Basic HTML Version
96
winter
|
spr ing
The exterior walls are usually covered with siding. Most siding, except
for stucco, is combustible. General Contractors recommends fiber
cement siding, as it has the appearance of wood, stucco, or masonry,
and has a one- to two-hour fire resistant rating per ASTM. Fiber cement
siding is fireproof, termite-proof, and may have a warranty up to fifty
years. Brand names are HardiPlank and HardiPanel. Tips include having
no combustibles at the base, no openings in the siding, and the siding is
3/4” thick so it is unlikely to burn through into the wall cavity. Stucco
walls are fine as long as the stucco is about 7/8” thick and has sheathing
beneath it.
out. Windows are a major point of fire entry. High radiant energy from
an approaching fire can fracture un-tempered glass and radiation through
windows can ignite materials inside the house.
Roofs require adequate ventilation that will not allow wind-driven
fire embers from entering the attic. Most home are lost in wild fires
due to embers entering the home via openings around windows,
doors and directly through attic vents. Old-fashioned soffit vents are
the most vulnerable to fire. In response, Brent Berkompas founded
Brandguard Vents while working as a firefighter for the City of San
Bernardino, California, creating his patent-pending baffle front design
vents.
The baffle front prevents embers from entering the house, recycling
them back out away from the vent. The back of the Brandguard vent has a
wire mesh that allows for air ventilation for the attic.
Sprinkler systems on roofs are ineffective, given most wildfires are driven
by high winds.
Windows, Roofs, and Doors
Windows and doors are made fire-safe by using metal-clad
reinforcement and dual-pane tempered glass. Green Building America
contractors build windows and doors recessed into the exterior wall to
allow enough space for a “hidden” sprinkler system along the window and
doorframes. When exterior walls are hit with fire directly or heat from
a nearby fire, sprinklers are released from the frame and work to keep
the window panes and doors cooled down. Windows are also made of
bituthane and wire meshing. Basically, air and water are prevented from
causing a heat exchange so the house will not combust from the inside
Looking upward to the top of the dramatic turret in the grand entryway
Arched breezeway leading to the front entrance; note the detail of the custom
arches constructed with Hybrid Block