Bushfire Rated

Many Australian homes are located in areas prone to bushfire attack. Changes to the BCA in 2011 have increased the stringency around the selection of windows and doors (along with other building materials) for new build or renovation projects in bushfire prone areas. These changes are intended to reduce the risk of loss of life or damage to property in bushfire prone areas.

If you currently live, or plan to build, in a bushfire prone area, there are many precautions you can take to help protect your home and maximise your safety.

Key steps include ensuring an appropriate building site location, using suitable building materials, ensuring proximity to independent water resources, managing the vegetation surrounding the building and clearing debris close to the building. It is also important to ensure your property is accessible for emergency vehicles.

AWS has developed and tested a range of aluminium windows and aluminium doors certified to meet the requirements for a BAL-40 zone. Our aluminium windows and aluminium doors are engineered and tested to withstand the conditions likely to occur in a BAL-40 zone and are designed to help you protect your home whilst still delivering unprecedented style, efficiency and functionality for your lifestyle.

Please note, compliance with the requirements for BAL-40 bushfire zones may limit your glass selection options, contact an AWS Fabricator to discuss your specific requirements. The maximum glass size tested by AWS for BAL-40 compliance is 4.5m2. Products which comply with BAL-40 are suitable for use in BAL-12.5 and BAL-29.