This home was one of the first homes the burned down in the Tea Fires in Santa Barbara. We rebuilt this home with fire resistant materials. We used ICF Block on the exterior walls. ICF or “Insulated Concrete Form” Block is made with recycled polystyrene, cement and a small amount of glue. It is lightweight and it carries it’s own “R” Value so you do not need to add any insulation to the wall. It also has a high sound attenuation value so it deadens sound. On fire prone areas and sometimes owners that are not in high fire zones we also suggest ember resistant venting like Brandguard vents. These vents have a dual baffle design that helps prevent embers from entering attic spaces. Embers entering the attic space is one of the leading causes of homes catching fire. We also advise our clients to use not combustible products such as cementitious facia and/soffit board.