Summer in southern California is associated with the beach, BBQ, pool parties and, of course, the break out of wildfires. Wildfires and home evacuations are as synonymous with summer in southern California as Santa Claus is with Christmas. The record drought currently bearing down on California is not making things any safer either. In fact, it’s making the conditions for fire breakouts perfect, and their frequency much higher than normal. with fire season looming just around the corner, Collom Construction Inc. is asking the residents of La Mesa if their homes are ready.

Bearing these facts in mind, the second question our staff often asks residents and homeowners is “did you know there are a number of things you can do to increase the safety of your home against fire?” These precautionary measures can be added you your existing home, or included in the construction during a remodel. As a convenience to anyone interested in boosting their homes defenses against fire, Collom Construction Inc. has decided to put together a checklist of suggestions for home fire safety.

• If you are currently embarking on any kind of remodeling adventure with your home, make sure your contractor is using ignition resistant construction for exterior windows, walls, roofs/roof assembly, gutters, and vents. Using these types of fire resistant materials during the building process is a must for any resident of southern California looking to boost their home's fire safety standards.
• Make sure that the undersides of eaves, balconies, and above ground decks are enclosed with fire resistant materials. If you are not sure how to go about doing this, Collom Construction Inc. would be happy to assist you in these endeavors. Just give us a call!
• If you are currently making plans to build a brand new home, make sure that the plot of land you are going to use is away from canyons, ridges and any areas that are in between the high points of a ridge. Also, make sure when plotting out the land space for the yard of your new home you include 100 feet of Defensible Space around the structure of the house. If you are not sure what the “100 feet of Defensible Space” rule is, then Collom Construction Inc. can help you employ this useful landscaping tool into the construction of your new home. Feel free to ask us!
• Consider installing residential sprinklers. Installing both smoke alarms and residential sprinklers can reduce the risk of a home fire by 82%. Residential sprinklers are yet another aspect of home improvement that Collom Construction Inc. can help with. If you are interesting in installing a residential sprinkler system in your house, then give us a call.
• Make sure that all the fuse boxes, circuit breakers panels, and electrical service lines in and around your house are installed per code and maintained as well.
• If you have any electrical repairs or maintenance that needs to be done around your house, then contact a qualified individual to perform these tasks. Tampering with electrical equipment is not only an easy way to injure yourself, but it is also one of the common way household fires are started. Household fires can quickly spread and turn into a major disaster which has the potential to affect numerous other homes. Collom Construction Inc. has such qualified individuals who are able to perform any electrical maintenance you might need. Don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions about electrical maintenance.

We hope some of these hints have helped you prepare your home for fire season. Again, if you have any questions about remodeling a home and including fire safe and resistant materials in the building process please give us a call. Good luck this fire season and stay safe!