According to Australian Standards (AS 3959-1999), the Rural Fire Services and local Fire authorities have 3 building levels that require aluminium shutter.
Rollashield Shutters recommend using either Slimline or Forceshield roller shutters for Level 1 (16kW) and Level 2 (21kW). For Level 3 (31kW) Rollashield recommend the heavier gauged extruded Forceshield shutters.
In 1993, the CSIRO successfully tested double-wall extruded aluminium roller shutters to 35kW easily exceeding the 31kW requirement for Level 3 construction.
Apart from unsealed eaves, the most common way that a house is lost to bushfire is that heat causes the windows to explode or that enough heat is radiated and magnified through the glass to cause curtains to burst into flames.
Radiant heat can be reduced by 90% by fitting Forceshield roller shutters and ensure that windows and other glass areas do not shatter and therefore preventing flames from entering the building. Also by reducing the heat gain through the glass, curtains and other flammable internal fittings are protected against ignition from the external heat.
Wind turbulence will often carry debris that will shatter windows long before a fire arrives. Rollashield’s Forceshield roller shutters prevent the debris from damaging the glass and therefore the flames entering the building.
Rollashield shutters provide increased fire protection in the following ways:
- Rollashield shutters are effective in preventing combustion of internal fittings such as curtains, drapes and furniture because they protect the glass from exploding and stop the heat being radiated and magnified through the glass.
- Rollashield shutters stop sparks and embers from entering the building through broken windows.
The Rural Fire Services and councils such as The Blue Mountains City Council recommend Window roller shutters as additional protection for buildings in high-risk bush fire prone areas.