Diamond Creek's roofs in context
Bushfire mapping
Nillumbik Shire Council says most of the shire is a Bushfire Prone Area, but some urban areas of Eltham, Diamond Creek and Greensborough aren't mapped as bushfire prone. Bushfires hit the district from 1894 to 1969, and the community centre was an evacuation point in February 2009.
Built among the bush
Substantial residential growth came in the 1970s, in an area that had been a mix of bushland and small farms. Today 94.3% of homes are separate houses and 51.6% have four or more bedrooms.
A creek that floods
Floods washed away several Main Street bridges before an iron bridge went up in 1898, and in October 1866 the creek was impassable. Victoria SES says riverine flooding of the Diamond Creek has historically caused issues for the shire.
Clearing around the house
On bushfire prone land, the 10/30 rule lets owners of homes built or approved before 10 September 2009 remove trees within 10 metres and other vegetation, except trees, within 30 metres. In the Bushfire Management Overlay it becomes 10/50.
Getting your roof ready for fire season
Clear the gutters
Leaves and bark in gutters are fuel sitting right at the roof edge. Clear them before the Fire Danger Period and again after windy weather. From a ladder on a single-storey house is fine if you're comfortable; otherwise book a gutter clean.
Seal the gaps
Ask a roofer to check for gaps under ridge caps, at the eaves and around vents and pipes where embers could get in.
Look at ember guards
Metal guards keep leaves out of the gutters in the first place. See ember guards for how they differ from standard mesh.
Know your BAL if you're building
If you're building or extending in a bushfire prone area, the property's Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) sets the construction standard, roof included. Your builder and roofer should work to it.
What you can do, and what to leave
You can
- Clear gutters from a ladder on a single-storey house, if you're comfortable, before the Fire Danger Period
- Rake leaf litter away from walls and downpipes
- Check whether your property is mapped as bushfire prone or in the Bushfire Management Overlay
Leave to a roofer
- Gutters on two-storey houses or steep blocks
- Sealing gaps at ridges, eaves and vents
- Fitting metal ember guards
If it were our Diamond Creek roof
Clean the gutters before every fire season, whatever the map says, and get a roofer to seal the gaps embers could use. If we were replacing gutter guards anyway, we'd choose metal ember guards over plastic mesh.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.
