A field guide to the science, technique, and trade craft behind protecting homes from wildfire embers, and how to join the Wildfire Defense Mesh Pro Installer Network.
Get StartedMost general contractors who do "home hardening" work figured it out on the job. They have years of construction experience, but they don't have the fire science knowledge behind why certain installations work and others quietly fail when the embers arrive.
That gap is expensive. We see it constantly: handymen and GCs use hardware cloth from the big-box store, staple it flat to the vent, and call it done. Insurance carriers will reject the work because the material unlikely meets the WUI requirements nor has it been tested and proven. Homeowners pay twice, lose time, and end up with a home that still isn't protected.
The Wildfire Defense Mesh certification exists to close that gap. It's a structured path for installers who already know how to work on a roofline, vents and decks, who want to add wildfire science and the specific techniques that actually keep a home standing during an ember storm.
If you're a contractor, handyman, fire mitigation specialist, or roofer working in WUI zones (California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Texas Hill Country, Idaho, Montana, Nevada), this program is built for you.
Embers enter a home through openings or ignite debris that builds up gaps, in gutters or under decks. The job of a certified installer is to identify every one of them and screen what should be screened, while leaving alone what must stay open for safety reasons.
1. Select the installation mode that best suits your building.
2. Prepare the ventilation space for protection.
3. Measure the ventilation space.
4. Measure and cut the Wildfire Defense Mesh.
5. Secure the Wildfire Defense Mesh protected vent to the building.
6. Check for the quality of installation.
1. Collect mesh rolls in the width that fits your deck height.
2. Measure the deck perimeter and cut mesh to length.
3. Clean out all debris from underneath the deck.
4. Dig a 4" trench around the base of the deck.
5. Bend and wrap the mesh snugly around the deck perimeter.
6. Nail the mesh to the deck, including an access point.
7. Periodically check for gaps, damage, or loose sections.
Before you start cutting mesh, walk the perimeter and note where leaves accumulate. Those locations are your highest ember-risk zones, and they should be prioritized in the install plan. Wind patterns that pile leaves will pile embers the same way.
Exterior mounting is the WDM-preferred method. It's cleaner, it's compliant with landscaper licensing in most states, and it's easier to inspect. If a vent already has interior mesh, the certified approach is to snip it from outside (or knock it through with a pipe if stapled) before installing the exterior layer. Leaving old mesh in place creates debris-catching layers and defeats the install.
Use 100% silicone caulking where needed to close gaps. The mesh does the heavy lifting; the silicone handles the edges where flat surfaces meet curved framing.
