Bushfires happen all over Queensland and the rest of Australia, especially in hot and dry areas. In this post, we talk about roofs in bushfire prone areas and what you can do to reduce the risk.

Before you build

• Choose where you build your home on your property . Consider the landscaping -  Is it near trees/bushes where embers could easily alight your roof?

• Take note of the type of materials you use to build - is it compliant with local area restrictions? Are the materials less-bushfire proofed than others?

Questions like these are all about discerning the risk-factors your home has during a bushfire. At Roo Roofing, we can help you with roof and building services Brisbane and surrounding areas, with things like fire-proofing and restorations.

Home design

• Consider where your house sits on the property and designs for emergency evacuation
• Ember proofing the house and other buildings on your property e.g outdoor garages and sheds
• Consider installing metal shutters for windows
• Do you have a reserve water supply? Think pumps, tanks, hoses and sprinkler systems

Landscaping

Planning the landscaping around your home will improve your chances of protecting it during a bushfire. Correctly managed vegetation can provide many benefits during a bushfire including:

• Reducing fire intensity
• Reducing wind speed
• Deflecting and filtering embers
• Providing shelter from radiant heat

Ember proofing

Protect your house by preventing embers and burning material from entering through windows, under doors or under floorboards.

• Fit metal fly wire mesh or solid screens to spark proof the windows, doors, ventilators and skylights.
• Close all openings in eaves and under-floor areas.
• Seal all gaps in the roof area along the ridge cap gutter line and fascia board.
• Extend wall cladding on buildings and sheds to the ground.
• Seal the flute spaces at the fascia board with fibreglass insulation or scribed flat metal with corrugated iron roofs.
• Tiled roofs require an appropriate fire rated insulation (sarking) immediately below the tiles.

Roofing in general

Most homes ignite when sparks or burning embers blow under roof tiles and start burning roofing timbers or accumulated litter. Non-combustible roof covering like Colorbond offers more protection, provided it is firmly secured and sealed around vents, skylights, fascias and roof caps. At Roo Roofing, we also specialise in Metal roof restoration Brisbane.

It is also important to consider gutter guards which reduce the amount of debris, like leaves and twigs, from entering your gutters. These will act as fuel in the event of a fire. 

Inspect your roof and repair or replace any damaged or missing tiles

Falling embers and flammable material can easily fall into cracks, holes and gaps in your roof. These ignite easily and put your property at significant risk.

• Check that roof tiles, sheets and other covers are non-combustible. If you don’t have the preferred Metal roofing, both concrete and terracotta tiles are fully compliant with residential building standards in bushfire-prone areas, but you need to make sure there are no cracks, gaps or missing tiles.
• Fill gaps greater than 3mm between the roof and wall junction. You can use fascia or eave lining for this, or you can seal the top of your walls to the rafters at the lining.
• Think about using sark sheets on tiled roofs. Sarking involves laying board or sheet material under tiles or iron. This prevents embers from entering your property.