LENEXA, KAN. - Dangerous wildfires have dominated newscasts for months. Out-of-control wildfires this year have raged in Washington, California, Idaho, Montana, and several other states. The threat of flame spread during wildfires is a key hazard for many homes. Fire Prevention Week from October 3-9, 2015 is the ideal time for homeowners to focus on roofing materials that can help keep their homes safe.
"Real wood shake roofs can be extremely combustible and serve as kindling for wildfires," says Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes. "If you live in an area with even a remote possibility of wildfires, you owe it to yourself and your family to invest in a roof that resists flame spread."
Polymer roofing tiles from DaVinci have a Class A fire rating (ASTM E 108) when installed with proper underlayments.
"Quite simply, our roofing tiles resist the spread of flames," says Rosewall. "That means that if embers from a fire land on our polymer roofing tiles, the tiles will not ignite. This can mean a home is saved instead of being consumed by flames."
While no roof will resist a "ground up" fire that engulfs the entire home, DaVinci roofing tiles help protect a home from wind-driven embers that can ignite other roofing products.
"The number of major wildfires in the United States seems to be increasing each year, and roofs made from wood can be more likely to ignite, which could result in a catastrophic loss for homeowners," says Rosewall. "Even if the wildfire is not an immediate threat, sparks and embers fanned by winds can ignite an untreated wood shake roof and spread to the entire home. A DaVinci polymer roof provides the same look as wooden shakes but retains its Class A fire rating for the life of the roof with no need for periodic retreatment."
In addition to resisting fire spread, each DaVinci composite roof shingle is lightweight, impervious to freeze/thaw cycles, impact resistant, maintenance free, color fade resistant, UL 2218 Class 4 impact rated, and resists winds up to 110mph. Made of 100 percent recyclable virgin resins, the tiles also resist insects and algae.
"There are many exceptional qualities of our roofs," says Rosewall. "But the ability to help save a home from fire spread has to be the feature we're most proud of when it comes to our polymer roofing."
The experienced team members at DaVinci Roofscapes develop and manufacture industry-leading polymer slate and shake roofing systems with an authentic look and superior performance. DaVinci leads the industry in the greatest selection of colors, tile thickness and tile width variety. The company's reliable products have a limited lifetime warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. All DaVinci high-performing roofing products are proudly made in America where the company is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Roofing Contractors, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit www.davinciroofscapes.com.
