ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) - A roofing expert said the recent California wildfires should be a harsh reminder for homeowners to make sure their houses and attics are protected.
Wayne Sorensen of Top Line Roofing said homeowners can add several things to their homes to protect them beyond clearing defensible space.
Embers from wildfires have been blamed for destroying hundreds of homes. Sorensen said the embers can fly more than a mile, get sucked into attics through vents, and set a home on fire.
“That’s what these vents are designed for; They’re intake vents. As they pull in, they’re bringing those embers in,” said Sorensen.
“We have to do special things when we put a roof on to keep embers from getting inside the attic,” he said while inspecting a home in Escondido.
His biggest suggestion is to try to minimize the ember threat through those vents by adding a wire mesh to the existing vents. The wire mesh looks like a fine steel wool.
He also pointed out an attic vent on the side of her house.
“If wind blows this way it will blow it right inside her attic,” he said. Sorensen added a homeownercan fix that by nailing a mesh membrane to the vent from inside the attic.
He warned eaves overhanging a house are still a threat but are expensive to fix.
“They have found out that it can be an issue because the wood is open to the elements.”
