Wildfire Protection For A Wildly Beautiful, Off-The-Grid Home In California

California dreaming means a roof built to withstand nightmares

The Project:
Off-the-grid living is the opportunity for homeowners to truly immerse themselves in nature’s beauty, but it also can mean being on the front lines of her fury. In high country deep in California’s gorgeous southern coastline mountain range, that’s the story for a special home that offers an incredible lifestyle, but also requires the best of resilient building practices.

The Challenge:
Built in 1998 and set on a breathtaking yet isolated 32-acres, this multi-million dollar, self-sufficient home is an architect’s dream. Along with the beautiful setting, however, lurks danger–with California’s notorious wildfire challenges knocking at the front door.

In fact, wildfire was the very reason the home’s old metal roof needed to be replaced. The home had been subjected to–and survived, thanks in large part to its metal roof–a wildfire that ripped through the area a couple of years earlier. While the old metal roof had survived the blaze, most of the caulked joints were damaged because of the extreme heat. That meant it was time for a replacement.

Spotlight on MRA Member Pacific Metal Roofing:
The homeowners chose to replace the roof with metal again because of how well metal had protected their home during the previous wildfire. Working with the installer and the manufacturer, they selected 18” Versa Span by Taylor Metals in Hemlock Green to help blend in the home’s style with the natural setting of the area. The project required 10,460 square feet of quality metal material, and in the end, it gave the homeowners great peace of mind to know they had a roof worthy of such a special home, both now and for the long run.

"Every now and then, a house comes along that is really unique and has its own special challenges. In this project, there were many details that took extra expertise to complete," said Michael Sandford, President of Pacific Metal Roofing.