Your home’s roof has a significant role to play in ensuring you and your family are safe and comfortable. In addition to features such as durability and stain resistance, it’s important to make sure your roofing material is fireproof. So, what is the most fire resistant roofing material?
What Is the Most Fire Resistant Roofing Material?
In this post, we’ll discuss the different types of roofing materials and their respective fire resistance properties. Understanding the fireproof qualities of various roofing materials helps you to make a more informed decision.
The Importance of Fire Safety
Your roof is a large exposed area that’s prone to acts of nature and is prone to accidents. Depending on where you live, wildfires are a real possibility. Even if there is no real danger of wildfires, there are other potential dangers to be aware of, especially during the summer. Some common circumstances to bear in mind include:
- Sparks from a nearby house fire
- Bonfire or barbeque embers
- Chimney sparks
- Fireworks
- Lightning strikes
What Does It Mean to Have A Fireproof Roof?
All materials, including those used for roofing, are categorized according to their relative fire resistance. As such, there are standardized ratings or categories to describe a material’s flammability. These ratings are based on characteristics such as:
- The degree that the roofing material forms embers
- How the flame spreads over the surface of the roof
- How the flame spreads from the outside of the roofing material and into the underlying attic
Class A
This is the highest fireproof rating a material can earn, which means Class A materials are the least flammable.
Class B
These materials are effective against moderate surface fires.
Class C
These materials are effective against light surface fires. They’re the most flammable.
How Safe are Common Roofing Materials?
If your roof was repaired or built by a reputable contractor then you shouldn’t be too worried about fire safety. Contractors are required to follow very strict rules, especially when it comes to the techniques and materials they’re required to use.
The most fire-safe materials include fiberglass-based shingles, concrete tiles, and clay and slate tiles. Pressure-treated shingles are less safe while the most unsafe materials include untreated wood shingles and plywood.
Fiberglass-Based Asphalt Shingles
These are by far the most cost-effective and most popular roofing materials. When combined with a fiberglass underlayment, the roofing structure becomes even more resistant to fire, earning a Class A rating.
Clay Tiles
When it comes to fire resistance, clay tiles have proven to be one of the safest roofing options. Clay easily dissipates heat and resists flames. When properly installed, they can also achieve a Class A rating for fire resistance.
Slate Tiles
Slate is a natural material, and like clay, it’s inherently fire resistant. When properly installed, slate tiles will also achieve a Class A fire rating.
Pressure-Treated Wood Shingles
While wood shingles offer aesthetic appeal, they pose more of a fire risk than other materials. The safety of the roof depends on how the roof is maintained and installed.
Bottom Line
Your home’s roof is a huge investment and that’s why it’s important to know what is the most fire resistant roofing material. Understanding the basics of fire safety, the risk and the different types of roofing materials out there ultimately helps you to make the right choice for your roofing material. If you’re still unsure of which roofing material to go with, the experts at Durafoam Roofing have the experience and knowledge to help you choose the ideal roof for your residential roofing project.
