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Tips for Constructing Fire Resistant Homes
Aug 26, 2022
Two story modern home, Backyard

It’s an unfortunate truth that wildfires are part of life out West, and the idea of fire coming near your home is a scary thought. No home material is entirely fireproof, but there are steps you can take to minimize damage from smoke and flames. 


Direct wildfire flames are not the only danger to your home. A wildfire can reach your home through adjacent burning structures, radiant heat from nearby burning plants/structures, and flying embers. In fact, flying embers have the ability to damage homes up to a mile away and are responsible for the destruction of most homes during a wildfire.


When building a home in wildfire-prone areas, it’s critical that you take all necessary precautions in order to protect your family and home. In this article we will look at ways to make your home more fire-resistant, starting with the exterior.

FIRE RESISTANT MATERIALS

In fire-prone areas, deterring and delaying fire spread is one of the most important considerations when choosing exterior home finishes. Stucco, cement, cultured stone, and brick are all fire-resistant materials that can be used in place of highly flammable materials like wood products.

ROOFING

Because of its location and surface area, the roof is the most vulnerable part of a home when it comes to wildfires, so materials and design matter. Consider Class A roofing, a classification that refers to materials with the highest fire resistance: metal, standing seam, clay/concrete tiles, slate, cementitious composite, fiberglass asphalt composition shingles, and others.


If you’re designing and building a home from the ground up, consider the pitch of the roof. A steep pitch allows embers to roll off before they are able to burn through. It is also important to maintain roofs and gutters, keeping them clear of debris to reduce the likelihood of anything catching fire.

Home construction, A-line roof

WINDOWS

Smaller window panes generally withstand heat better than larger window panes. Think about investing in tempered, double-paned windows, and limit the number and size of windows that face large areas of vegetation. 


To help prevent embers from entering the home and to decrease radiant heat exposure, install screens in all functional windows. Non-flammable shutters are another (and more attractive) great option, but they come with a higher price point.


Other vulnerable areas, such as soffit vents, gable end vents, and dryer vents, should be covered with a 1/8-inch wire mesh as an added precaution against embers entering the home.

DECKING AND FENCING

If you are building your deck out of wood, make sure to use exterior-grade fire-retardant-treated lumber and install metal screening around the crawlspace beneath the deck to keep fire and embers out.


Untreated wood fences can lead fires right to a home. One way to deter fire movement is to use masonry between the fence and house to serve as a firestop. Consider using fire resistant materials such as masonry, metal, or Hardie board for fencing.

LANDSCAPE

The right landscape design can slow or stop the spread of fire, and being fire-resistant doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Here are a few ideas for creating a fire-resistant landscape:


  • Use hardscaping: concrete, stone, and/or gravel. This will help to break up the continuity of vegetation that can potentially fuel a fire.


  • Clear away dry vegetation/debris around the property on a regular basis, and keep trees pruned so that branches do not hang over the house. Pruning also removes dead branches that catch fire easier. 


  • Use fire-resistant plants such as lavender, honeysuckle, or other plants with low amounts of sap, resin, oil, or wax. 


  • Keep outdoor plants well-watered. Lush, green foliage is less likely to burn.


  • Properly space out vegetation (the space needed between vegetation will be determined by the type and style of plant, as well as the slope of the land.) For example, properties located on steep slopes with larger vegetation areas require more spacing between trees and shrubs than properties located on level land with less vegetation. 


Some styles of homes are more compatible with fire-resistant materials than others. Mediterranean-style homes, for example, traditionally call for stucco and Spanish tile roofing, both of which are inherently fire-resistant materials.


spanish style home with clay shingle roof and stucco siding

Traditional-style homes, on the other hand, require a lot of wood for the exterior, which means that proper precautions (fire-resistant backing, thickness requirements, etc.) must be taken to ensure the materials are fire-resistant. It is certainly possible to make traditional-style homes and other desired aesthetics fire-resistant; however, this may require additional steps in the construction process as well as additional costs.


Your home is one of the biggest investments you can make. Protect it by using fire-retardant materials in construction and renovations.

Building a House vs. Buying an Existing One

30 Oct, 2023
Deciding whether to build a new house or buy an existing one is a significant and often complex choice that involves various factors. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, and the decision ultimately depends on your preferences, needs, and circumstances. In this article, we'll explore the key considerations when weighing the pros and cons of building a new home versus buying an existing one.

Finding the Right Custom Home Builder: A Comprehensive Guide

09 Aug, 2023
Building a custom home is a dream for many, and finding the right custom home builder is a crucial step in turning that dream into reality. The selection of a skilled and trustworthy builder can make all the difference in ensuring a seamless building process that results in a home that perfectly aligns with your vision. To help you navigate this important decision, we have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to find a custom home builder that is right for you.

From Blueprint to Move-In: Navigating the Home Building Process

23 May, 2023
Building a custom home requires a lot of planning, research, and decision-making to ensure that the final product is exactly what you want. In this article, we will explore the general process of building a custom home.

Keeping Your Jobsite Dry: Techniques for Effective Dewatering

11 Apr, 2023
Dewatering during rainy months is a crucial aspect of construction site management. When starting a job in the winter/rainy months, rain storms can wreak havoc on a jobsite, causing serious delays and potentially significant change orders. In this article, we will share a few tips on how to effectively dewater a construction site.

Accessory Dwelling Units: Making the Most of Your Space

24 Jan, 2023
Looking for a little more room? California has recently loosened some building regulations that can make housing add-ons more feasible. An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a small residential dwelling that can function independently from the main residence and can be attached or detached from the main home while sharing the same property. In recent years, ADUs have become more and more common, and the Assembly Bill 68 (AB68), and recently Senate Bill 9(SB9), has been a major influencing factor. AB68 and SB9 have encouraged homeowners to build ADUs by “wiping clean” many of the previous restrictive rules and regulations in place that hindered many homeowners from building one.

5 Custom Home Trends You'll Want To Consider

20 Jun, 2022
Custom homes are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to ensure you get the property of your dreams. From the ability to add details of luxury wherever you want them to the chance to create a home that you'll feel good coming back to at the end of the day: these are the top home trends you want to consider when building your own, and why custom homes are a fantastic idea. Why Get a Custom Home? Creating your home is something that few people get to experience, but it's an incredible process from start to end. Not only do you get to build a property to your liking, deciding everything from the layout to how you want each space to look, but it's also a great way to make sure that luxury and beauty and woven throughout your home and that you're excited to get back to your property at the end of the day. Custom homes can be more expensive, but when you're creating a property where you want to live and spend time with the people you love, the cost means nothing. These are the five top home trends you'll want to consider when building your custom home.

Is Supple Homes a Good Fit For You?

17 Feb, 2022
Service providers are constantly on the lookout for clients, and that means putting their best faces forward. On the flip side of that coin, consumers are poring over search results to find the best fit. So let’s think about the information you’ll find in your service provider research. You’ll probably find mission statements, service details, and—ultimately—why you should choose them. Yes, this is useful information, but wouldn't it help you make a better decision and quickly narrow your search if they also mentioned who they were NOT a good fit for? Contractors and other service providers have different areas of expertise and different working styles, and Supple Homes is no exception. We understand that we may not be the right fit for everyone, and we want to help you make the best decision for your needs. Below we have specified a few factors that will help you determine if we are a good fit (or not).

Common Questions Asked About Our Journey

17 Feb, 2022
 How long have you been in business?

Project Management-FAQ

17 Feb, 2022
Here  at Supple Homes, we know that embarking on the journey of building a custom home in the Bay Area can seem quite foreign. “Why are they pouring concrete now?” “When do finishes need to be picked out and ordered?” “What’s going to happen once framing is complete?” It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the construction lingo, concrete, and rebar, which is why it’s important to us that we keep our clients in the loop and that they are involved throughout the process of their custom home construction. Below, we have identified and answered some of the most common questions we receive about our project management. Can I have Sean as my project manager? Sean Supple, the president of Supple Homes, no longer takes on the role of project manager, but he does spend a large portion of his time overseeing projects and working hand-in-hand with our project managers. His oversight ensures that every custom built home exceeds client expectations. He is responsible for multiple key components of the company, such as sales, estimating, and ensuring that all projects are running smoothly, making it difficult for him to dedicate the necessary amount of time and attention that a single project requires. That being said, Sean is actively involved with each and every project, which may make it seem as though he is your project manager. He visits each jobsite at least once a week, allowing him to stay up-to-date and offer his support and expertise wherever and whenever they may be needed. Who will run my project? Each project is assigned to one of our project managers, and generally, each project manager is responsible for no more than two custom home constructions at a time. All of our project managers have over ten years of experience within the construction industry and go above and beyond to not only put forward exceptional work, but also to form transparent and genuine connections with our clients. Check out our About Us page to learn more about Supple Homes’s exceptional team. Will there be someone from Supple Homes onsite every day? Yes! By delegating no more than two projects to each project manager, we allow each of them to spend time onsite daily, ensuring that every luxury custom home meets our lofty company standards for craftsmanship and excellence. Will we have weekly meetings? Conference calls that involve the project manager, Sean, clients, and the architect and/or designer will be held weekly. These 30- to 60-minute calls keep everyone on the same page and allow all parties the opportunity to provide updates, ask questions, and voice any concerns. We are also more than happy to schedule in-person meetings and project walk-throughs upon client request. Aside from weekly conference calls, our project managers are always available to clients via email, phone, and text. We encourage our clients to communicate with their project manager as often as they feel is necessary, and it is quite common for project managers to be in contact with clients throughout the week. Clients can follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts (and other social media channels) for general progress photos and videos. For detailed project updates, we use a construction management software platform called Buildertrend . Buildertrend provides our clients with their own password-controlled web portal and mobile app. Once logged in, clients can view daily updates regarding their project through pictures, videos, and written daily logs. Additionally, the project schedule is viewable and tasks (such as deadlines to select tile, etc.) with specific deadlines will be shown. Our goal is to provide the most transparent, client-friendly approach possible to custom home building in the Bay Area. Have additional questions or feel ready to take the first step toward your very own Bay Area custom built home? Contact our team to get started!

Understanding the Costs of Building a Custom Home

17 Feb, 2022
Planning and building your dream home is an exciting process that is filled with endless possibilities. Before even consulting with a contractor, you may have already decided on the major details. Decisions as big as the architectural style, size, or layout might be solidified and you may have even selected finishing touches such as your favorite chandelier or paint color. So the big question: What is my dream home going to cost me? Every custom home’s design and building process is unique, just like the families they are built for. For that reason there is no one-size-fits-all price. That being said, there are common factors that can influence a project’s cost. In order to help you gain a better understanding of a baseline cost for your home, this article will help explain square foot pricing along with major factors that affect a project’s cost, including: Architectural style Site conditions Details Finishes PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT When we talk about pricing for new home construction, you’ll often hear numbers in terms of price per square foot. There are many working parts in calculating the price per square foot of a project. The size of the house is one factor, but the cost includes interior and exterior architectural finishes as well. Square foot pricing will also incorporate costs for: Materials Appliances Subcontractors Landscaping Our homes average 2,800 square feet or more, and our price per square foot is generally $800 or higher, depending on the factors described above. ARCHITECTURAL STYLE One major factor that will influence a project’s price is the architectural style. You may decide that you want your home to be ultra-modern with a flat roof, or perhaps ranch-style with a three-car garage, or maybe even a transitional-style house with decorative beams and a swimming pool. Certain style homes are more structurally complex and have far more interior and exterior details, which is why some are more expensive to build than others. For instance, an ultra-modern home style is generally more costly because of its extremely detailed and precise finishes such as recessed baseboards, crisp, smooth finishes, floating stairs, standing seam metal roof , and large custom aluminum windows. On the opposite end of the style spectrum are craftsman or traditional-style homes with lots of intricate door and window casings, detailed crown moulding, coffered ceilings, and wainscot paneling. All of these unique features add to the project’s cost. Other architectural styles, like transitional homes, may have fewer intricate details, like less expensive wood/aluminum clad windows, a composite shingle roof, and no crown moulding or wainscoting. More complex plans require more labor and custom materials , which also involves more time and more money. SITE CONDITIONS Site condition refers to the physical, geotechnical, and archeological conditions of the land where construction will occur and could potentially add additional costs to home building. Subsurface water and soil composition are two major examples of the complications that could occur in regard to site conditions. One of the first steps to designing/building your home is to hire a geotechnical engineer (also referred to as a “soils engineer”). Oftentimes, your architect will suggest hiring a soils engineer who is familiar with your area’s site conditions. This person will take soil samples by boring holes down to depths of 30–40 feet to analyze and determine the groundwater level and soil composition. These findings will help the structural engineer and architect properly design your house to withstand seismic activity, wind, and other natural events. Soil composition matters The ground and soil composition helps the building crew make decisions regarding foundation construction. For instance, if a home is built upon expansive soils (clay-based soil), the foundation could experience lifting, cracking, and other structural issues because the soil expands and contracts easily. One solution for dealing with poor soil composition is excavating and removing existing soil and replacing with engineered fill. Drilled piers are also a common method used to combat the shifting properties of expansive soils. Piers are used as additional foundation support and typically are 16–32 inches in diameter and 20–32+ feet deep. The holes are drilled, reinforced with grade beams (and void forms), and filled with concrete. Depending on the diameter, depth, and number of piers needed, this method could add anywhere from $15,000 to $60,000+.
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