Garage door jobs in Hornsby
Hornsby Shire Council says about 40 per cent of properties in the Shire, 28,592 of them across 41,343 hectares, are identified as bush fire prone land. So on many blocks here, a garage door job is partly a fire question.
Repairs, servicing, openers or a new door: tell us the job and a door specialist who works in the Shire takes it on.
Garage door repairs in Hornsby
Seals wear with weather and use. B&D's gap test is simple: close the door on a sunny day, stand inside and look for light along the sides or top.
When seals on a bushland block are replaced, ask what they are made of. Gliderol says its flame retardant seals self-extinguish on ember contact and are deemed to comply with AS3959:2018, and that a home's Bushfire Attack Level decides whether seals like these may be required. B&D says seals retrofitted to an existing door have not been tested by the CSIRO to BAL-40.
Springs and cables are another matter. Steel-Line's manual says that if a spring breaks, do not attempt a repair, and B&D says to stop using the opener straight away. Leave the door where it is and tell us the job.
Heritage garages in Hornsby
Hornsby's Development Control Plan Part 9 covers heritage conservation areas including Beecroft-Cheltenham, Hornsby West Side, The Crescent at Pennant Hills, Wahroonga, Wahroonga North and Barker College.
In those areas it says garages and carports should not sit forward of the building alignment. They belong at the rear of the property, articulated separately from the house, with access from a rear lane where there is one.
On a heritage item, the plan says the original garage door should be kept, and a replacement should be similar in colour, materials and detail.
Around Hornsby
The bushland edge
The NSW RFS says the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai district has about 310 kilometres of urban and bushland interface, averages 40 bushfires a year and can expect a major one every 7 to 10 years.
Areas of concern
Cowan township, Somerville Road at Hornsby Heights and North Turramurra are among the RFS's main areas of concern. The fire season generally runs from October to March, with strong north west winds.
Heritage advice from the council
Minor work to a heritage property may not need consent under clause 5.10(3) of the Hornsby LEP. The council says its written advice confirming that must be in hand before work starts, and it aims to respond within 21 days.
What we would do
On a bushland block, ask the door specialist to list each seal in the quote: bottom, sides and top. Then check them against what your BAL assessment calls for before you say yes.