As Spring turns to Summer, this is an important time to be mindful of fire hardening around your home. With the ever growing risks, you are not helpless in protecting yourselves, your loved ones, and your home. Everything from expensive remodeling and major landscaping to simple practices can help make a huge difference. The suggestions below can both save you on insurance and on actual loss prevention. The more things you can do the better.
First the simpler items:
- Trim trees away from your homes. Don’t let branches hang over your roofs, definitely don’t let them touch the roof. Tied to this is also making sure you have cleaned out your gutters twice a year: Right now ahead of fire season, and right before raining season (for obviously different reasons).
- Create a 5’ open space all around your home. This prevents burning embers from being captured up against your home, on flammable material, increasing the likelihood of catching the home on fire.
- Remove woodchips and other flammable material from around your home. When these common landscaping features catch fire they are very dangerous, as the winds created by wildfire easily can pick these flaming hand grenades and deliver them right up to your home as well as spread to neighboring properties.
Other more advanced items to think about:
- Install a tile or other non-flammable roofing.
- Clad your home with hardie board or similar non-wood siding.
- Replace your older windows with dual-paned tempered windows.
Taking steps to fire harden your home today can make a meaningful difference tomorrow. If you have questions about preparing your property, improving its value, or want to recommendations for trusted local professionals, we're always here to help you protect one of your biggest investments - your home.
