As temperatures reach over 40-degrees and strong winds pick up, the terrifying reality of bushfires in Australia are all too prevalent across all states and everyone needs to have a plan to keep their family and property safe during bushfire season.
While you cannot control most elements of a bushfire that is threatening your property, there is a wide range of planning and preparation activities that you can undertake which will dramatically increase the chances of your home surviving a bushfire attack. These include:
- Removing rubbish from gutter
- Cleaning up fallen leaves, twigs and debris around the property that can quickly become dangers embers
- Cutting back trees and shrubs which overhang your home
- Keeping laws short and gardens well maintained
- Having a Bushfire Survival Plan
- Having hoses long enough to reach around the home
Modern has a range of products that can help to keep your home safe this bushfire season.
Windows
In a bushfire many houses are destroyed through ember attacks, which occur when burning twigs and leaves are carried by the wind and land on or around the house. Even houses away from the direct path of the fire can be affected.
Windows can be an easy source for embers to enter the house, when the heat from the bushfire causes unprotected windows to crack and shatter quickly.
Modern has been servicing Australian homes for over 30 years, and our shutters have been proven across the country in extreme fire conditions. Designed to meet the Building Code of Australia BAL30 (Bushfire Attack Level), and CSIRO tested to Australian standard AS1530 and AS3959, our Australian made shutters are built from the highest quality aluminium.
CSIRO1 tested Modern’s Roller Shutters against an unprotected window. Modern Roller Shutters withstood radiant heat flux of 40 kw/m2 and showed no discernible buckling, with the shutter still operational and providing protection even after 60 minutes of exposure. The unprotected window began cracking from a radiant peak flux of 8 kw/m2 with the window disintegrating just 2.43 seconds later.2
In response to devastating bushfires in Victoria in 2009, Australian building Standard 3959 was updated and republished AS3959:2009. The updated Standard specifies requirements for the construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas in order to improve their resistance to bushfire attack from burning embers, radiant heat, or flame generated by a bushfire. The new building code for bushfire prone areas recommends that “Standard windows can be used provided they are completely protected by bushfire shutters complying with AS3959:2009.”
Modern Roller Shutters are fully compliant AS3959:2009.
Roof Repairs
The NSW Rural Fire service recommends home owners repair damaged or missing tiles on the roof to further prevent embers from gaining entry to the home via the roof and causing devastating damage to your home.3
Modern Roofing Restoration can repair your damaged roof to defend your home against bushfire attack and protect your family from other extreme weather conditions.
Gutters
Gutter guards can stop leaves building up in gutters and provide another level of preparation against bushfires. A single ember can ignite any leaf litter build up in your gutter. And if that leaf litter is on the roof of your home, then during a bushfire this can easily lead to your home being destroyed.
Modern Guttering Replacements fitted with gutter guards not only looks great, but can provide an effective deterrent against bushfire embers destroying your home.
1. http://www.eurotecwindowshutters.com.au/pdfs/bushfire-test.pdf
2. Test conducted with no wind pressure. Actual fire conditions are much more extreme.
3. http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/file_system/attachments/Attachment_BushFireSurvivalPlan.pdf