If you are building in a BAL FZ area, it is more important than ever that you are choosing safe, compliant building products for your home.

The Australian Standard AS 3959: Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-Prone Areas outlines requirements for building in different bushfire-prone areas, to reduce the risk of combustion from stray embers or burning debris, and to reduce the damage from direct flame as much as possible. As BAL FZ is the area at the most risk from direct flame attack, it is essential that non-combustible materials be used for any exposed parts of your home, including wall cladding and decking.

Often, this means that beautiful timber products, which are inherently combustible, are unsuitable for Flame Zone areas.  This can pose a problem for many homeowners – while you may have had your heart set on a beautiful wooden veranda to complement the stunning bush setting of your home, in BAL FZ this is not compliant. Many non-combustible building products, such as cement and tiles, lack the attractive warmth of real timber, affecting your overall aesthetic.

As a sublimated, powder-coated finish for solid aluminium, DecoWood® provides a perfect alternative for timber materials in Flame Zone areas. It is compliant with AS 1530.1 and AS 1530.3 as a non-combustible material, while retaining a beautiful, natural appearance, giving you the timber look you desire for your home, but without the flammability. DecoWood does not ignite and does not contribute to the spread of flame.

Below are DECO’s top DecoWood products for Flame Zone homes:

DecoClad

A solid aluminium cladding board featuring the beautiful DecoWood finish, DecoClad allows you to replicate a traditional weatherboard home, covering your house with the warm tones of timber but without the oiling or staining. As a non-combustible material, DecoClad is ideal for use in fire-prone areas. It can comply with BAL FZ requirements as long as a fire protector/fire blanket such as TBA Firefly is installed behind it.

DecoDeck

Nothing says rural living like a lovely timber deck – but if you live in the Flame Zone, timber is not a safe option, particularly if your deck is against your house. DecoDeck, with its realistic timber-look finish, slip-resistant powder coating and solid aluminium boards, may be the answer you are looking for. AS 3959 dictates that decks built in BAL FZ must not have spaces between the boards, in case embers slip between the cracks and ignite material underneath the deck. DecoDeck can eliminate this problem, with cover strips available to insert between the boards and remove any gaps. Keep the traditional deck look with black cover strips, which give the appearance of gaps, or create a seamless look with colour-matched cover strips to complement your decking boards. Make sure you also use a non-combustible substructure for your deck, such as steel or brick. 

DecoBatten & Space Base

Timber batten features on walls are all the rage now – and just because you live in a BAL FZ area doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this chic trend. Give your home a modern edge with non-combustible, solid aluminium DecoBatten. All you need to do to use this attractive, timber-look batten system on the outside of your house is make sure whatever backing you use is non-combustible. DECO’s new Space Base™, a handy solid aluminium backing plate compatible with our two-piece batten system, is ideal for helping you create a wall of stunning, solid aluminium battens that won’t ignite if they come into contact with an ember.

DecoSlat

Whether you are looking for a gate, a screen, or a decorative timber-look feature for your house, DecoSlat could be the product for you. The sublimated, solid powder coated aluminium slats offer a non-combustible fence, privacy screen or decorative panel to add an extra touch of class to your home. 

Read more

Flame Zone Decking: Beat Bushfires with DecoDeck 

Which Types of Aluminium Cladding are Fire Safe?