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Home Hardening 101: Ember-Resistant Gable Vents
Learn why gable vents are a crucial part of your home’s ventilation system and discover how to effectively protect these vents from wildfires.
Essential to maintaining a healthy and comfortable indoor environment, a proper air ventilation system is a key component for every residential home. These systems are known to effectively regulate air flow, remove excess moisture, and reduce the volume of indoor air pollutants.
Without adequate ventilation, households can become prime breeding grounds for mold and mildew, which can lead to respiratory problems and additional health problems. Therefore, it is critical to ensure your household is properly ventilated to eliminate any of the previously mentioned issues.
Beyond health, ventilation systems also play a critical role in preserving the structural integrity of a home. Often found in attics, crawl spaces, and walls, moisture buildup can lead to wood rot, rust, and deterioration of building materials over time. Air vents, such as gable end vents, help expel hot humid air and draw in fresh air, preventing long-term damage.
Why Should You Include Gable Vents in Your Home?
Positioned at the highest point of a properly ventilated structure, you will discover a set of gable vents. Strategically placed where heat and moisture naturally rise and accumulate, a set of gable vents work simultaneously to push out hot, moist air from an attic space on one end, and pull in fresh, cooler air on the other.
Upon achieving equilibrium in air ventilation, gable vents can effectively:
- Mitigate heat accumulation,
- Reduce cooling costs, and
- Protect your roof’s durability.
Gable Vents vs. Wildfire Outbreaks
While gable vents play a vital role in maintaining proper attic ventilation, these openings can also pose as a life safety hazard – particularly in regions prone to wildfires.
Whether your home is located in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) of California, Colorado, Maine, or any other wildfire-prone area, the presence of a traditional home ventilation system can increase your home’s vulnerability. The reason? Wind-driven hot embers.
During a wildfire, millions of burning embers are released into the air and carried by strong winds. These embers can travel miles ahead of the main fire front, seeking out any available entry points into a structure, such as gable-end vents.
Unprotected gable vents are among the most susceptible openings. Once embers enter through these vents, they can ignite insulation, stored materials, or structural components in the attic space, leading to home ignition.
To mitigate the risk, building code officials across the United States have adopted building codes that now require air vents, such as gable vents, to have a proper fire-resistance rating.
Protecting Your Home.
Here at BrandGuard, we understand the importance of protecting your home and everyone within it. Therefore, we have engineered an ember-resistant gable vent, which includes three layers of wildfire defense technology. Our three layers of wildfire defense technology consist of:
Overlapping Baffles: Designed with an overlapping baffle design, our Gable Vent allows air to flow freely for proper ventilation while simultaneously trapping embers. Additionally, the vertical baffles keep out rodents and driving rain + snow.
Tenmat Intumescent Strips: Composed with a fast-reacting, self-closing intumescent, our Gable Vents can seal off all unprotected openings – eliminating flame and heat spread.
1/16” Fine Mesh: Our ember-resistant Gable Vents include a fine layer mesh that has 1/16” openings. This layer of non-combustible mesh is designed to resist heat and flames, further blowing out ember entry while still allowing for proper ventilation.
With its three layers of wildfire protection technology, our Ember- and Flame-Resistant Vents can protect you and your household from the intrusion of embers and flames. To top it off, our Ember-Resistant Gable Vents are designed for every home, no matter the color or material. Our Ember-Resistant Vents are available in:
- Round, triangle, and custom shapes
- Standard and Custom Sizing, or
- Stainless steel and copper.
Final Thoughts
A well-ventilated home is not just a matter of comfort – it’s also key to keeping your space healthy, safe, and in good shape over time. Gable vents, when properly designed and installed, play a crucial role in maintaining airflow, reducing energy costs, and protecting your home from moisture-related damage.
However, in WUI zones, traditional gable vents can become a serious vulnerability.
At BrandGuard, we’ve reimagined the average gable vent to meet the demands of modern wildfire protection standards without compromising ventilation performance. Our ember- and flame-resistant gable vents offer a triple layer of defense – ensuring your home stays protected from airborne embers while maintaining optimal airflow.
With its ability to be transformed into customizable shapes, sizes, and finishes, our vents are built to blend seamlessly into any home design.
Here at BrandGuard, you don’t have to choose between safety and comfort. Protect your home with BrandGuard’s advanced gable vent technology and breathe easier knowing your family and property are safeguarded.
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