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Need or Want: Should I Install Ember-Blocking Foundation Vents?

Navigate through the process of understanding why it is important to protect your home from embers, flames and high temperatures – and how you can achieve this through integrating BrandGuard Ember-Resistant Foundation Vents into your home.

When becoming a homeowner, it is expected that you inherit some home renovation projects. Whether you are just switching up the color scheme in your master bathroom or your roof needed to be replaced five years ago, the questions of “Do I really need to replace this?” or “What renovation requires my money more?” – tends to be fairly common.

From reviewing the benefits of having foundation vents installed to learning how to protect them, this article provides a full rundown on why upgrading to BrandGuard ember-blocking vents is essential for homeowners in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zones.

Eventually, homeowners will need to make executive decisions on how they plan to tackle their home renovations. But we wanted to bring attention to a renovation that homeowners tend to overlook when prioritizing the level of urgency – integrating ember-resistant foundation vents.

Why are foundation vents important for my home?

Before you jump too far and write off having foundation vents in your home, let’s make one thing clear – foundation vents have a ton of benefits. With its main functionality of keeping a steady flow of air circulation in your home’s crawl space, foundation vents prevent moisture buildup.

With moisture buildup, homeowners may experience warped wooden beams, rusted metal fasteners, and deteriorated concrete foundations in their home’s foundation or crawl space. If this space remains improperly ventilated, homeowners may see extreme levels of mold growth and wood rot – compromising the home’s structural integrity.  

Therefore, keep your home breathing properly – and maintain your home’s foundation vent system.

What are the dangers of having foundation vents in a WUI zone?

Unfortunately, there is a downside to having foundation vents installed in your home. When left unprotected, foundation vents act as a prime entry point for wildfires. How?

With high-speed winds, such as Santa Ana winds, embers are carried miles further than the forefront of a wildfire outbreak. With these burning specks, embers are easily able to enter through foundation vents and the mesh fastened behind.

After entering the crawl space, embers can easily catch to anything flammable – compromising the safety of the home.

How do I protect my foundation vents from wildfires?

To protect our communities, building code officials started requiring new construction homes to house foundation vents that protect homes from intruders, such as wind-blown embers and flames.

Here is where we introduce ember-resistant and wildfire-rated foundation vents. Ember-resistant foundation vents block out embers, flames, and high temperatures – hardening one’s home from wildfires.

Please note that just a layer of mesh behind the foundation vent WILL NOT fully keep out embers from entering your home.

With this technology, homeowners are now able to have peace of mind when residing in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zones. Furthermore, if you reside in a WUI zone, it is critical to fit your home with ember-resistant foundation vents to prevent home ignition during wildfire outbreaks.

MUlti-layered defense

Why are BrandGuard’s Foundation Vents a great choice when protecting my home from wildfires?

Now, that we have clarified the priority of installing ember-resistant foundation vents – the next question is “Which ember resistant foundation vents do I install”?

Designed with three lines of wildfire defense technology, BrandGuard Vents offers a trusted solution for homeowners. With this version of technology, homeowners can achieve true piece of mind when trying to defend against wildfire outbreaks. Let’s take a deep dive into our foundation vent’s technology.

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Overlapping Baffles

The first layer of BrandGuard’s Ember Resistant Foundation Vent is its outermost “shield” – our overlapping baffle design. Our unique baffle design features overlapping layers that allow air to flow freely for ventilation but trap embers in the event of a wildfire.

This innovative approach ensures that even during the most extreme conditions, your home remains protected from ember entry.

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Intumescent Strips

Fitted with Tenmat’s advanced intumescent strips, BrandGuard’s Ember Resistant Foundation Vents can block out embers before entering the vent. Tenmat’s Intumescent Strips have been designed to expand in response to extreme heat – the first telltale sign of ANY fire outbreak.

When the temperature rises to dangerous levels, these strips expand to seal the vent openings, effectively blocking embers and preventing flames from entering your home. This flame and heat feature provides an added layer of protection, ensuring your vents respond proactively to wildfire conditions.

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1/16″ Fine Mesh

Previously, we mentioned ONLY mesh is not a true defensive measure against embers and flames – however, when used with other technology, such as self-expanding intumescents and overlapping baffles – mesh plays a significant role in wildfire defense.

Our Ember Resistant Foundation Vents includes a fine mesh that has 1/16″ openings and is placed on the back side of the vent openings. This non-combustible metal mesh is designed to resist heat and flames, further blocking ember entry while still allowing for proper ventilation.

Final Thoughts

To keep it simple, yes – ember-resistant foundation vents are critical when protecting your family and home from wildfire outbreaks. 

However, when installing BrandGuard Ember-Blocking Foundation Vents you can easily achieve proper circulation for your home – while protecting it from wind-blown embers and high temperatures. Therefore, allowing you and your family to find the equilibrium in air ventilation and home hardening.

Consult with one of our on-site team members today to discuss what ember-resistant foundation vents can seamlessly be integrated into your family’s home.

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