Stop the Spread of Wildfire by Better Understanding Wildland-Urban Interface Code

By DaVinci Roofscapes 

Learn more about the WUI code and which roofing materials will better protect your home this wildfire season. 

The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code was designed to minimize the risks of wildfire spread from forest areas to property. The WUI code requires building products, including roofing, be evaluated and attain certain standards for flame resistance. However, this code is not enacted statewide, so if you are planning to build a property in California, you will need you check with county officials for WUI information. You can check if a product is approved on the State Fire Marshal’s Building Material List (BML). Additional information can be found on the Wildland-Urban Interface Building Codes website. 

Why have a code? 

As you know, wildfires have dramatically increased in California and throughout other parts of the country during the past several years. When this article was originally written in 2019, the National Interagency Fire Center has reported 41,419 fires across the nation burning 5.9 million acres of land.   

In California, the situation is dire. In 2019, the Carr fire has been labeled the “most destructive fire in state history,” burning 218,000 acres and destroying 1,604 structures. That’s in addition to the Mendocino Complex fire that started just a few days later. Now the largest in California’s history, that massive fire burned more than 283,000 acres. 

The WUI Code recognizes the growing trend of wildfires in our country, especially in California. Officials have tested and identified building products that are flame resistant to reduce and stop the potential spread of wildfires to homes and businesses. 

The basic requirement of WUI is that the exterior of a structure be ignition-resistant and be able to resist the entry of flying embers and fire radiation during a wildfire. As you’ve probably heard in the news, the sparks from a wildfire are capable of traveling up to a mile away in windy conditions, making homes far outside the “hot zone” capable of being in jeopardy. 

The good news 

As sparks and embers travel, they generally end up on the roof of a property. If you have a composite shake roof overhead from DaVinci Roofscapes, you’ll have greater peace-of-mind because DaVinci Shake and Slate products are WUI approved. 

DaVinci synthetic shake and slate roofing tiles are Class A fire rated. This is the highest resistance to flame spread that tiles can be tested for in the industry. In simple terms, even if you take a match to these roofing tiles, the flame will not spread. This helps keeps properties safer. 

Keeping it cool 

In California, it’s important for residents to know that Cool Roof shake profiles from DaVinci are approved for both WUI and Title 24. DaVinci’s Cool Roof tiles reflect sunlight and heat away from the home. Higher emissivity and reflectivity rates lead to greater reductions in the cooling load and in return increase energy efficiency. At the same time these composite tiles are flame-resistant and have gained WUI code approval. 

With both synthetic slate and shake roofing options that meet Class A fire requirements, the team at DaVinci has made a good thing better. These composite roofs not only resist fire, they also stand up to hail, wind and the sun. Plus, they resist fading, rotting, cracking and pests. All this and they’re backed by a Lifetime Limited Material Warranty. 

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Original article source: DaVinci Roofscapes