Hobart Gutter Guard Co Blog

Many Australians know just how dangerous bushfires can be and how they can easily destroy your house and your belongings in an instant. Unfortunately, thousands of people every year are devastated by bushfires, especially those living near bushfire risk zones. Even if your house is at a healthy distance from the flames, burning embers floating in the air can easily get into your property and cause some damage. This is where ember guards come into play. 

An ember guard is a bushfire compliant gutter guard system that is fitted to your roof gutter system on your property. Once installed this will keep leaves out of your gutters and also prevent any embers from entering and igniting any flammable materials. It's quite different from a typical gutter guard system but with some similarities. In this guide, we focus on how important ember guards are and how they're different from a typical gutter guard.

What is an Ember Guard?

Ember attacks are responsible for most homes being destroyed during bushfires. These occur when burning debris or embers are blown into homes through tiny gaps, igniting the house. To protect homes in areas prone to bushfires, builders must now take measures to make the homes more resistant to ember attacks so they comply to Council regulations.

An ember guard is a device that helps to prevent embers from entering your home. It is usually made of a non-combustible material, such as mesh or perforated sheet, and has an aperture (hole size) of 2mm or smaller.

In order to protect homes in bushfire-prone areas from ember attack, any gaps greater than 3mm must be covered with an ember guard mesh or sheet. The type of ember guard that can be used depends on the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) of the area, with steel, bronze or aluminium ember guards allowed in areas with a BAL of 12.5 or 29, and only steel or bronze ember guards allowed in areas with a BAL of 40 or higher.

How is an Ember Guard Different from a Gutter Guard?

A gutter guard is a system that helps to keep your gutters clean and free of debris. It is installed over your gutters and helps to prevent leaves, twigs, and other debris from getting into and clogging your gutters. Basically, an ember guard is a kind of gutter guard, but it's designed specifically to prevent embers from getting into your home. Gutter guards are not a legal requirement imposed by Australian Standards (AS3959–2009). An ember guard, on the other hand, is a requirement for houses in bushfire-prone areas. So if you're house has any gaps bigger than 3mm, you're legally required to have ember guards installed. 

Which is the Best to Use?

Gutter guards offer a more generic type of protection for basically most debris types. It does the job quite well and works in just about any home. However, if you're living in an area where the risk of having bushfires is extremely high, it's best to have ember guards installed. You're also legally obligated to have them if you are living in an at-risk area. Many locations scattered around Tasmania are quite vulnerable in the event there was a nearby bush-fire and it is worth considering getting an ember guard system professionally fitted if you're living in those areas.

Conclusion

An ember guard is an important device to have in order to prevent embers from entering your home and igniting any flammable materials. There's no question about the protection it provides and how it can save your house from utter destruction due to ember attacks. If you're living in an area where bushfires are common, it's better to invest in an ember guard. Otherwise, a gutter guard will do a great job at preventing the usual debris you get on your gutters.

When it comes to protecting your gutters, there's only one name you can trust. Gutter Guard King Tas is Tasmania's top-rated team of gutter guard experts serving the industry for more than two decades. We are a 100% Australian-owned and operated business and pride ourselves on being the local option that only uses premium products. Whether you need an ember guard mesh or a leaf guard, our team is just one phone call away from installing them on your home.

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