How To Protect Your Home From Bushfires
Senior Writer for Houzz Australia, Georgia Madden, has provided crucial ways to protect your home if you live in a bush fire-prone area, below.
Climate change is making bushfires increasingly common in Australia, and the effects on the environment and our communities, as we saw in 2019 and 2020, can be devastating. Unfortunately there is no bushfire-proof house design, but protecting our homes is still a key measure and it starts from the ground up. Whether you’re building, renovating or live in a low-risk area and just want to make a few simple changes to boost your home’s resilience, here’s how to go about it, according to the experts.
How To Protect Your Home From Bushfires
The first and most important thing to determine is whether the house or land you’re buying or already own is in a designated bushfire-prone area, says Simon Croft, executive director of building policy and services at Housing Industry Association (HIA), so find out if your home is at risk.
“There are maps available through local councils or government agencies that identify bushfire-prone areas, which you can generally access online,” he says. “They will show bushfire-prone areas and, in some states and territories, the areas that are at a higher bushfire risk and may need additional considerations. This will then determine which construction requirements need to be applied when you are building or renovating.”
Build With Non-Combustible Materials
“The bushfire construction standard (Australian Standard AS 3959 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas) requires that you use certain materials for exposed elements, cladding, roofing, and windows and doors, and determines which materials you can use based on the bushfire threat level of your site,” says Croft.
You can still use timber and other combustible materials on the lower levels of your home where there is a lower bushfire threat, he adds. “However, higher levels require either non-combustible materials, such as brick, concrete, metal walling and roofing, AAC [autoclaved cellular concrete, which is made with closed air pockets and comes in blocks or panels], fibre-cement sheeting or a material or assembly that has been appropriately tested,” he says.
The materials within your four walls matter too. According to the government’s YourHome website, “Wall and ceiling insulation should be non-combustible. Materials inside a home can also pose a risk if they are toxic when heated or burned, so non-toxic paints, wall linings and floor coverings are recommended. Also avoid having unenclosed sub-floor spaces to better protect your floors and sub-floor structures,” says Croft.
If your home is in a lower-threat area and you want to feature timber in your build, choose species that perform well in a bushfire, says Croft. And be sure to select non-combustible materials for elements such as window screens, seals, awnings and fencing.
What About Roof & House Designs For Bushfire Areas?
Avoid complex roof shapes with valleys and ridges where bushfire embers can lodge and build up, advises Jimmy Scott, general manager for resilience and recovery at the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, an organisation that created the Bushfire Resilient Building Guidance for Queensland Homes. A roof-sprinkler system can also help reduce damage from ember attacks in bushfires.
Should I Upgrade To Bushfire-Rated Windows & Doors?
It’s a wise idea to upgrade all external windows and doors to ensure they meet the standards in your area. “External windows and doors are the weakest links [when it comes to bushfires] so pay close attention to these and work out appropriate solutions, including adding shutters if necessary,” says Joe Mercieca, owner and principal of Blue Eco Homes, a building firm that recently won the 2022 HIA Australian GreenSmart Home award.
The government’s YourHome website states that in bushfire-risk areas; “Window glazing should be a high-performance toughened glass. Screening toughened glass improves its performance and can help keep debris away from the glass. Window and door frames should be selected and installed to reduce ignition potential or gaps that allow embers into the home. Using a windowsill with a steep slope also helps to keep debris away from window ledges.
“Flyscreen materials can reduce ember entry sizes in sub-floor spaces and windows. Flyscreens may be aluminium, bronze, or corrosion-resistant stainless steel, dependent on the BAL [bushfire attack level], but cannot be plastic or fibreglass. Flyscreen materials must also have an aperture of less than two millimetres,” states the organisation.
What Else Should I Do To Prepare For Bushfire Season?
“Seal any gaps [in your home] to prevent embers from entering,” says Croft. “Also screen vents and openings – the bushfire construction standard provides guidance on this.” All gaps in your home, including vents, weepholes and joints, should be less than two millimetres in size, according to the government’s MyHome website.
Keep Up With Maintenance
“It is vital to keep your home and its surrounds well-maintained [to reduce bushfire risk]. Trim tree branches, clean gutters and downpipes, repair cracked tiles on roofs,” says Scott. “Objects surrounding the house, such as decks, fences, sheds and outdoor furniture, can pose a fire risk too.”
The NSW Rural Fire Service also suggests that you:
Mow grass and remove the cuttings.
Have a cleared area around your home so firefighters have a safe area to work.
Remove material that can burn around your home, such as door mats, wood piles, mulch, leaves and outdoor furniture.
What About Landscaping For Bushfires?
Well-considered landscaping can protect your home further. The YourHome website recommends that you:
Avoid using highly combustible mulch.
Use hard surfaces closer to the house.
Avoid planting trees that will grow tall near the house.
Remove undergrowth where it could become a fire risk.
Consider making fire breaks, especially in the path of likely fire spread.
Ensure that all fencing close to the building is non-combustible and easy to maintain.
In Wagga Wagga & surrounding areas there are a number of subdivisions that have been classified as bushfire-prone areas. We ensure all requirements are met for your build, for the relevant BAL classification. With over 30 years in the industry as a Wagga Builder you can trust Hurst Homes with your dream home. For a free no-obligation preliminary estimate contact us today on 0438 692 962 or fill out the contact us page on our website.
For more tips from the Houzz experts visit Houzz.com.au