Fire! How Well Will Your Home Stand Up To A Potential Blaze Or High Heat?

For years, homeowners have had siding contractors install various kinds of exterior materials, including cedar, vinyl and fiber cement, on their homes in order to protect their houses from the elements and give the exterior an attractive appearance. In recent years, however, there are have been increasing concerns about whether the materials used on the outside of residential buildings can withstand the dangers of fire or high temperatures. A few decades ago, most manufacturers had never had to handle a damage claim from heat because it almost never happened. In recent years, however, high energy windows that reflect and concentrate sunlight have increasingly damaged the siding on neighboring homes. An increase in lost homes due to wildfires in the west have also led to some fire departments recommending that homeowners choose non-combustible materials for their exteriors.

Cedar Siding Is Highly Flammable

The natural look of cedar shakes is very popular for homes across the country and is particularly popular in areas where the great outdoors are appreciated. Unfortunately, while cedar seems like an excellent material that looks great on cabins and country homes, it is also the perfect tinder for a blaze. So much so that a house with a cedar exterior can burst into flames during a forest fire before flames from neighboring trees or structures actually touch the house. More surprising is rising evidence that reflected light from concentrated sources such as the glass roof of a sunroom or a low-e skylight can actually burn the cedar planks, leaving scorch marks or causing a slow, smoldering burn that can lead to serious damage.

The Perils Of A Vinyl Clad Home

Although vinyl siding manufacturers have developed their products to withstand even the highest environmental temperatures, most of these PVC-based products can't survive temperatures as low as 165° Fahrenheit. To put this in perspective, consider the many ways an exterior wall can be exposed to this temperature - having your grille or a fire pit too close to an exterior wall, a fire in a neighboring house or even reflections off of neighboring windows.

There is a tell-tale pattern to the melting and distortion caused by reflected heat from windows. If your vinyl siding has a pattern of warping or melting across one or more sides that seems to slowly creep at a diagonal up the wall, it's probably "thermal distortion," the industry's name for damage caused by reflected heat. Unfortunately, rather than developing a way for vinyl to withstand higher heat, manufacturers are now adding an exclusion in their warranties that means they won't have to replace or repair materials affected by thermal distortion. Be sure to ask the siding contractors in your area if they have experienced this phenomenon and how the manufacturer handled those situations.

Fiber Cement - The Siding Of The Future

Although fiber cement closely mimics the traditional beauty of real wood, it has advantages that mean you'll never have to worry about fire damage. Because it is made of Portland cement, sand and silica, it is almost impossible to damage it with heat or fire. Fiber cement can withstand the incredibly high heat of being next to a house engulfed in flames without warping, melting or igniting. In some areas, fire departments are beginning to demand that homeowners use fiber cement for new construction in order to reduce the spread of wildfires in at-risk communities. You'll never have to cope with the serious damage that can be caused by incidental damage from melting of your siding because the heat tolerance is so high on fiber cement. Siding contractors can vouch for its durability and strength as well as its beauty and practicality.

If you want to protect your home from fire or heat damage, it's best to have siding contractors install fiber cement on your home's interior. Relying on your vinyl manufacturer or installer to pay a claim for heat damage isn't realistic considering the many companies that have chosen to exclude these issues from their warranty coverage, unlike fiber cement manufacturers who are standing behind their products with impressive warranties.