Garage doors in Batemans Bay after the fires
The NSW SES lists its Batemans Bay unit under Eurobodalla, the shire that took the Clyde Mountain fire. That fire started on 29 December 2019, grew out of the Currowan fire, burnt 98,816 hectares and destroyed over 400 homes, according to Wikipedia's list of the season's fires.
For anyone rebuilding or renovating, a garage door on bush fire prone land is more than a style choice. Its material and seals can be part of how the home is meant to keep embers out.
Bushfire attack levels, in plain words
The NSW Rural Fire Service uses six levels. BAL-LOW is the lowest risk, BAL-12.5 and BAL-19 are mainly about embers and burning debris, BAL-29 adds heat, BAL-40 adds the chance of flames, and BAL-FZ means direct exposure to a fire front.
B&D reads AS 3959-2018 as requiring vehicle access doors at BAL-40 to be non-combustible, with brushes or seals that keep gaps to 3 mm or less. It says its BAL-Maze system is offered on Panelift sectional doors but not on roller doors, which matters if a roller door is what you had in mind.
NSW rules for doors and motors
There is no NSW licence for the door itself: Legal Aid NSW counts garage doors outside home building work. Electrical work is another matter. A NSW certificate for disconnecting and reconnecting fixed equipment covers a hard-wired motor at the motor only, not changes to the fixed wiring, and the state lists penalties of $22,000 for an individual and $110,000 for a company doing it without a licence or certificate.
Around Batemans Bay
Check the map first
The RFS says bush fire prone land is mapped by council and noted on a property's Section 10.7 planning certificate.
Salt on the steel
Gliderol's corrosion cover on roller door curtains does not apply within 800 metres of a high salt concentration, so ask how close is too close for the door you pick.
Rebuilt homes
If the house was rebuilt to a bushfire level, the approval papers from that build should show the level the garage door has to meet.
Have these handy
- Your home's BAL, from the building approval or the Section 10.7 certificate
- Whether you want a roller door or a sectional door, or are open to either
- How close the house is to the water
- Whether a power point sits near the ceiling for a motor
What we would do
If your home has a bushfire level, ask each quote to say in writing which level the door and its seals were tested to. A door that only looks the part can leave a gap where embers get in.