Bushfire rules that reach the garage door
The City of Busselton tells owners to check the DFES Map of Bushfire Prone Areas to see whether their land is bushfire prone. If it is, the home's Bushfire Attack Level shapes the garage door you can fit.
A City of Busselton summary of the AS 3959 construction rules says garage doors at BAL-12.5 and BAL-19 need the lower 400 mm made of non-combustible material, bushfire-resisting timber, metal or 6 mm fibre cement. Panel lift, tilt and side-hung doors need seals or guide tracks that leave no gap over 3 mm, and vent slots are not allowed.
From BAL-40 the door must be non-combustible with the same sealing, and at BAL-FZ it has to comply with AS 1530.8.2. Your BAL assessment and the building surveyor set the exact rules for your home.
When the rules apply to your job
On a lot under 1,110 sqm, the City says a BAL is needed at building permit for additions or alterations if the work is worth more than $20,000 and/or it raises the risk of ignition from bushfire attack. An outbuilding such as a detached garage needs one if it sits closer than 6 m to a habitable building built to a BAL rating.
A BAL is only valid for 12 months from the day it is issued, the City says, so an older assessment may not cover a new application.
Garage door repairs in Busselton
Tell us what the door is doing, whether it is noisy, heavy, stuck or a motor that hums and stops, and a door specialist who does repairs around Busselton takes it on.
Two things to know first. Steel-Line says lift cables carry the full weight of the door and should only be replaced by experienced door people, and B&D says never to try lifting a door back onto its guide rails on your own.
Around Busselton
Close to the bay
Steel-Line's coastal advice is to hand wash the door with warm water and mild detergent, and to lubricate it at least twice a year.
Winter fronts
DFES puts South West WA's average at five tornado reports a year, caused by passing cold fronts, which arrive four to six a month from April to October.
Sheds and garages near the house
If you are adding a garage or shed close to a BAL-rated home, the City's 6 m line decides whether the new building needs its own BAL.
Good to know before they call
- Your home's BAL rating, if it has one
- Whether the job is a new door, a repair, an opener or a gate
- A photo of the door and the opening
- Is there a power point up near the ceiling for a motor?
What we would do
If your home has a BAL rating, find the assessment before asking for door quotes. The rating decides the materials and seals the door needs, and a door specialist can only quote properly once they know it.