2005 Wildfire Season: Protecting Your Home from the Inside and Out.CHICAGO -- Tile Roofing Institute: FACT SHEET Summer months designate wildfire season, threatening many parts of the country. Advance planning and preparation are key to protecting homes. The Tile Roofing Institute (TRI TRI Toxics Release Inventory (US EPA) TRI Touch Research Institute TRI Taux de Rentabilité Interne (French: internal rate of return) TRI Taux de Rentabilité Interne TRI Tile Roofing Institute ), the leading resource and proponent of concrete and clay tile roof systems, offers this checklist for homeowners. Roofing: Roofs should be replaced with a non-combustible Class A roofing system. The roof is the most vulnerable part of any home during a wildfire. The majority of fires start when embers em·ber n. 1. A small, glowing piece of coal or wood, as in a dying fire. 2. embers The smoldering coal or ash of a dying fire. ignite non-fire-resistant roofing materials, such as untreated wood shakes. Independent testing sponsored by the Committee for Firesafe Dwellings concluded that concrete or clay tile roofing is safer than traditional roofing materials such as shingle, shake or metal. Concrete and clay tile roofing products are Class A fire-rated, and product warranties range from 50 years to the life of the structure. Concrete and clay tile roofs should be installed in accordance to the printed installation recommendations using approved fastener and assembly systems, and should conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" local-area building codes. Eaves: Eaves should be enclosed with fire-retardant soffits, non-combustible materials or one-hour fire resistant construction. Windows: Radiant heat heat proceeding in right lines, or directly from the heated body, after the manner of light, in distinction from heat conducted or carried by intervening media. See also: Radiant can pass through windows and ignite combustible com·bus·ti·ble adj. Capable of igniting and burning. n. A substance that ignites and burns readily. materials inside the home. Double- or triple-paned windows act as a barrier to fire penetration. Chimneys: Clean chimneys regularly, and include an approved spark arrester spark arrester n. 1. A device designed to keep sparks from escaping, as at a chimney opening. 2. A device used to control electric sparking at a point where a circuit is made or broken. . Make sure chimneys are at least 30 feet from tree limbs. Sprinklers: Automatic, quick-responding residential fire sprinklers have proven to be more than 90 percent effective by controlling fires while they're still small. Smoke Alarms: Interior smoke detectors should be installed on every level of the home, next to bedrooms and tested monthly. Defensible Space Defensible space is a concept first proposed by the architect Oscar Newman and developed further by Alice Coleman. It is the idea that crime and delinquency can be controlled and mitigated through environmental design. : Defensible space is the area around a home, which is planted and maintained to provide a buffer zone buffer zone n. A neutral area between hostile or belligerent forces that serves to prevent conflict. Noun 1. buffer zone against wildfire, and provide access to firefighters. The width of acceptable defensible area varies between 30 and 300 feet, depending on the steepness of the slope and the type of vegetation adjacent to the home. Home Maintenance: Roofs and gutters should be cleaned regularly. Trees and shrubs should be kept pruned, and dried vegetation and debris should be cleared away from foundations and underneath decks. To view the entire fire homeowner checklist, visit www.tileroofing.org. |
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