My property has several structures. I'm currently focusing on the main house, a workshop and a small brick cottage.
The main house has asbestos fiber cement shingles from the 1930s. The roofing on two porches was replaced with asphalt shingles decades ago. I have recently had the porches and the brick house redone with metal. The fiber cement and metal roofs should be good for the long haul barring storm damage. We've cut most of the trees that are a threat to the house and have a few more to remove. I also love the sound of rain on a tin roof, but it's been a long time since I've lived with it.
Both the fiber cement and metal roofs are fire resistant. Our biggest fire risks are electrical. The main house has wood siding. Our area is fairly humid. I'm insulating with Rockwool which is both fire resistant and hydrophobic. Now I understand why the pictures I see of Australian houses usually don't have trees.
In our area, having trees around the house is risky because of tornadoes and hurricanes. Even though we are several hours north of the gulf coast, we frequently get high winds and rain from hurricanes. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our area experienced devastating tornadoes twelve years ago, and fallen trees took out many more homes than the storm itself.</span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We love houses surrounded by trees down here (Alabama in the south eastern US). Think iconic pictures of southern US homes surrounded by huge live oaks covered with Spanish moss. My husband and I are over houses nestled in the trees. No big trees near our houses. </span>
We are very rural which makes building codes not much of a bother--permits & inspections? Who needs them? That said, I am restoring to modern electrical safety codes and the house is structurally sound.
Sarah
The main house has asbestos fiber cement shingles from the 1930s. The roofing on two porches was replaced with asphalt shingles decades ago. I have recently had the porches and the brick house redone with metal. The fiber cement and metal roofs should be good for the long haul barring storm damage. We've cut most of the trees that are a threat to the house and have a few more to remove. I also love the sound of rain on a tin roof, but it's been a long time since I've lived with it.
Both the fiber cement and metal roofs are fire resistant. Our biggest fire risks are electrical. The main house has wood siding. Our area is fairly humid. I'm insulating with Rockwool which is both fire resistant and hydrophobic. Now I understand why the pictures I see of Australian houses usually don't have trees.
In our area, having trees around the house is risky because of tornadoes and hurricanes. Even though we are several hours north of the gulf coast, we frequently get high winds and rain from hurricanes. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our area experienced devastating tornadoes twelve years ago, and fallen trees took out many more homes than the storm itself.</span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We love houses surrounded by trees down here (Alabama in the south eastern US). Think iconic pictures of southern US homes surrounded by huge live oaks covered with Spanish moss. My husband and I are over houses nestled in the trees. No big trees near our houses. </span>
We are very rural which makes building codes not much of a bother--permits & inspections? Who needs them? That said, I am restoring to modern electrical safety codes and the house is structurally sound.
Sarah
