ARE YOU CALIFORNIA FIRE-SAFE?
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MicroMesh Gutter Guards $12.99 per LF Installed
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CA LICENSED BONDED & INSURED CONTRACTOR
CSLB # 1074018
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FireSafeMarin - Berkeley Fire Department
Licensed, Bonded, Insured & Approved Installer
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NORCAL Firescaping Building & Home Hardening provides home owners and property investors Fire-Safe Soffit & Foundation Vent Retrofit for structures by replacing non code conforming structure venting with CA 7a. Fire Code compliant materials designed to arrest the ingress of embers through existing exterior venting.
Stainless Steel Micro Mesh EmberSafe Gutter Guard Installation
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Vulcan Vents Ember & Flame Resistant Vent Retrofit
Non Combustable Landscape-to-Structure Fuelbreak
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Deck-to-Structure Fuelbreak
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NORCAL FIRESCAPING BUILDING & HOME HARDENING
IS HERE FOR ALL OF YOUR HOME HARDENING NEEDS.
CALL TODAY TO SET UP AN ON-SITE VISIT
HOME HARDENING SAFETY STARTS WITH VENTING
WHY VULCAL VENTS? Fine mesh screen stops ember ingress while allowing for adequate airflow when fire isn’t near. When exposed to flames, the fire-resistant coating on the inner honeycomb matrix will expand and effectively fill the space between the cells, creating an effective barrier. Built and tested to be an effective defense against ember storms. The core of the Vulcan fire and ember-resistant vents are manufactured out of corrosion-resistant, high-grade aluminum honeycomb complete with an intumescent coating made by Firefree Coatings. The hexagonal intumescent coating is designed to quickly swell up and close off when exposed to high heat. The expanded material acts as an insulator to heat, fire, and embers.The intumescent coating begins to expand when exposed to radiant heat starting at 350F, then fully expands at 500F at rate of 70 to 1, effectively sealing off the vent and protecting it from the intrusion of firebrand embers and direct flame.
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ATTIC VENTILATION
Basic Principles
Outside air enters the attic space through soffit or eave vents, rises through the attic space as it warms, and exits through vents that are positioned at or near the top of the roofs ridge or through a power vent with an airflow rate of 1.0 cubic foot per minute per square foot of attic space measured. Embers follow air current and air current flows through openings like eave, soffit and attic ventilation. The installation of ember resistant vents gives homeowners an additional level of defense against wildfire ember ingress without sacrificing adequate attic venting.
VULCAN RETROFIT VENTS
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Vulcan Retrofit Vents can be easily installed in existing venting, offering homeowners firesafe defense without compromising adequate ventilation. Attic ventilation serves two main functions: to lower attic temperatures and to remove excess moisture. Lowering the temperature in the attic can help reduce air-conditioning energy costs and roof deck temperature, optimize the service life of a roof covering, and minimize ice damming. Some benefits of removing excess moisture include reducing the possibility for mold and mildew growth and minimizing the potential for wood rot.
FIREWISE GUTTER GUARDS
GutterGlove Stainless Steel Micro Mesh Gutter Guard Installation and Service
Ember Rated
ASTM E-119 Fire Rated Ember Resistant Stainless Steel Micro Mesh Gutter Guards are premium low channel gutter guards that prevents your home's gutters from becoming clogged of debris and leaves. The patented design of the GutterGlove guard blocks debris from getting into your gutters while allowing water to easily flows through mesh screen to the gutter downspouts unobstructed. The guard installs under existing roof shingles and fixes to the existing gutters outer edge. Debris collects on the shield screen while water flows to the gutter beneath. Wind will carry large debris off of the mesh screen when dry, eliminating excessive dry debris collection in gutters and mitigating dry fuel build up during the dry months when fire danger is at it peak. This product passed the ASTM E2768, ASTM E84 & E-119 standard tests for extended duration of surface burning characteristics for building materials.
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Installation is usually completed in one day and prices start at $12.99* per linear foot of gutter installed.
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*Additional Charges May Apply
FACTS ABOUT WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA
With the ever changing climate creating longer, hotter and drier fire seasons, California homeowners face real challenges when thinking about what wildfire mitigation and home hardening steps to take for their property.
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Things to know:
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Fire needs only three ingredients to flourish: Heat, Wind and Fuel. Three things California has no shortage of. Add and ignition point, either man made or natural, and you have wildfire season in California.
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A structures chances of surviving a wildfire hinge on 6 factors:
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Adequately Defined Defensible Space Zones and proper Home Hardening measures give a home the greatest chance of survival.
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Outlying Areas: How clear of ground fuels is the perimeter space of 30'-100' and beyond.
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Degree of Slope: Slope plays a role in how a ground fire will spread.
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Exposure: How the sun influences a property. The hotter the property is, the more flammable it becomes in dry windy conditions.
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Emergency Access: Safe ingress and egress for first responders to access and leave your property and fight a fire safely.
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Roof Type: Wood Shingle, Shake Shingle and other combustable roof materials often catch fire from embers that are carried by wind.
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Home Hardening​​​:
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While adequate defensible space will improve a property's chance of surviving a wildfire, science has proven that using ember resistant venting and non combustible building materials for all exterior applications gives a structure the best chance for survival. This includes non combustable siding, metal roofing, non combustable shingles, non combustable decking, ventilation screens approved to prevent embers from entering roof soffits, attics and crawl spaces, non combustable stainless steel gutter debris guards and more.
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Approved Home Hardening Contractor
