Throughout the past couple of months, we have witnessed the devastation caused by wildfires across North America’s Pacific coast. In fact, it has been reported that there have been over 2000 separate wildfires in British Columbia alone. While I feel for all of those who lost their homes or have otherwise been affected, I also find myself in awe of the power of mother nature and wondering what we can do to prepare ourselves for when disaster strikes. At Pacific Homes, we offer options that will help our homes endure in times of natural disasters. These options can also help lower the cost of insuring your home!
Fire Resistant Home Package Options
Throughout the process of creating a Pacific Home, our customers decide from many brands and styles offered for each component of their home. Siding, roofing, door and window options offered through Pacific Homes all have available fire-resistant lines that can protect your home in case of emergency. In certain rural areas without fire hydrants or with no fire department nearby, acquiring fire insurance can be incredibly expensive. In cases such as this, opting for these fire-resistant options can save you money over time as it will reduce your insurance expense.
Fire Resistant Coating
We can add a fire protective coating to the structural components of new homes which will hinder the spread of fire. This Low VOC (volatile organic compounds), environmentally-friendly coating, reduces the flame spread by approximately 75% versus uncoated dimensional wood and plywood. Explaining to insurance companies about how this product will hinder fire spread will undoubtedly help in acquiring insurance at lesser cost. It is possible fire insurance will increase in price even more with the recent wild fires so the savings could be significant.
Earthquake Protection
Here on North America’s west coast, we experience occasional minor earthquakes, but it has been expected for years now that the area is overdue for an earthquake of significance magnitude. Wooden homes fare the best under the stress of an earthquake. Homes made of brick or concrete are denser and can be easily cracked by the tremor waves while wood can flex and absorb the ground tremors. In addition, we at Pacific Homes recently sent our PacificSmartWall® to the University of British Columbia (with support from FPInnovations) to be compared to traditional wooden walls under the stress of an earthquake. The results showed that the PacificSmartWall® performed significantly better under seismic activity when compared to conventional walls. You can find the results of this study here.
Air-tightness
Another factor that separates the PacificSmartWall® from its competition is its air-tightness. When dealing with a variety of storms, the air-tightness of your home is important as it keeps out wind and water. A flood can devastate a poorly built home but your home’s PacificSmartWalls® will resist against the strength of water, keeping you and your family safe.
Mother Nature is a powerful force and the widespread wildfires this summer have been a great example of that. It is something to keep in mind when designing and building your family’s home. By choosing Pacific Homes, you can take every available measure to protect your home and your family from natural disasters. Contact us here to find out more.