What Are Ember-Resistant Vents?

The problem with standard vents

Older vents were designed for ventilation and pest exclusion, not ember exclusion. Coarse screening, damaged mesh and gaps around frames leave openings large enough for burning material to pass through.

How ember-resistant vents differ

• Finer noncombustible mesh sized to limit ember passage
• Baffled or intumescent designs intended to restrict flame and heat
• Noncombustible frames and housings
• Products tested to wildfire-specific standards

What a retrofit involves

An installer inventories every vent on the structure, confirms required net free ventilation area for the attic or crawlspace, then replaces or upgrades the vents while sealing gaps around the frames. Airflow requirements matter: over-restricting ventilation can create moisture problems.

Where they fit in a plan

Vent work is commonly among the first items completed because it is comparatively inexpensive and addresses a well-documented ignition pathway. It is usually paired with Zone Zero cleanup and gutter or roof-edge work.