Designing a Fire-Resistant Home: Materials and Strategies

If you’re building a new home or remodeling your current one, fire resistance may not be the first thing on your mind—but it should be. Wildfires and accidental fires can spread quickly, and the choices you make during the design phase can mean the difference between minor damage and total loss.

Fire resistance isn’t just about materials; it’s also about how your home is shaped, how it interacts with the landscape, and how well it can prevent embers from getting inside. In areas around Dallas and Denver’s Front Range, where drought conditions can increase the risk of wildfires, taking proactive fire-resistant measures is essential. Here are some of the things you need to know.

Your roof is one of the most vulnerable parts of your home during a wildfire. In areas where strong winds can carry embers over long distances, selecting fire-resistant roofing materials is crucial. Burning embers can land on your roof, and if the material is combustible, fire can spread quickly.

• Best Choices: Class A fire-rated materials like metal roofing, clay or concrete tiles, or composition shingles with fire-resistant underlayment.
• Avoid: Wood shakes or shingles, which are highly flammable.
• Additional Protection: Use a noncombustible underlayment under a tile roof due to the many openings between tiles. Install a fine-mesh metal screen over roof vents to prevent embers from getting into your attic.
• Roof Shape Considerations: A simple, sloped roof with fewer places for embers to accumulate is preferred over complex rooflines with deep eaves or valleys that can collect burning debris.
• Attic Design: Instead of traditional vented attics, an insulated, unvented attic offers greater energy efficiency and fire resistance. Without attic vents, there are fewer entry points for embers and smoke, keeping your home better protected from wildfire intrusion.

• Best Choices: Install metal gutters rather than vinyl, as they resist melting.
• Avoid: Plastic or vinyl gutters, which can warp or melt in extreme heat.
• Additional Protection: Use mesh screens or solid gutter covers to prevent debris buildup and clean gutters regularly, especially in dry seasons.
• Alternative Option: Some designs allow for gutter elimination by directing water away from the home without needing traditional gutters, reducing debris accumulation and fire risk.

Fire-resistant exterior surfaces can slow down the spread of flames and provide a buffer between your home and the fire.
Best Choices: Fiber cement siding, stucco, brick, or stone veneer.

• Avoid: Vinyl siding, which can melt at high temperatures, and untreated wood, which can ignite easily.
• Additional Protection: Use a non-combustible sheathing layer behind siding for extra protection.
• Sealed Penetrations: Any penetrations in the exterior of the house, such as plumbing vents, HVAC piping, and electrical conduits, must be sealed with non-combustible foam to prevent ember intrusion and fire spread.
• Fire-Resistant Paint: Fire-retardant paints can add an extra layer of protection against heat and flames. These coatings are designed to slow fire spread and are applicable to materials like wood, aluminum, steel, and stucco.

Extreme heat from a nearby fire can cause windows to break, allowing flames to enter your home. Choosing the right window type is critical for fire-resistant homes.

• Best Choices: Multi-pane tempered glass windows, which resist breakage under high heat.
• Avoid: Single-pane glass, which shatters quickly.
• Additional Protection: Use metal or fire-rated wooden doors and install noncombustible shutters for extra security.
• Garages: Install weather stripping around and under garage doors to prevent embers from entering. Store combustible and flammable liquids away from ignition sources.

Decks and porches can be fuel sources if built from flammable materials.

• Best Choices: Fire-resistant composite decking, concrete, or tile.
• Avoid: Standard wood decking without a fire-retardant treatment and plastic composite decking.
• Additional Protection: Enclose the space underneath decks with noncombustible materials to prevent embers from gathering. Do not store materials or yard items that would be prone to ignition.
• Maintenance: Ensure the deck surface and spaces between boards are clear of any debris that could catch fire.
• Outdoor Furniture: Choose furniture made of aluminum or steel with fire-resistant cushions. Pieces made of wood, wicker, or plastic can create a fire risk.

House in Cle Elum, Washington survived wildfire in 2012 due to a defensible space around the home. Photo source: NBC News article, Elaine Thompson / AP

• Best Choices: Use non-flammable materials like gravel, stone, or concrete within 5 feet of your home.
• Avoid: Placing wood mulch, dry grass, or combustible vegetation near the home.
• Additional Protection: Keep trees and shrubs well-trimmed and at least 10 feet from your home. In Denver’s arid climate and Dallas’ dry summers, using fire-resistant plants such as yucca, sage, and agave can help minimize fire risks.
• Driveways: Maintain vegetation along driveways with at least ten feet of clearance on either side to ensure safe evacuation and access for first responders. This is especially important in areas like the Dallas suburbs and the Denver foothills, where emergency access routes can be obstructed by rapidly spreading wildfires
• Fences: Wood fences have been responsible for spreading fire between properties, such as the Dallas area fire in Balch Springs in 2022. Avoid combustible wood fences, as they can act as a direct pathway for fire to reach your home. Instead, opt for non-combustible materials such as metal, masonry, or fire-retardant-treated wood for better fire resistance.

Building or remodeling with fire safety in mind isn’t just about protecting your property—it’s about protecting the people inside. By choosing fire-resistant materials and smart structural designs, you can create a fire-resistent home that stands a much better chance of surviving a fire.

If you’re planning a new build or remodel in Denver or Dallas and want to incorporate fire-resistant strategies, contact us to discuss your options. A well-designed home isn’t just beautiful—it’s built to last.