BAL-Rated Builds
Building in the Yarra Valley or Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne means you’ll enjoy a laid-back lifestyle full of natural splendour. Before you build, you need to be wary of BAL regulations.
Many locations in this region are identified as being bushfire-prone – consequently, new residential builds are required by law to be constructed in adherence to Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL). This refers to certain specifications based on the severity of the building’s potential exposure to ember attacks, dangerous heat and direct flame contact.
In Australia, if your land has a BAL-rating of above 12.5, you’ll need to reinforce your home with specific fire-resistant materials and building techniques in order to protect it from potential danger.
A BAL-rating is determined by a home’s proximity to a bushfire threat, the type of vegetation on the land, and the slope in which the vegetation is situated. For instance, if the home is located on top of a slope populated with flame-receptive vegetation, your BAL-rating will be higher, as fire can advance up hills with more speed and intensity than when travelling downhill. This is a problem faced by many properties in the Yarra Valley, which are situated on mountains and inclines.
At Cobalt Constructions, we’ve been building in the area for many years and we’ve garnered specialist knowledge in BAL-rating requirements and BAL-rated products that are suited to a project.
Our process is simple. We’ll confirm the BAL-rating for your property and then guide you through designing a home that will meet your design goals, while satisfying Australian building requirements. We work with a number of reputable suppliers to provide you with a range of BAL-rated products – from windows to water tanks – that can suit any aesthetic desire and budget constraint.
We are constantly exploring the market to source new or improved BAL-rated products to offer our clients. You can be assured that we’ll stop at nothing to find the perfect product for your home.