Monday, May 18, 2009

Preventing the Spread of Forest Fires

Along with clearing brush and debris away from a home, installing a metal roof is one of the best proactive steps that homeowners can take to reduce the chance of a house being destroyed by fire, and restrict a fire’s ability to spread.


Recent wildfires in California burned destroyed 78 homes, with an estimated cost of at least $120 million in damages.


Most forest fires decimate residential communities through burning pine needles and other debris blown from roof to roof. More conventional roofs, such as wood shake or asphalt (a petroleum-based product), catch fire relatively easily and the home subsequently burns to the ground. With a metal roof, however, those same homes could be saved.


Today’s metal roofs are available in many colors and styles, ranging from shake to shingle to Spanish tile. As a result, these highly durable roofs that resist fires and save energy are also perfect for any neighborhood.


For more information on wildfire prevention, and a home checklist, visit the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention.

1 comments:

  1. Nice article - obviously wood roofs are highly combustible and should be avoided in areas where wildfires have been known to burn out of control. Concrete roofs are another excellent solution to this problem. Also be cautious when selecting the siding for your home - a product like Hardiplank adds no additional combustibles to the fire whereas something like vinyl siding could feed the fires fury even further.

    Thanks for posting.

    Roofers Houston TX
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