17
Jul

When preparing your home for wildfires,do not forget to think about fences and other structures that you have on your property.

You can do anything you want to make sure the structural aspect of your house is safe from fires, but it’s going to do nothing if you don’t make the rest of your property is safe. Enclosed spaces and fences are major problem areas if you don’t take care of them.

Managing Enclosed Spaces

Enclosed spaces include the likes of storage under the deck or patio, sheds, or other out-of-sight storage spaces around the home. It’s easy to forget all about them because they are out of sight, but you need to ensure there isn’t a buildup of flammable litter.

It’s important to rake out the leaves of these areas as much as possible. This can mean getting into crawlspaces to clean them out fully.

You will also ensure that there is good ventilation and that the storage units are built with non-flammable materials, just like your decks and patios. A 3/4in stainless steel mess screen is a great addition to help prevent the flammable materials from getting in, especially over the top of vents going in.

Getting the Right Fences

You want to add a fence to create a boundary around your home. Wooden fences have been proved to be a problem, though. They carry the fire to the house due to the wood usually being flammable and untreated.
It’s essential that your privacy fence is separate from the house with some sort of firebreak. This usually means a metal gate between fence and house. A stone column could also help, or you could opt for upgrading the fence complete.

A wrought-iron fence isn’t going to be the cheapest option, but it is going to be one of the safest. This material won’t ignite when there is a fire at the far side of your garden. It’s not going to pull the fire toward your house, and the melting point is higher than a lot of other metals.

If you are going to choose wood, make sure it’s been treated fully with flame-retardant chemicals. You’ll also want to consider a gravel safety perimeter instead of having the grass directly underneath it. The grass could lead to fire spreading easily to the home. Opt for a gravel primer that is at least 1ft wide.

Colorado mastication is a full-service fire mitigation company that specializes in scrub oak removal, brush clearing, defensive space creation. Call now for a free estimate at ( 719)4689683.