By Mikey Brooklyn, Roof Worx

When people hear wildfire-resistant construction, the first product that may come to mind is the roof.

That makes sense. Roofing is a large exposed surface, and wind-driven embers can travel well ahead of a wildfire. But focusing only on the roof misses the larger lesson behind Colorado's changing wildfire requirements:

A building survives as a system.

The roof matters. So do siding, vents, soffits, decks, fences, gutters and the first few feet surrounding the structure. Materials common when a community was built may not meet the requirements that apply when those components are replaced today.

THINK LIKE AN EMBER

One of the easiest ways to understand wildfire codes is to stop thinking first about products and start thinking about pathways.

An ember lands on the roof. Another enters an attic vent. Others collect in gutter debris. A wooden fence leads directly to the building. Combustible siding receives radiant heat. Mulch sits against the foundation. Fire reaches the underside of a deck or soffit.

Wildfire resilience is about removing as many of those pathways as practical:

• Harden the structure.

• Manage what surrounds it.

WHAT MATERIALS SHOULD ASSOCIATIONS FLAG?

1. Start with the state map. Go to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control's Wildfire Resiliency Code Board page at dfpc.colorado.gov/WRCB and open the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency State Code Map. Search the property and identify the state's fire-intensity classification.

1. Check the county. Search the county's official website for "Boulder County wildfire requirements," or "[County name] wildfire map."

1. Check the city or actual jurisdiction. If the property is inside an incorporated municipality, search the official city website for "[City name] wildfire code" or "[City name] WUI requirements." The authority having jurisdiction may be the city, county, fire protection district or another local authority.

• MAP: What state, county and local wildfire requirements apply?

• HOUSE: Which roofing, siding, vents, soffits, decks and other components may no longer meet current requirements?

• YARD: What fencing, mulch, vegetation or debris could create an ignition pathway?

• WALLET: Do the reserve study and insurance policy account for code-required upgrades, law and ordinance coverage, wildfire coverage and a larger project if a replacement threshold is triggered?

• How are the applicable state, county and local jurisdictions specifically telling us to rebuild it better?

• How do we anticipate, plan and budget for the additional cost of rebuilding it better?

• How do we make sure we have the proper insurance coverage—including law and ordinance coverage and/or wildfire coverage—to help cover the cost of rebuilding it better?

The exact answer depends on jurisdiction and fire-intensity classification.

Colorado Springs, for example, restricts natural wood/cedar siding, hardboard, vinyl and similar combustible materials in regulated exterior cladding, siding, eaves and soffit applications within applicable wildfire areas. Its guidance identifies alternatives such as fiber-cement, stucco, masonry/brick and manufactured stone. Solid wood roofing products also do not satisfy the city's Class A residential roofing requirement.

Boulder County requires regulated exterior walls in its wildfire zones to use approved noncombustible materials, heavy timber or log construction, exterior-rated fire-retardant-treated wood, or ignition-resistant materials. Its provisions also address fencing, soffits and eaves, vents, gutters, decks and defensible space.

The lesson for associations is simple: Never assume an existing material can automatically be put back.

THE ROOF IS ONLY STEP ONE

Colorado's statewide Wildfire Resiliency Code makes this especially important for existing communities. The state map identifies areas as Low, Moderate or High Fire Intensity. Low areas use Class 1 hardening requirements, while Moderate and High areas use the more restrictive Class 2 requirements.

Class 1 focuses on common ember-entry and ignition points such as Class A roofing, gutters/downspouts and vents. Class 2 expands requirements to exterior walls, eaves and soffits, decks, underfloor areas, windows, doors and projections.

For existing buildings, boards and managers should keep two important thresholds in mind: 25% of the roof and 25% of the exterior walls. Depending on the applicable code and project, reaching that amount of replacement or alteration can trigger broader compliance requirements. A hail/wind claim, siding project or planned repair can therefore become a much larger modernization project.

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH RULES APPLY?

Before budgeting or bidding a major exterior project, use a simple three-level check.

STATE  ->  COUNTY  ->  LOCAL JURISDICTION

The state map is the starting point, not always the final answer.

THE FIVE FEET AROUND THE BUILDING

The structure itself is only part of the equation. Depending on the jurisdiction, the immediate area around the building may also require attention. Rock, gravel, concrete or pavers may be required or recommended instead of combustible mulch and vegetation directly against structures.

For associations, that means landscaping decisions can become part of the community’s overall wildfire resilience strategy.

Wildfire resilience is not one product. It is the removal of ignition pathways.

A MANAGER'S "MAP-HOUSE-YARD-WALLET" CHECK

Before a major exterior project, work through four questions: 

BUILDING STRUCTURAL IMMUNITY

No construction product makes a building wildfire-proof. The goal is to make ignition progressively more difficult by removing weak points: better roof assemblies, protected openings, appropriate siding, better transitions and less combustible material directly around the structure.

Instead of asking only, “What can we no longer use?”

“How can we rebuild it better?”

But when that idea moves from concept to actually planning, funding and completing the work, it becomes a more practical set of questions: 

Those three questions bring the conversation together: what the code requires, how the association will pay for it, and how insurance may help when a covered loss triggers those requirements.

About the author: Mikey Brooklyn is a Senior Project Manager with Roof Worx, a Colorado roofing and exterior contractor serving community associations throughout the Front Range, helping protect buildings through proactive maintenance, water-intrusion response, and well-planned exterior projects. Active in the community association industry for nearly a decade, he has served on committees, including two years as a committee chair, and enjoys educating boards and managers on practical building-exterior topics.