Bushfires devastate the country and hurt millions of homeowners with thousands of Aussie businesses and homes destroyed. 70% of residents living in bushfire risk zones are unaware of the importance of ember guard against flammable debris. Educate your customers on the significance of ember guards vs gutter guards.
So, what is the difference between gutter guards & ember guards? The primary difference is the aperture size in the gutter mesh. An ember guard compliant mesh must have a hole size of 2mm or less, while there is no size requirement for gutter guards.
A gutter guard stops leaves and debris from blocking gutters, while an ember guard prevents ember attacks in bushfire-prone areas. Ember attacks occur when windborne embers ignite unprotected gutters and gaps in homes and buildings.
There are minor differences between the two gutter mesh types, including non-combustible material requirements and BAL ratings for bushfire-prone areas. Continue reading to understand better the difference between your gutter guard products: ember guard mesh & gutter guard mesh.
Gutter Guard Vs Ember Guard
The table below details the differences between ScreenTech’s gutter guards and ember guards. Some variations will exist between other gutter protection systems on the market.
Gutter Guard
Ember guard
Base Material
aluminium & polyethylene
aluminium, steel or bronze
Aperture size requirement
No size minimum
maximum 2mm
Application Type
ember guard or gutter guard
ember guard or gutter guard
Coating/Colouring
powder coating D1010 or Colorbond® steel, no coating
powder coating D1010
Manufacturing Technique(s)
expanded or extruded
expanded, expanded single direction or machine-woven or extruded
Best Fit Solutions
leaf guard, rainwater harvesting, bird & pest proofing, reduce maintenance & safety
ember proofing, leaf guard against fine debris, bird, pest & possum proofing, reduce maintenance & safety
Warranty
10-25-years
15-years
Bushfire Tested
AS3959-2018 compliant
AS 3959-2018 compliant
Gutter Guard Bushfire attack level (BAL) suitability
BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29
BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40, BAL-FZ
Ember Guard Bushfire attack level (BAL) suitability
N/A
BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40, BAL-FZ
Need gutter guard installed?
What is Ember Guard Protection?
According to Australian Standard AS3959-2009, ember guards must cover any opening or roof cavity to protect from burning embers. In bushfire prone areas, 85% of homes burn down through windborne embers and not via direct contact with the bushfire.
Ember guards protect from burning embers meeting Australian Standards. Corrosion-resistant ember guards are non-combustible gutter mesh covers for roof ventilation openings, fascia, valleys, ridges, and hips. You can also intrinsically ember-proof roof ventilators, vent pipes, vented roof lights, roof light glazing and eaves ventilation openings.
Ensuring that houses are adequately protected from a bushfire is the best solution to such fire hazards. Installing ember guards to meet Australian standards is the best protective solution to the problem.
Ember Guards & Bushfire Attack Levels
Like gutter guards protect homes for a range of solutions, different ember guards meet different bushfire ember attack levels from BAL 12.5 to FZ BAL rated. These BAL standards are specified for new homes as a bushfire proofing measure.
The Australian Standard AS3959-2009 mandates a different gutter guard product for a different BAL rating. For example, gutter guards in BAL 12.5 rated areas must have seal gaps that are more than 3 mm, such as that in roof sheeting, but BAL-Flame Zone ember guard mesh must be 2mm, steel or copper and cover all roof and gutter cavities.
Choose the right ember guard for your BAL rating:
- BAL-LOW indicates low risk from burning embers, radiant heat, or flames, and your gutter guard choice should suit your gutter protection needs and not be restricted by ember guard requirements.
- BAL-12.5 indicates some risk of ember attack, burning debris or radiant heat up to 12.5KW/m2, and aluminium ember guards comply with BAL 12.5.
- BAL-19 suggests a risk of ember attack, burning debris or radiant heat up to 19KW/m2 with aluminium or steel ember guard complies with BAL 29.
- BAL-29 means a high risk of ember attack, burning debris or radiant heat up to 29KW/m2 and aluminium or steel ember guards comply with BAL 29.
- BAL-40 signifies extreme risk of ember attack, burning embers or radiant heat up to 29KW/m2 and only complies with steel or bronze ember guard mesh.
- BAL-FZ means a severe risk of ember attack, burning embers and radiant heat over 40 kW/m2 and only comply with steel or bronze ember guard mesh.
Read: Plastic vs metal gutter guards | What’s best?
Other ember guard application
The smaller hole size is also useful for other gutter guard solutions. Aluminium ember guards protect against fine-leaf trees like pines, jacarandas, and she-oaks. The smaller mesh hole size encourages other leaves and debris to filter through only a minimal rainwater runoff.
Need gutter guard installed?
Ember proof with steel mesh
The mesh must be bronze or steel to be BAL-40 And BAL-FZ ember guard-compliant mesh. You must install steel or bronze ember guards if your customer’s home is located in a BAL-40 or BAL-FZ-rated bushfire-prone area.
Steel mesh vs aluminium ember guard
The table below details the differences between ScreenTech’s SteelMesh and TuffMesh® Ember guards. Some variations will exist between other gutter protection systems on the market.
SteelMesh Emberguard
TuffMesh® Emberguard
Base Material
Colorbond® steel
aluminium
Aperture
1.9 mm
1.6 mm
Application Type
ember guard or gutter guard
ember guard or gutter guard
Coating/Colouring
N/A
powder coating D1010
Manufacturing Technique
expanded
expanded single direction
Strand width
1.4 mm
1.5 mm
Strand thickness
0.55 mm
0.7 mm
Mesh Weight
2500 gsm
1000 gsm
Warranty
15-years
25-years
Max size
600 x 1200 mm sheets
103 cm x 2200 mm Sheets
Standard Widths in mm
250, 500, 1000
custom width in 25mm increments
Bushfire Tested
AS3959-2018 compliant
AS 3959-2018 compliant
Gutter Guard Bushfire attack level (BAL) suitability
BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40, BAL-FZ
BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29
Ember Guard Bushfire attack level (BAL) suitability
BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29, BAL-40, BAL-FZ
BAL-12.5, BAL-19, BAL-29
Should you choose an ember guard or gutter guard?
At ScreenTech, choosing a gutter or ember guard comes down to the solution you require.
Ask yourself this:
- What type of gutter guard solution do you need?
- Do you know the BAL ratings for your customer’s area?
- Are you in a BAL-40 or BAK-FZ rated area?
- Do trees with fine debris surround the property?
If you are not sure whether you need an ember guard or gutter guard, contact ScreenTech for free advice.
Need gutter guard installed?
Want to know more? ScreenTech sends out Colorbond® gutter guard samples and guides to architects and discusses projects and considerations.
Look no further than ScreenTech’s TuffMesh®, GutterMesh, SteelMesh and SolarMesh products. Our mesh suits Klip-Lok®, Timdeck® corrugated roof types and tiled roofs. Get in touch with a ScreenTech installation partner today.
