of your house’s exterior up to the siding.

The market gives you access to several materials to go for, such as stone, concrete blocks, stucco, brick, fiber cement, siding metal, or interlocking tiles. You can design all these materials in any architectural style, but you have to consult your home architect and builder.

Most people consider going for stucco because it’s made of lime, sand, and cement, and it’s fire-resistant, durable, and features a few metal reinforcing mesh coats.

Also, consider paying attention to the overhangs’ underside and underneath the deck, balcony, and other underfloor locations. These are the areas that trape flames and record the hottest temperatures at the halfway point of blaze.

Therefore, it’s pivotal to concentrate on your house’s structural integrity with additional protection layers, like adding a firewall or a perimeter of crushed stones.

Keep Your Windows Safe

Windows form your house’s weakest link because they give a potential opening running into your house. Extreme heat alone can shatter the glass or set off combustibles in your property without the blaze entering your home.

Therefore, it’s vital to go for insulated double glazing featuring tempered glass on the outer side. Follow this path instead of going for single glazing, which does not give a sturdy appearance in fire’s face and the faces of other natural disasters.