Shutter Materials and Fit in the Adelaide Hills

CSIRO's Bushfire best practice guide says shutter systems should be tight fitting with gaps less than 2mm to avoid ember entry and made with non-combustible material, and to avoid plastic shutters, which melt during a bushfire.

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What shutter materials and fit in the Adelaide Hills actually involves

Shutter systems should be tight fitting with gaps less than 2mm to avoid ember entry and made with non-combustible material. Non-combustible shutters offer protection against flame contact, embers, and strikes from flying objects.

The metal shutter housing fixed above a window on a rendered wall — shutter materials and fit, Adelaide Hills. Illustrative example.

What to avoid

Avoid plastic shutters and flyscreens. These products will melt during a bushfire, creating an additional hazard. The same page says to seal all gaps larger than 2mm, and to close all windows and doors when threatened by bushfire. Those are steps an owner can take whether or not a shutter is fitted.

Ask the provider what the slats and channels are made of, how the shutter meets the sill, and how large the gaps are.

The bottom of a closed metal shutter meeting a window sill with a narrow gap — shutter materials and fit, Adelaide Hills. Illustrative example.

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