Bellwether is committed to fire safety for Colorado homeowners. In Colorado, especially in prairie and mountain areas, the risk of fire damage is high. But by choosing the best fire-rated siding product for your home, you can safeguard against spark, flame, and loss during wildfire season.
As part of our siding replacement installation process, we help Colorado homeowners harden their homes for fire. While it isn’t possible to make a home completely fireproof, there are several hardening measures you can take to make your home fire resistant, including siding with James Hardie fiber cement.
James Hardie fiber cement siding is the best siding product to protect your home against risk of fire.
Fiber cement siding is fire resistant.
The most effective way to create a fire-resistant shield around your home is to choose a fire-resistant siding material. James Hardie fiber cement siding, a composite of cement and cellulose fibers, has a Class 1(A) fire rating, which is the highest fire safety rating possible. Fire cement siding is completely non-combustible and it will not melt, making it the most resilient siding option for protecting against fires in Colorado.
Fiber cement siding is a better fire-resistant siding option than metal siding.
While metal siding products also carry a grade-A fire rating, fiber cement siding is still a better choice than metal siding because metal siding transfers more thermal energy. As a heat conductor, when exposed to flame, metal siding will quickly heat up, creating thermal energy that could cause combustion elsewhere in your home’s walls or interior. Because fiber cement siding is made of non-combustible, non-melting materials, it creates a protective sheath around the exterior of your home, keeping heat out and lowering the risk of combustion inside.
Pair your fire-resistant James Hardie fiber cement siding with other fire hardening measures that are part of the Bellwether siding installation process.
Fire hardening from studs to cladding.
Bellwether’s installation practices reach the peak of industry standards, and this includes fire hardening options from the outside in. We always recommend a fire-resistant siding option, such as James Hardie fiber cement siding. This, coupled with other protective measures create a solid barrier to keep your home safe, from the studs to the cladding.
Fire-resistant sheathing options protect the walls by containing and isolating fire. You can also utilize a fire-safe insulation, such as a rock mineral thermal insulation sheet, to block heat transfer and prevent flames from spreading. We can also install fire-resistant furring or strapping.
Fire hardening goes beyond your home’s exterior walls.
As part of our full installation process, we analyze the other components of your home exterior, including soffits/eaves, trim, windows, and gutters. There are many ways these components can also be hardened against fire. Because heat, smoke, and flames can move along the exterior of the house, it’s important that your other exterior components are as fire-safe as your fiber cement siding. To protect your home against this fire spread, Bellwether installs lower soffit boxes, and can use James Hardie soffit products with no venting to protect the attic space.
James Hardie fiber cement siding is the most fire-resistant siding option on the market and the best choice for Colorado homeowners.
Our Bellwether teams all live and work in Colorado, and we understand the high risks present during wildfire season, especially in mountain homes and along the Front Range. We choose effective products for our homes, and we want the same protection for your Colorado home. James Hardie fiber cement siding is our highest recommended siding option for fire protection.
Let us help you prepare your home for wildfire season and beyond with a fiber cement siding product that will protect your home from the outside in and last for a lifetime in your beautiful Colorado surroundings.
