Wildfire embers pose a serious threat to your home—one tiny spark drifting through a vent can quickly ignite an interior blaze. Explore our homeowner-friendly, DIY guide for 'Ember Mesh' screen installation, or click here to contact Total Screen for professional fire-proof screen installation.
"Ember mesh" is the common name for an aluminum screen mesh which is available at most hardware stores.
'Ember mesh' screens prevent embers from passing into your home via exterior vents.
If your vents are exposed, then your home is vulnerable to embers from wildfires.
Climate scientists like Daniel Swain, Ph.D., from UCLA, recommend that every home should have some form of 'ember mesh' over its vents:
"Put in ember-resistant vents because it's so simple and so relatively inexpensive—most people can do it themselves—and yet gives you such a great advantage relative to not having them that it’s almost a no-brainer."
Below is linked a full video interview with Dr. Swain, who provides additional insights about how to protect homes from wildfire-related home damage.
Why Ember Mesh Is Important
As mentioned previously by climate-scientist Dr. Daniel Swain, many house fires start when windblown embers are sucked into a home’s interior, through soffit vents or other openings.
Soffits are long roof-vents, often found underneath home awnings & eaves.
Your home's soffits may already have a large-gauge wire mesh, but this is not a fire-prevention 'ember mesh' - large-gauge wire is only for keeping out birds and rodents.
The wire mesh on the left is too large, and it will let embers into your home. Swapping for a smaller-gauge Ember Mesh screening helps protect your home from wildfire damage.
'Ember mesh', on the other hand, features a denser weave of aluminum screening which greatly reduces the likelihood of these embers slipping inside your home.
A Quick Note on Upgrades
In addition to standard 'ember mesh', there are also specialized fire-proof 'Vulcan Vents' which offer further fire-resistant qualities.
We’ll review the benefits of upgrading to 'Vulcan Vents' later on, near the end of this article.
For now, let's proceed to get our materials together, and then we can make & install our own 'ember mesh' screens for home fire protection.
Installing Your Own Ember Mesh
Before beginning your Ember Mesh installation, you'll need the following tools:
- Roll of Ember Mesh (aluminum screen)
- Metal-cutting shears
- Tape measure
- Pencil / marker
- Staple gun + staples
- A Ladder
By using these tools, most homeowners can complete the job by themselves, over a period of a few hours.
Prepare the following tools and materials for the installation of your ember-mesh screen installation.
If you would prefer to have a professional handle your home's ember-mesh screen installation, then simply click here to Contact Total Screen for a free on-site estimate.
Step-by-Step Installation Guide
1. Measure All Vents
Use your tape measure to accurately measure the dimensions of each exterior vent you plan to cover.
Include all soffit vents, as well as other vented openings like laundry, kitchen, and bathroom vents.
Take careful notes of each vents' dimensions, so that you'll know how many strips of ember mesh to cut, in the next step.
2. Mark and Cut
In this example, we're creating strips of Ember Mesh that are precisely sized for a home soffit, which is 4-inches by 22.5-inches
Unroll your Ember Mesh on a flat surface, and cut a section off (22.5", in the example of our standard soffit length.)
From this section of mesh, mark along the edge (4" intervals for our standard soffit height), and then cut each of these sections out, keeping your lines as straight as possible.
Cut as many ember-mesh strips as you have soffits to cover, and then gather them up for your next step.
3. Position and Mount
Carefully climb your ladder with a staple gun & the precut piece of Ember Mesh.
Press the ember mesh firmly against the soffit vent or external opening you’re covering.
Many older vents may already have a coarse, rodent-proof wire in place, so you can simply layer the finer Ember Mesh atop it.
4. Staple Securely
Staple the ember mesh into the wooden soffit or the frame around the vent.
Use sufficient staples to ensure high winds can’t dislodge it, but pay attention to the appearance of your stapling.
Some homeowners prefer a few discrete staples along a ledge or lip, while others staple straight into the header-board itself.
5. Inspect and Repeat
Once your first piece of mesh is securely installed, then you can move on to the next vent, continuing until all are covered.
From a distance, it may be hard to see if a vent is fully protected, so get close to confirm; remember that any existing wire-mesh in the soffits may not be actual 'ember mesh'.
If you spot any open edges or gaps, add a few extra staples to seal the ember mesh snug against the vent
The Vulcan Vent Upgrade
For home owners who want additional assurance and protection, there is an option to go even further in ember protection.
"Vulcan Vents" are a brand of fireproof vent which feature advanced technology which is designed to handle direct flames and high heat.
While most homeowners start with Ember Mesh for its simplicity and affordability, upgrading to Vulcan Vents adds an extra layer of security during intense fire conditions.
If you’re interested in a stronger form of vent fire protection, Vulcan Vents may be the right fit.
Why Choose Total Screen
As you can see from this guide, many homeowners will be able to install their ember mesh screens by themselves.
If you'd prefer to have a professional take care of everything, contact Total Screen today, and we'll handle every aspect of your home vent fire-proofing.
Total Screen has been protecting homes in Southern California for 30 years; we know how to increase your home's fire-resistance.
When you hire Total Screen to install your vent screens, you'll receive:
- Inspection of all exterior vents, including roof
- Installation of properly-sized ember mesh screens on every vent
- Optional, Vulcan Vent upgrades for enhanced fireproofing
We’ll make sure every vent, soffit, & external venting area is fully screened, giving you peace of mind during wildfire season and beyond.
Protect your home against stray embers by installing ember-mesh or upgraded Vulcan Vents.
Final Thoughts
Ember Mesh screens greatly reduce the risk of embers sneaking into your home and starting a fire.
By following the steps above—and by partnering with Total Screen for a professional installation—you’ll be one step closer to a safer, more secure home.
For questions, help with installation, or to discuss the benefits of a Vulcan Vent, please contact us at Total Screen.
Your family’s safety is our priority, and preventing ember intrusion is a smart, proactive solution.