Wildfire embers can fly through the air and reach homes as far as a mile away. If you live in a particularly dry climate or an area with a wildfire season, it's important to take steps to protect your home, your loved ones, and your community.
Wire mesh materials are used in many home wildfire protection systems, including both DIY and professionally installed applications. Find out more about why and how metal mesh products are a go-to for residential fire safety below.
How Is Wire Mesh Used for Home Wildfire Protection Systems?
When it comes to wildland fire protection, wire mesh sheets are primarily used for spark arrestors. There are various types, including traps, discs, and screens. Screen spark arrestors (sheets) are most often leveraged for residential use.
The devices essentially keep flammable debris away from flames and embers. In some cases, spark arresters also keep sparks and flames contained within a burning area, like a fireplace or a chimney.
To make your home more fire-resistant and safe, you can use metal mesh to create a chimney cap, foundation vent screens, soffit screens, gutter guards, and a fireplace screen.
Chimney Caps
Chimney caps are an essential safety feature of homes with wood-burning fireplaces.
They have metal roof-like tops and heavy-duty wire mesh around the sides.
Designed to keep leaves, sticks, debris, and animals out of your smokestack, a chimney cap protects your home from fires. Plus, it contains sparks, which helps prevent flames from reaching your yard, surrounding trees, or nearby houses.
Foundation Vent Screens
When wire mesh screens are used to cover foundation vents, they act as barriers to the outdoors. They also encourage airflow, remove excess moisture, and prevent overheating in your basement and crawlspace. These areas are vulnerable to fires, which is why temperature control and airflow are crucial.
Before installing foundation vent screens, make sure the vents and ducts are clean on the inside and unobstructed by shrubbery on the outside. This will keep sparks from entering through the vents and prevent them from catching fire.
Soffit Screens
Similarly, wire mesh sheets can be used for soffit screens to promote airflow, ventilation, and temperature control in your attic and ceiling crawl space. They also keep leaves, sticks, insects, and other pests from entering your vents. Sturdy metal mesh with a relatively fine weave is your best bet for keeping wildfire embers and flammable debris out of your home.
Gutter Guards
Gutter guards serve a few purposes. They keep your gutters clean, pests out, prevent overflow, and help you avoid rot, mold, and a flooded basement.
Additionally, when dry sticks, leaves, and other flammable particles get into your gutters, it can leave your home vulnerable to house fires. If embers make their way to your roof, there's a good chance they'll reach the dry debris.
Luckily, galvanized and welded wire mesh can be installed over your gutters. They'll keep all pests and flammables out while still ensuring proper water collection and redirection.
Fireplace Screens
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, a hearth screen is a must. Woven metal panels or curtains help contain sparks so they don't enter the room, keeping you, your kids, your pets, and your home safe.
Faulty fireplaces are one of the most common causes of house fires. With that said, a mesh fireplace screen should be part of your home's overall fire protection system. You can buy a premade screen or make one yourself with wire mesh panels.
Protecting Your Home Against Wildfires with Wire Mesh
TWP Inc. has been a premier resource for industrial-grade wire mesh for over 50 years. Our woman-owned business serves commercial entities from various industries and home improvement enthusiasts alike.
The metal mesh and hardware cloth from TWP Inc. is suitable for a wide range of DIY home protection and fire safety applications. When you browse our inventory, you'll see an impressive selection of materials suitable for all types of spark arrestors. This includes stainless steel and copper meshes, which are ideal for fire containment and prevention.
As one of the top wire mesh suppliers in the industry, TWP Inc. also offers custom orders for particular sizes, shapes, and quantities. Not only that, but we're proud to provide in-house measuring, cleaning, laser cutting, slitting, and disc stamping.
Do you want to see your home improvement project featured in our online gallery? Upload pictures to Instagram using the hashtag #TWPWireMesh.
With high quality products and considerate service, we will work together with you to enhance your business and improve the efficiency. Please don't hesitate to contact us to get more details of stainless steel mesh tubes.