Self Insuring Your Home or Neighborhood

Tonight I get to unpack the car and put the important papers back in my unit. The wind has died down and I am far enough away to be safe from my local Orange County CA fire. My apartment would have likely survived because of location and construction. We do not back up to a canyon nor have woods surrounding us. But the closeness of the disaster and my cousin evacuating in San Diego has me thinking about protecting your home or business. In the western US, we have fires every year ore so.

Your home or business is a big investment. Firemen can get overwhelmed during a big fire. They can’t be everywhere. You don’t want to be one of those heroic people trying to save their property against a 50 foot wall of flames with a garden. Your life is not worth the risk. Evacuate when you are told to!

It would be great buy the right house or pick the right business building. Get a fire proof roof if possible. Tile and metal roofs are best choices. If you have a shake roof, replace it! You can get modern tiles that look like a shake roof.

You want the walls to be Stucco, Cement or Brick. These materials will resist burning best, and should be good long term investments.

View homes have wonderful appeal, and living trees are great shade for summer comfort. I want a home like this too, but fires love to climb hills and travel through treetops. Location will affect your risk.

Most homes burn from the fire getting into the attic. The fire licks the side of the house, and the embers find their way through the vents or eves. Make sure you clear brush, woodpiles, and other fuel away from the house. At least 30 to 100 feet are recommended.

Some experts recommend sealing under the overhangs. I am not sure how to let air circulate and block the embers, but this is worth investigating. Would love to hear from someone how.

Have or install a sprinkler system. Make sure the attic is covered. Water will keep the fire from expanding although I would expect some water damage.

Above is wonderful advice if you are choosing a place, but what if you already own property? So what else can you do? Invest in a fireproof foam system. The fire is nearby and you have to start packing your important papers. Close the windows and doors. Park the car in the driveway with the engine running, get out your hose and ladder and start spraying under the eves, over the walls and windows. Spray trees too close to the house, the tank on the barbecue, and any car or truck to be left behind. Leave the sprayer tool soaking in a bucket of water. Then leave as soon as you can or you are told to.

The firemen will not have to risk their lives to save you home. If the fire comes too fast, your place is still safe.

Find out more by going to the following websites:

Barricade Gel www.barricadegel.com
No Char www.nochar.com
Thermo Gel www.thermogel.com

There is some downside to these products. Your outside walls will probably discolor and the foams can remove oxidized paint. So you may wind up repainting. If the fire isn’t right there, you have to water them to keep them moist and effective. The foams are very slippery, so you have a good chance to fall while applying the foam.

Kits start around $300 and neighborhood associations can protect ten to twelve houses for $2,000 to $3,000. The chemical does age and have to be replaced.

Note: I have no financial interest, nor am receiving no reimbursement for writing this. Just want you to be aware foams are available. I heard about Barricade Gel in Florida a few years ago when visiting family in the Daytona Beach area.

Consider investing in foam to insure yourself. Who wants to lose all those memories inside?