The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported this week that a new study finds that, when building a home in an at-risk area for wildfires, 87 percent of US consumers would consider installing a steel roof.
When asked if they would favor a mandate to change local building codes to require that roofs in fire prone areas, such as the Western states, be constructed of fire-retardant materials like steel, two of three said they would support such a requirement.
AISI says that the results of the study, conducted by research firm Harris Interactive, indicate that steel is becoming a new material of choice for residential roofing in wildfire-prone areas because of its fire-retardant qualities.
The study was sponsored by AISI as part of a summer safety campaign focused on educating consumers about the safety benefits of steel and to provide safety tips related to fire safety.