A fire-resistant home doesn’t have to look like a bunker. James Hardie fiber cement siding and other fire-resistant products come in a variety of styles. James Hardie
No one wants to live in a concrete bunker, and Salem developer Kelly Weber’s clients call this “complex” the ultimate fire shelter. So Weber is building a handsome, fire-resistant home with a modern metal shed roof on the banks of the Santiam River to replace a 1950s log cabin that burned in a wildfire last year.
Webb, of AK Webb Remodeling & Construction, uses designs, technologies and highly fire-resistant materials developed from painstakingly researched fire science to slow the spread of fire, giving clients temporary peace of mind and, if another fire breaks out, valuable extra time to evacuate.
Oregon’s dry, hot summer and fears of another devastating wildfire season have many people taking fire prevention seriously to reduce the vulnerability of their homes and communities. Living in fear of fire means making tradeoffs when building a new home or making major repairs to an existing one.
Because fires spread faster and get hotter the higher they go, some homeowners choose to build their homes on flat ground, giving up the best views from a hillside. Sometimes they sacrifice large windows for smaller ones that provide better fire and thermal insulation. Additionally, choosing a home with a steel frame, which is more resistant to high temperatures than a wooden frame, will cost more and require professional construction experience.
Class A fire-resistant roofing materials include slate tiles, clay tiles, cement tiles, asphalt tiles, composite tiles and metal tiles. The Ludowici tiles shown in the photo are resistant to water, frost, fire, wind and insects. Alliance THREE
Property owners who want to install fire-rated corrugated metal roofs are sometimes turned away by local communities that don’t like the modern look but do allow other types of Class A fire-rated materials, such as clay and cement tiles, asphalt and composite shingles, and slate.
Weber’s clients once had a wooden deck that stretched almost to the river. Now they have a concrete patio built on the deck to prevent dead leaves from accumulating underneath and creating a fire hazard.
New building codes and land use restrictions require greater distances between buildings and encourage the creation of wide driveways and other firebreaks to protect life and property.
But it is possible to create a welcoming home that matches your ideal style. Manufacturers have created steel and composite products that look like wood, and concrete panels have replaced plywood and can be hidden inside walls.
As lumber prices rise, fire-resistant wood alternatives like TimberTech and Azek composite decking and James Hardie fiber cement siding are no longer as budget-friendly as they once were, and they’re also becoming more diverse in colors, styles, and textures.
The house Webb is building has a warm, Northwest modern look, but at its core is a cold-formed steel frame built on a concrete slab.
On the outside, James Hardie siding looks like horizontal boards four feet off the ground, with more cement boards above them to mimic classic sheathing.
Metallion Industries in Estacada manufactures steel siding in a variety of styles, including traditional board and batten sheathing and horizontal lap sheathing. Metallion Industries
The owners also considered using wood-look steel siding from Metallion Industries in Estacada.
Heavy steel doors, even if the panels look warm and cozy, still look too commercial for most people. But they can order fiberglass doors that can withstand a typical fire for 20 minutes or more before burning out.
“There is no such thing as a perfectly strong home,” says Michael Benjamin, director of research and development at James Hardie. “All structures have their weak points, but there are always ways to prevent openings in the home and avoid fires.”
Benjamin, a mechanical engineer who has tested thousands of products during his 18 years at James Hardie, said he likes to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
“Home is where you feel safe,” he said. “You can go to sleep and wake up knowing the outside of your home is fireproof.”
Weber, an eco-conscious builder who is always on the lookout for energy-efficient materials, said prefabricated steel is a fire-resistant, hardened material that produces less waste on the job site than wood.
In designing the home on the Santiam River, Weber followed the designs of architect Peter Lyle Strauchal of Protech Design Group in Salem.
Strauchal’s clients are concerned about wildfires, and they are not limited by anything. Framing options include solid wood, metal, and concrete masonry, as well as cast-in-place concrete and insulated concrete forms. Exterior walls can be finished in “tens of thousands of metal sheathing options,” he says.
Weber said the fiberglass window frames installed here expand at the same rate as glass when heated, holding the windows in place better than melted vinyl frames or burning wood.
Webb won’t install exterior steel shutters that can be lowered to cover windows and prevent the glass from breaking under the heat of an outside fire. “My clients thought it looked too much like a joint,” he said. “She didn’t want her home to feel like she was in a prison.”
Hidden Fire Protections: Wide eaves can provide shade and prevent objects from falling or striking the house. The building envelope is sealed to improve energy efficiency and prevent embers from penetrating. Concrete porches and patios act as fire breaks.
Trees destroyed by forest fires were replaced with non-volatile shrubs planted away from the outer walls, between the green cover and decorative stones.
Here are some tips to help resolve the conflict between saving water and maintaining a green landscape to prevent fires.
Depending on the geographic location, some new homes in rural areas are required to have fire suppression systems installed. Weber said the property has a large water storage tank and an interior sprinkler system similar to what is used in commercial properties.
Your home’s landscaping and exterior are your first line of defense against wildfires.
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) wants homeowners to consider the area’s fire history, prevailing winds and irrigation needs before deciding on a site.
According to ODF, one-story buildings should be located at least 30 feet from a ridge or cliff, and two-story homes should be located even further.
Fixr.com construction industry analyst Adam Graham said fire protection needs to be taken seriously — metal roofs can be damaged if embers get into the attic through small holes — and everyone should be vigilant. Fixr.com provides cost and hiring advice for home improvement projects.
“Communities need to work together to ensure that all buildings comply with fire safety and prevention regulations,” he said. “For example, homes located on the outskirts of a community close to a bushfire can play a key role in preventing the fire from spreading to other homes.”
Past wildfires and forecasts of drier conditions due to rising temperatures and drought have prompted people building homes in fire-prone areas to reconsider their choice of traditional building materials to better protect their homes.
Walls: Fire-rated exterior walls are made of masonry materials such as brick, stone, or concrete block. Concrete Modular Units (CMUs), Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), and steel frames are more durable than wood-frame homes and, when covered with fire-rated siding, can withstand wildfires, earthquakes, and other disasters.
Gypsum board, also known as fiberglass-reinforced drywall, turns into steam when exposed to fire.
Roofing: Clay and cement tiles, bitumen and composite shingles, metal sheets, slate and other materials with a fire resistance class of “A” help prevent the spread of fire or penetration of fire into the house.
Glass: Double or triple glazed windows will last longer than single glazed windows in the heat of wildfires.
Seal openings: More than 90 percent of homes are destroyed by wildfires because of smoldering embers that can be carried a mile or more by the wind. Soffit vents, gable vents, and roof vents (including dryer vents) should be covered with 1/8-inch-thick metal mesh or equipped with a built-in fire-resistant ember barrier, such as Embers Out Vents and Filters.
Create firebreaks using driveways, hardscapes, and green space. Patio design by Kevin Sipe, working with Quality Paving and Design (paverlayer.com). paverlayer.com
VIEW: Portland Fire and Rescue spokesman Rob Garrison said anyone who has seen photos of burned areas can see that there are defensible spaces around the surviving homes.
Keep yards green and clear by trimming, thinning and removing dead or hazardous vegetation and bark mulch; and irrigate low-growing vegetation with high moisture content to slow or stop ground fires, he said.
There are things, big and small, you can do to reduce the risk of your home and your community being destroyed by a wildfire.
Wood Alternative Decks, Metal Railings: Porches and decks must be constructed of fire-rated wood planks or fire-rated alternative materials.
“Keep your yard green, have an evacuation plan and keep valuables in one place,” said Rob Garrison, a spokesman for the Portland Fire Department.
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