Gaps on a bushfire rated house: what a Winter Valley investigation found
Missing sealant at junctions, doors and service penetrations, and gaps in the roof's fire resistant blanket. Why sealing matters on a BAL rated home.
In short: A BAL rating changes what a house must be built with. On one Winter Valley home the details that keep embers out had been left unfinished.
Why a BAL rating matters
Parts of the City of Ballarat fall under the Bushfire Management Overlay, and homes built where a bushfire attack level applies must follow AS 3959. Much of that standard is about stopping embers getting into gaps.
What was missing
On the Winter Valley house we inspected in December 2025, sealant was missing at several external wall junctions, around door perimeters and at service penetrations. Each gap could admit moisture, cold air and, in a fire, embers.
The roof blanket
In some sections of the roof the fire resistant sarking or blanket that a BAL rated roof needs was not there. That reduces the roof's protection against ember attack.
Small items, real consequences
None of these items looks dramatic. A missing bead of sealant is easy to fix today and easy to overlook forever. On a bushfire rated home it is part of how the house was meant to perform.
What the report gives the builder
Each gap is photographed and located, with the requirement it does not meet. That turns a vague complaint about draughts into a list a builder can work through.
Next steps for an owner
Send the report to the builder in writing and ask for a timeframe. If they will not act, the Building and Plumbing Commission's dispute resolution service is the next step, and VCAT after that, where an expert witness report is required.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Ballarat. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
