Jackson Digney of Enduro Builders explains how homes in bushfire-prone areas meet BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) requirements. Construction standards vary by BAL rating, from hardwood framing to metal mesh in brick weep holes and roof penetrations sealed to less than 2 mm. Red silicone dektites work up to BAL 29, while black EPDM dektites marked Dexx meet BAL 12.5.
Did you know that building in bushfire-prone areas requires complying with a special set of building rules? Hi, my name's Jackson Digney and I'm the Managing Director of Enduro Builders. With fire bans about to come into effect in South Australia, we hear a lot about clearing vegetation from around your home and keeping gutters clear of leaf debris. But what about the way your home is built? How ready is your home for bushfires? Does its construction meet the bushfire rating for your area? So what is a bushfire rating and what are the rules all about? Your home is assessed with what's called a Bushfire Attack Level, or BAL for short. There are 6 levels: BAL Low, BAL 12.5, BAL 19, BAL 29, BAL 40, and BAL FZ. Your attack level is assessed by the CFS and is based on a couple of different factors such as slope of the land around your home, the proximity and height of trees around your home, and their— sometimes their species, proximity, type, and size of undergrowth, bushes, and plants that are dotted around your home. The BAL rating that your home is assessed at impacts the way certain building elements are finished off. Some of the key features of building a BAL-rated home are use of hardwood or steel for exposed structural parts of the house, such as beams and posts, weep holes in brickworks having to have metal meshes installed, and no gaps greater than 2 millimeters in openings in the walls and the roof, along with many more seemingly small requirements that all add up. So with all these different regulations to comply with, What are some key ones that you, as a homeowner, can see? One key area that is often overlooked with protecting your home from bushfire attack is the installation of deck tights on your roof. A deck tight is a rubber boot that is fitted around holes on your roof for pipes, chimneys, and cables. Did you know that there are different types and some of them don't comply with the requirements of BAL ratings? How can you spot if your Dektites are the right ones? Luckily, it's pretty simple. If your Dektites are red, like these ones, then you can be very confident that it's compliant up to BAL 29. These are made from red silicone, and the genuine ones can withstand temperatures of up to 250 degrees intermittently. If your Dektites are black or grey, you need to investigate a bit more closely to see if it's premium range or original, and that it's manufactured by Dexx. If it's a premium version marked on the rubber, then it's likely to be compliant up to BAL 12.5. These are made from a material called EPDM and can withstand temperatures up to 150 degrees. If they are either black or grey and don't have any markings, then it's worth finding out where they came from and ringing the supplier to confirm. On top of this, check for gaps around windows and doors such as these. These gaps can let embers into your wall cavity, starting a fire you don't see until it's too late. If you're planning to build in a bushfire-prone area, it's important to ask your builder what their experience is to make sure you're working with one that specializes in bushfire construction. To find out more questions to ask your builder, download our free guide by clicking below.
