Fletcher Insulation’s Sisalation® Vapawrap™ range of vapour permeable construction fabrics represent the latest in moisture control, vapour permeable watertight membranes.
These products are constructed to reduce the risk of condensation developing on surfaces within the building envelope where they are unwanted. At the same time as allowing moisture to pass outward from the inside of the building, these modern membranes prevent the entry of dust and water from the outside environment both during and after construction.
In contrast to traditional foil faced sarking products, the high water vapour permeability of the Sisalation® Vapawrap™ range of vapour permeable membranes permit the contained escape of moisture from within a building along with limiting the ingress of liquid water and dust from the external environment.
BAL FZ: Extreme Risk
Which materials are good for a bushfire safe house?
Though there is no such thing as a flame zone kit, by choosing materials carefully, specifiers can go a long way to improving their expertise in bushfire proof house design.
Cladding - In terms of external cladding, corrugated iron is a sound choice for a fireproof house, as are some types of fibre cement panelling.
Timber - Care should be taken when using timber for decking and so forth. Fire resistant timbers include turpentine, red ironbark, blackbutt, merbau, red river gum. spotted gum, and silvertop ash are recommended for house designs for bushfire areas.
Architecture news & editorial desk
With up to 3 billion animals either killed or displaced, 40 million hectares burnt, 6000 buildings destroyed and 33 fatalities, the Black Summer bushfires was one of the worst bushfire seasons the country has ever encountered.
Queensland was subjected to further trauma than its sister states, encountered by bushfires that occurred in the winter of 2019, as well as a state of emergency that was declared in 42 local government areas on November 9. By Christmas, fire had swept through 7.7 million hectares of land in the south, north and far north of the state.
Justin Leonard, the lead researcher for the CSIRO’s Bushfire Adaptation program, says that there is a varying level of knowledge in rural communities surrounding bushfires, and that information and legislation must become easily recalled for those that live in homes vulnerable to bushfire.
ABC Everyday
Amanda lost her home in a bushfire, but her insurance covered the costs.
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Amanda Scully s family always had a fire plan.
But by the time the bushfire had ripped through their NSW town of Malua Bay on New Years Eve in 2019, plan A quickly became plan C. Our home was completely destroyed. There was nothing left, she says.
For Amanda, having insurance was worth it for the temporary accommodation cover alone. We had to live somewhere else in a lease of $550 a week. So to have to pay that on top of doing the rebuild, that would just be too much.
Free resources including workshops and information are available for those considering building or rebuilding homes with timber in bushfire-prone locations.
With bushfires wreaking havoc across Australia, it’s important to design and build homes that minimise the potential risk of damage to the structure during a conflagration. Building a bushfire-resistant structure doesn’t preclude the use of wood and wood products.
Forest & Wood Products Australia Limited (FWPA), the industry body that resources WoodSolutions, has updated resources to help rebuild resilient homes in BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) rated areas. A program of workshops and informational resources will be rolled out over the coming months in fire-affected communities.