BuildPay made its annual journey to the International Builders’ Show last week in Orlando to connect to leading manufacturers and constructions industry pros. While there, we had Gatlinburg on the brain and saw several new, innovative products that could have benefits to people in Tennessee preparing to rebuild. Here are a few of the highlights:
New Fire Resistant Materials
Incorporating cutting-edge fire-resistant building materials into your property can offer both added piece of mind and help to keep insurance rates low.
Shake-style shingles are popular in the Smoky Mountain region, but have very low resistance to fire and embers. Matterhorn metal shingles from CertainTeed look exactly like popular shingle roofs, but are Class A fire rated (um, they are made of metal). They are also much lighter than asphalt shingles and have better wind and hail resistance.
Fire resistant plywood is not necessarily new, but advances are creating higher levels of protection. FlameBlock OSB sheathing is a new roof and wall board that combines flame-spread resistance and burn-through resistance. FlameBlock also offers resistant i-joists and flooring.
Outdoor decking can be a major fire risk as it has a large surface area to catch embers and is often made from very flammable materials. New composite decking like EverNew LT vinyl decking help lessend that risk. With a Class A fire spread rating, a new deck can be made safer in the event of wildfire and able to stand up to the harsh mountain elements mush better than conventional decking.