2008 City of Big Bear Lake Building Code | Download
Fire protection
can involve
a variety
of changes
to your
house and
property
-- changes
that can
vary in
complexity
and cost.
You may
be able
to make
some types
of changes
yourself.
But complicated
or large-scale
changes
and those
that affect
the structure
of your
house or
its electrical
wiring and
plumbing
should be
carried
out only
by a professional
contractor
licensed
to work
in your
state, county,
or city.
One example
of fire
protection
is replacing
flammable
roofing
materials
with fire-resistant
materials.
Recent studies
have shown
that there
is a 51%
fire risk
reduction
for homes
with non-combustible
roofing
material
versus shake
shingle
roofs. This
is something
that most
homeowners
would probably
hire a contractor
to do.
Some roofing materials, especially wood shakes, are less resistant to fire than others. When wildfires and brush fires spread to houses, it is often because burning branches, leaves, and other debris buoyed by the heated air are carried by the wind and fall on roofs. If the roof of your house is covered with wood shake shingles, you should consider replacing them with fire-resistant materials. In the City of Big Bear Lake a minimum Class A roofing material is required for all new roofs.
You can replace your existing roofing materials with slate, terra cotta or other types of tile, or standing-seam metal roofing or a Class A asphalt shingle roofing material. Replacing roofing materials is difficult and dangerous work. Unless you are skilled in roofing and have all the necessary tools and equipment, you will probably want to hire a roofing contractor to do the work. Also a roofing contractor can advise you on the relative advantages and disadvantages of various fire-resistant roofing materials.
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Keep these
points in
mind if
you plan
to have
your existing
roofing
materials
replaced:
- Tile,
metal,
and slate
are more
expensive
roofing
materials,
but if
you need
to replace
your roofing
anyway,
it may
be worthwhile
to pay
a little
more for
the added
protection
these
materials
provide. It
is important
to note
that a
metal
roof by
itself
is NOT
a Class
A rated
roof. This
is because
metal
is an
excellent
conductor
of heat
- Slate
and tile
can be
much heavier
than asphalt
shingles
or wood
shingles.
If you
are considering
switching
to one
of these
heavier
coverings,
your roofing
contractor
should
determine
whether
the framing
of your
roof is
strong
enough
to support
them.
- If you
live in
an area
where
snow loads
are a
problem,
consider
switching
to a modern
standing-seam
metal
roof,
which
will usually
shed snow
efficiently.
If you hire a contractor to replace your existing roof covering, you can expect to pay about $ 4.00 per square foot for asphalt shingle roofs. For example, a house measuring 60 feet by 30 feet will have about 1,800 square feet of roof area. So for this house, an asphalt shingle roof would cost about $7,200.
"Five
Hot Tips
for Homeowners
on the Edge," by
Herbert
McLean,
in American
Forest,
vol. 99,
no. 5-6,
1993
Guide to
Landscaping
for Fire
Safety,
2nd. Ed.,
University
of California,
1992
"Firescaping: Ways
To Keep Your House and Garden
from Going up in Smoke," by
Joan Boulton in Horticulture,
The Magazine of American
Gardening, vol. 69, no.
8, 1991
Protecting
Residences
from Wildfires:
A Guide
for Homeowners,
Lawmakers,
and Planners,
Technical
Report No.
50, U.S.
Department
of Agriculture,
1981
Information
is also available
from the National
Roofing Contractors
Association,
at 1-800-323-9545 |
