Shutters, mesh or sealing gaps: what the sources say a Blue Mountains owner can do
By Artigellence ·
The NSW Rural Fire Service lists fine metal mesh screens, seals around doors and windows, and clean gutters among the ways to prepare a home, and CSIRO says non-combustible shutters offer protection against flame contact, embers and strikes from flying objects. Neither says which a given house needs. The home preparation page and the rules check cover the rest.
What the sources say
Does the RFS say shutters are needed?
No. Its list of basic maintenance tips, on its Prepare your home page, includes install fine metal mesh screens on windows and doors, fit seals around doors and windows to eliminate gaps and clean your gutters of leaves and twigs. It does not mention shutters.
What does CSIRO say shutters do?
Shutters made of non-combustible material give protection from flame contact, embers and flying objects. It also says: A shutter is an active system and works only if someone closes it by hand; CSIRO suggests considering an automated system to close it.
Does preparing a home help if I plan to leave early?
Even if your plan is to leave early, the more you prepare your home, the more likely it will survive a bush fire or ember attack.
What none of this tells you
Does a shutter make a house safe?
No source read says so. CSIRO describes what non-combustible shutters offer protection against; it does not say a house is safe.
What licence applies to the work?
NSW says you must have a contractor licence for building or trade work valued at more than A$5,000 in labour and materials, including GST. NSW lists no category for shutters, so ask which licence the quote is under.
Artigellence is the marketing business that operates this site and writes its articles. It does not carry out the work described.
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