Insulated concrete forms—combined with flame-resistant roofing and siding—make for one safe house

As thousands of Southern Californians contemplate how they’ll rebuild their homes charred by the wildfires ripping through the region, they’ll undoubtedly look for materials that won’t burn.

The answer for many of them will be ICFs (insulated concrete forms)—polystyrene blocks that fit together like Legos to form a house’s shell. Filled with concrete—one of the most fire—and heat—resistant of construction materials—ICFs create solid insulated walls that lock out sound and weather. They can reportedly withstand a fire for up to four hours.

While ICFs have been around for decades, their use has mostly been limited to commercial and institutional buildings, such as hotels and schools. But nationwide training camps sponsored by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America now teach carpenters to build houses out of the stuff. Using ICFs costs 1 to 4 percent more than what you would pay for a bare bones wood-frame house with no built—in fire protection, says Vera Novak, Technical Services Manager for the Insulating Concrete Form Association. The material can save money in the long run because it helps prevent heated and cooled air from escaping through the walls; it’s a primary building block in many Energy Star rated homes.

ICFs mean little, however, without flame-resistant roofing and siding. “You can’t just put on a regular wood roof and expect the wildfires to go around you,” Novak says. “You must make sure that your roofing choices are equally fire resistant. That can be done with metal, concrete, and various types of tiles.” Safe bets for siding are stucco, stone, and brick. For the traditional look of wood, choose the fiber cement clapboards or shingles manufactured by CertainTeed Certain Teed and JamesHardie.

Wood paneling, often associated with older homes, is increasingly being used in contemporary homes to protect walls and as a unique design feature.

Wood paneling does add to the cost of a room remodel. But it has many advantages that contribute to the home’s durability and resale value. Wood paneling is a soundproofing material. In dining rooms, paneling protects the lower half of the walls against chair bumps. Natural wood paneling that is stained or clear-coated gives rooms a soothing feeling. Wood paneling, too, can be painted for a more formal look.

Summary of Paneling Types and Terms

Wainscoting: Panels on the lower 1/2 or 1/3rd of a room, often in beadboard style.Beadboard: Vertically grooved panels that have a traditional style.Shiplap: Horizontal siding boards often used indoors as a design element.Tongue and Groove: A way of attaching two boards with a tongue inserted into a groove.Board and Batten: Battens are wide vertical molding pieces installed on larger boards.Raised Panels: Deeply beveled squares or rectangles in panels for a classic look.Flat Panels: Smooth panels that have a modern look.

A Detailed Look at Paneling Types

Wainscoting

Wainscoting is any style of wood paneling that is on the lower one-half to one-third of a wall, usually around the entire room perimeter. Wainscoting protects the wall from damage, especially in areas prone to impact, such as dining rooms or children’s rooms.

Wainscoting is commonly assembled from beadboard panels. Often, a thin strip of chair rail is run across the top of wainscoting as a visual cap and to receive the impact from chair backs.

Beadboard is a style of wood paneling characterized by long, continuous vertical grooves and raised beads spaced every inch or two.

Beadboard is found in individual boards, each about 32 to 48 inches long by 3 to 4 inches wide. Boards fit side-to-side. Alternatively, beadboard can be purchased in large panels as long as 8 linear feet that help expedite the installation process. The beads and grooves are molded into the board in the factory.