Measures to Reduce the Risk of Fire Damage to the Roof

The roof is a critical part of the house because it protects the house from various risks, the risk of fire included. However, your roof might not resist fire damage if you don't take the following measures.

Use Class A Materials

A roofing material can either be unrated or belong to one of the three categories of fire ratings. Unrated materials are often the worst as far as potential fire damage is concerned. Class A is the best, followed by Class B, and then Class C is the least fire resistant.

Avoid unrated materials at all costs if you want to minimize the risk of roof fire damage. Choose the best-rated roofing material that your budget can accommodate.

Plug Gaps on the Roof

Even with fireproof roofing material, your roof can still catch fire if some sections of the roof have damage. For example, missing shingles or damaged flashing may allow a fire to reach the unprotected inner structures of the roof.

Keep the Roof Clean

Fire-resistant roofing materials may ignite and burn if you expose them to high temperatures for extended periods. If your roof is full of debris, the debris may catch fire and burn long enough that the roofing material might also ignite.

Clear the Area Around the House

Fire needs fuel to burn. Fuel can be anything like wood, leaves, grass, plastic, and various forms of windblown debris. The more of these things around your house and roof, the higher the risk that fire might leap onto the roof.

• Trim trees around the house.
• Clear an area around the house to create a buffer zone.
• Don't stack firewood close to the house.
• Minimize attached structures that may spread fire.

Maintain Your Electrical System

Many roofs have electrical installations or wiring either on or near the roof. If these electrical systems malfunction, this might trigger an electrical fire that may ravage the roof.

Install a Lighting Arrestor

Lightning is a discharge of electricity from the sky that ionizes and heats up the air and environment around it. A bolt of lightning can trigger damage and fire even to the best roofs. The best way to reduce the risk of lightning-related fire is to install a lightning arrestor on the roof.

Keep the Chimney Clean

Lastly, you also probably need to keep your chimney clean if you don't want your roof to burn down. When you light a chimney fire, partially combusted materials form part of the debris and soot that go up the chimney.

Consult Econo Roofing for further ways to make your roof fire resistant. We can also help you repair your roof if it has suffered fire damage.