With the soaring temperatures and the increase in bushfires around the country, it is essential that we take the risk of fire seriously when it comes to our properties. Most house fires do not come from the outside of course, but in some cases, people have accidents with grills or fires in the area, which cause issues for timber decking and fencing. The key to protecting yourself, your yard or your garden from the dangers of bushfires is to ensure you are using the right materials, such as timber, which offers some level of fire resistance.
In this article we look at what types and how to prepare your timber to be fire resistant.
Choosing The Right Timber
As you can imagine, each different timber offers a different level of protection from fire, and the following are some of the most naturally fire resistant timbers which you can choose from:
- Spotted gum
- Blackbutt
- Merbau
- Turpentine
- River redgum
- Silvertop ash
- Red ironbark
These are also the 7 timbers which are recommended by many states, for those residents living in rural areas and areas which are prone to bushfires. In such areas, these are the only options for residents, which is a great indication of just how protective they are. Timber prices for these options are generally very reasonable and they are easy timbers to work with as well.
Treating Your Timber
It is critical that you are also aware of the need for treating the timber in order to increase its resistance. This is especially true if the timber used is natural wood, like timber decking. There are many lab tested fire retardant sprays on the market which will serve you well here, just make sure that they are fully tested before you pick the product.
Importance of Cleaning
You would be surprised at just how quickly a fire can begin and whilst it may sound somewhat extreme to suggest that an entire deck could go up in flames because of a single ember, it is sadly a reality. This is also why regular cleaning of your timber deck is essential, especially if you live in a high risk fire area. Studies have found that a single spark can easily turn into flames if there is vegetation and debris in the grooves of the decking. This sort of dirt gets into the gaps and then dries out, meaning that when touched by an ember it could easily ignite. Softwood products have also been shown to ignite from ember as well, which is why it should be avoided in order to increase your safety.
Even if you do not live in an area which is impacted by bushfires, it makes sense to keep your eyes open with regards to fire safety for your timber decking, and the same applies to timber fences around the property too. All it could take is an unkept barbecue or a poorly cared for fire pit, for things to quickly go awry.