Any roofing company will tell homeowners such as yourself that the roof is one of the most important components of your property. After all, it’s your home’s first line of defense against the elements. Without it, you leave your home vulnerable to leaks and pest infestation. As such, it’s highly recommended that you pick the right roof for your home.
When trying to choose the right roof for your home, you have plenty of things at which to look. For instance, it’s always best to pick a roof that has superior strength, beautiful aesthetics, a long lifespan and a solid warranty. However, these aren’t the only things that you need to look at when choosing a roof: you also need to look at the fire ratings.
In this article, the roofing replacement experts from Window World of Boston discuss the different fire ratings used for roofing systems.
Class A Ratings
According to roofing pros, roofing systems with a Class A rating is the best to get. In fact, if you live in an area prone to wildfires, this is the recommended roofing system to install on your home. To achieve a Class A rating, a roof must be effective against severe fire exposure, which can be proven if your roof experiences a maximum flame spread of six feet, withstands a burning brand measuring 12 x 12 inches and weighing 2,000 grams, lasts two to four hours before ignition and resists 15 cycles of a gas flame turned on and off. Roofing materials that are often given the Class A rating are clay tiles, slate, asphalt glass fiber composition shingles and concrete tiles.
For assistance when installing a Class A-rated roof onto your home, don’t hesitate to approach an expert roofing company like Window World of Boston to get the job done.
Class B Ratings
On the other hand, if you live in a place that has a temperate climate and sees mild temperatures all-year-round, then you’re more than free to install a roof that has a Class B rating. Roofs with Class B ratings are effective for moderate fire exposure. This can be proven if the roof has a maximum flame spread of eight feet and can withstand a burning brand measuring 6 x 6 inches and weighing 500 grams.
In addition to the flame spread and burning brand measure, a roof is also given a Class B fire rating if it lasts one hour before ignition and resists eight cycles of a gas flame turned on and off. According to roofing replacement experts, pressure-treated shakes and shingles are the most common roofing materials that fall under the Class B rating.
Class C Ratings
Alternatively, there are also roofing systems that are given a Class C fire rating, and believe it or not, experts don’t recommend that you use this as a roof covering. This is because Class C roofs only provide light fire protection and are only able to experience a maximum flame spread of 13 feet, withstand a burning brand measuring 1.5 x 1.5 inches and weighing ¼ gram, last 20 minutes before ignition and resist three cycles of a gas flame being turned on and off. Roofing materials that are usually given a Class C rating include untreated wood shakes and shingles, plywood and particle board.
Unrated Roofs
This may be surprising to hear from a roofing company, but there are actually roofing materials that are unrated by the roofing industry. If you spot a roofing material that’s unrated, it means that it couldn’t even pass the requirements needed for it to be given the Class C rating. Roofs such as these provide little if any fire resistance, and as such should always be avoided. In fact, most building codes won’t accommodate any type of unrated roofing material, and installing it on your home can not only result in fines for you, it can put you and your home in peril as well.
How to Pick the Right Roof for Your Home
Picking the right roof for your home isn’t an easy task. After all, it’s such a significant investment to make that it’s understandable that you want to minimize mistakes and ensure things go as smoothly as possible. Thankfully, experts say that there are plenty of ways you can accomplish this. For instance, you can go on the internet to conduct extensive research on the materials and brands you’re considering to determine if they’re really right for your roof and your home. Alternatively, you may also enlist the aid of a professional roofer to help you decide what roof you should get for your home.
How to Pick the Right Contractor to Install a Fire-Resistant Roof
When installing a new roof on your home, it’s important to pick the right contractor to get the job done so you can minimize mistakes and have your new roof properly installed. However, just as it can be difficult to pick the right roof for your home, it can also be difficult to choose the right contractor for the job. Luckily, with a little bit of elbow grease and patience, you can also make finding an expert roofer easy.
To pick the right person or company to install your roof, make it a point to interview at least three potential contractors and ask about a few things, such as their years in the business, references from previous clients, and most importantly, documentation regarding licenses and insurance. If a contractor proves themselves to be as reliable and trustworthy as they say when answering the questions in your interview, then consider hiring them to install your roof for you.
If you’re looking for an expert roofing contractor who can help you maintain your roof, look no further than Window World of Boston. With nearly 25 years of experience in the roofing business, we’re dedicated to giving homeowners such as yourself nothing but the best materials and services when it comes to roof and window replacement projects, making us one of the leading experts to turn to, and you can count on us! Give us a call at (508) 845-6676 or fill out our contact form to get in touch with us and request a FREE estimate today!
