Portola Valley property gets a ‘wildfire-safe’ backyard makeover

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With rising temperatures and an increasing frequency of wildfires, it is imperative to understand and integrate fire-safety precautions into your home design. Doing so not only can better protect your property and community, but it also can provide financial benefits, such as fire insurance discounts.

With thoughtful design, careful planning and leveraging the right materials and products, you can create a space that’s not only safe but also visually stunning. 

A design team from Harrell Design + Build recently used several fire-safety techniques to help a family in Portola Valley update their property with a new 2,100-square-foot fire-resistant, multi-level outdoor living space.

The project included replacing aging, vulnerable redwood decks on all four sides of their house with a comprehensive, fire-hardening solution – at term used to describe the process of reducing a home’s risk to wildfire by using non-combustible building materials and keeping the area around a home free of debris. 

The homeowners wanted to replace the 50-year-old decks because the structures were too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, often had swarming ground wasps, and were essentially “fuel” for a fire. 

The Harrell Design + Build team first brought in a certified arborist to ensure that the upgrades wouldn’t harm the heritage oak on the property. This massive oak, with a 5-foot diameter, was the centerpiece of the backyard and required careful consideration to preserve.

Project manager Jason Failla explained that fire hardening a property usually means having to remove some beloved plants and landscaping to create a defensible space around your home. In this case, they were able to keep the oak, as well as other plants. 

As an added incentive for keeping one’s property clear of potential wildfire risks, the California FAIR Plan initiative mandates insurance discounts for wildfire-hardening measures. 

“This Portola Valley project stands as a testament to how thoughtful design and expert execution can yield outdoor spaces that are not only safer but also more enjoyable and visually appealing,” Failla said.

Exploring a range of new inflammable materials, the homeowners chose Azek, a Class A flame spread rating and ignition-resistant deck board, paired with a steel deck framing and stair system. 

“These materials were not traditional to Portola Valley, but the need for fire-hardening took precedence,” Lisa Parramore, the project’s outdoor living designer, said. 

The deck construction also included earthquake-safe steel post-and-beam engineering, which had to be approved by the town of Portola Valley. 

Today, the property features an array of outdoor living spaces that combine safety with luxury. A minimalist steel cable railing allows unobstructed views of the surrounding natural beauty, while a dining area boasts a glass canopy roof, ceiling fan, heaters, motorized bug screens and a vented outdoor grill. Another space includes a fire pit, comfortable furniture, a cantilevered umbrella and southwest views of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve.

Tips for creating a fire-safe and visually appealing outdoor living space

Use fire-resistant materials
Opt for “Class A” fire-rated deck boards, such as Azek, and integrate steel framing systems to enhance fire safety.

Get professional expertise
Engage certified professionals, such as outdoor living designers, arborists and structural engineers, to address specific challenges like preserving significant trees or ensuring earthquake safety.

Take the Home Hardening Self-Assessment survey
CalFire offers an online self-assesment survey to help homeowners see how prepared their property is for wildfire. In less than 10 minutes, the self-assessment will evaluate a home’s vulnerability to wildfire.

Create integrated spaces
Design outdoor “rooms” with amenities like glass canopies, heaters and bug screens to extend the usability of your deck throughout the year.

Enhance your views
Use minimalist railings and thoughtful layout to maximize views and seamlessly blend with the natural environment.

The western deck now features a hot tub with a decorative aluminum privacy screen with a “infinity edge” hot tub view of Windy Hill and the setting sun. The railing of the decks in the western view “disappeared” by lowering the adjacent decks by three steps. 

The outdoor shower is privately open-air with a rain-type shower head. 

A “weather room” conceived by the owners, is a waterproofed space under the upper deck, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors revealing forested views beyond the heritage tree, and an unfettered open-air Windy Hill view of another heritage tree. This cozy, heated space is enclosed on three sides, enabling an all-season perfect vantage point to survey the rain, emphasizing comfort alongside durability.

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Harrell Design + Build is a full-service residential remodeling company based in Mountain View. The company is a regular contributor of monthly design columns for Embarcadero Media.