Why guards matter more in parts of Sydney
Fires have reached the suburbs
In January 1994 a fire at Como and Jannali burnt 476 hectares and destroyed 101 houses. A Lane Cove fire destroyed 13 houses in 48 hours, affecting West Pymble, West Killara, Lindfield and Macquarie Park, and homes were also lost at Menai, Illawong, Bangor and Alfords Point.
Embers arrive well ahead of the flames
The NSW RFS says 85% of houses lost in bushfires go to ember attack, which can happen more than 100 metres from the fire front. A gutter packed with dry leaves is exactly where a stray ember can catch, right at the edge of the roof.
Find out if your block is bush fire prone
Every Sydney council maps bush fire prone land for its own area, and the RFS Commissioner certifies the maps. Check your address with the RFS online tool, ask council, or read the Section 10.7 planning certificate. The maps change from time to time, so check again before you start work.
Mesh size and material matter
The RFS guide to upgrading existing homes says gaps over 3 mm should be sealed or covered with mesh no wider than 2 mm, made of corrosion-resistant steel, bronze or aluminium, and that any leaf guard should be non-combustible. It's an older guide that cites the 2009 edition of AS 3959, so ask what your installer builds to now.
Leafy, wet suburbs fill gutters fast
Turramurra, on the upper north shore, averages about 1,400 mm of rain a year, so a gutter full of leaves there turns soggy and overflows. Monier recommends cleaning twice a year in tree-lined areas. A guard cuts that back but doesn't end it.
Picking a guard for a Sydney roof
On bush fire prone land, go for metal mesh that's non-combustible and fitted to AS 3959, sometimes sold as ember guard. Plastic guards don't meet the RFS's non-combustible guidance. Away from the bush, the choice is mostly about leaf size and how often you want to clean.
One thing to raise with your installer: BlueScope says stainless steel shouldn't be used with its COLORBOND or ZINCALUME gutters, so ask how a stainless mesh will be kept from corroding your gutter, or whether aluminium mesh suits your roof better. Our guide to the best gutter guards compares the types.
What to ask a Sydney gutter guard installer
- Is the mesh non-combustible, and is it installed to AS 3959 for a bush fire prone property?
- What's the aperture size, and what's the mesh made of?
- How does it fix to my roof: under the tiles, along the sheeting, or clipped to the gutter?
- Will you clean the gutters out before the guard goes on?
- Does the mesh material suit my gutter metal and my distance from the coast?
What we'd put on
On bush fire prone land, we'd fit non-combustible metal mesh to AS 3959 and still clear the roof before each fire season. Away from the bush, we'd fit guards where trees overhang and skip them where they don't. Either way, we'd have the gutters cleaned and any rust fixed first, since a guard on a failing gutter is wasted money. The national gutter guards page covers the options, and the Sydney roofing hub covers local conditions.
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