Your Preparedness CheckA 5-step process for building resilience to extreme weather events Step 1. Map your location Step 2. Your personal situation Step 3. Your property Step 4. Your neighbourhood Step 5. Information for your plan DO NOT MODIFY - Ready Check Tool - Your Property Step 3. Your Property Draw a mud map of your property and the immediate surrounding area on a piece of paper (or drawing tool on your computer) – just to get a rough idea of the characteristics of your place and surrounds (see example). Include in your plan your house and any other sheds, buildings, trees, vegetation, water tank, pool, fences, gates (& if locked), decking, BBQs & gas bottles, mulch & garden waste, sprinklers, shutters, gutter guards, overhanging trees, driveway, roof material, wall material, verandahs, decks, vegetation, pet enclosures, side access, slope, road, paving, large windows, window frame material. YOUR PROPERTY'S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Use the information below to assess your property’s strengths and weaknesses for events such as bush fire, flood, heatwave and storms. The list will give you an indication of strengths and weaknesses of your property but is not comprehensive. Refer to the links to access more ideas on strengths and weaknesses of your home and property. Remember a strength may improve resilience across multiple hazard types, for example fire rated storm shutters on windows facing the bushland can reduce to the impact of bushfires, storms and heatwaves as well as improve home security. Click on the sections for the hazards identified for your property in Step 1 to check your property’s strengths and hazards for each. Bushfire Legend RoofHouse & roof design Many re-entrant corners where leaves and embers can collect; Complex roof with gables and valleys Additions with valleys or channels between roofs Simple building design with few re-entrant corners; Simple roof structure Further informationRoof material type & age Old metal with gaps; Old timber shingles; Tile pre 1980 with gaps, mortar not replaced Tile, pre 1980, mortar replaced >15 years ago Metal, no gaps Tile, post 1980, mortar replaced within 10 years, no gaps >3mm; Roof fully sarked Further informationRoof sprinklers No water supply No sprinkler system Sprinklers on mains water & power Sprinklers with independent water source and pump; Regular testing Further informationRoof lights, skylights, roof ventilators & vent pipes No sarking; Not sealed; Open vents; Combustible material (plastic or acrylic); Missing fins; No ember guards Laminated safety glass; Flashing fire-retardant material; Aluminium ember guards Toughened safety glass; Sealed with non-combustible lining; Corrosion-resistant steel or bronze mesh Further informationEaves & fascia Eaves not enclosed Eaves with gaps Eaves enclosed with fibre-reinforced cement or aluminium sheets Eaves enclosed with fire-retardant-treated timber or steel Further informationVents, weepholes & chimney Open holes or broken vents; Open chimney top No ember guards; Unsealed chimney pot Aluminium ember guards; Sealed chimney Corrosion-resistant steel or bronze ember guards; Unused chimney sealed with steel Further informationGutters and downpipes Blocked gutters; Combustible material No gutter guards Gutter guards; Ability to seal downpipes & fill gutters with water Metal gutter guards; Leaf-free; Non-combustible Further informationWallsHouse external wall material Timber with flaking paint & gaps Timber well maintained & sealed; Cladding Single brick Masonry; Concrete; Rammed earth; Fibre cement (>9mm); Steel sheeting Further information / Further informationExposed timber Rotten timber; Peeling paint Good condition; Protective paint Fire-retardant-treated timber Further informationWindows & frames Timber frame with flaking paint; Old glass; Large panes; facing hazard; Old; Plastic mesh or no screens Timber frame well maintained & painted Fire-retardant-treated timber frames; Aluminium frames; Laminated glass; Corrosion-resistant steel or bronze mesh screens Metal window frames and hardware; Non-combustible shutters; Toughened glass Further informationExternal doors Old timber wooden doors with flaking paint; Gaps under the door; No screen on door; Plastic mesh screen Timber doors, no screen door; Glass sliding door without screen Glass sliding door with safety glass & metal screen; Screen door with aluminium mesh; Wooden door with 400mm metal kickplate on bottom Fire-retardant-treated timber; Non-combustible shutters; Weather strips; Tight fitting door screen with corrosion-resistant steel or bronze mesh Further informationGarage doors Attached to house; Old wooden door with flaking paint; Gaps >3mm around & under door Roller door without guide tracks or nylon brush; Ventilation slots in door Easy to open without power; Gaps <3mm Non-combustible door; Weather strips, guide tracks, gaps <3mm Further informationFloorSub floor space & posts, stumps Old dry timber; Unenclosed; Items stored under house Leaves & dry material under house Sub-floor space enclosed with steel mesh <3mm Fire retardant treated timber; Enclosed sub-floor space Further informationFloors Suspended; Older, dry timber floor unenclosed; Gaps Suspended floor with flammable insulation Suspended floor with fire-retardant timber or non-combustible sheeting; Unenclosed Concrete slab on ground; Suspended floor with enclosed sub-floor space and fire-retardant timber or non-combustible sheeting Further informationVerandas and decking Old Wooden deck; Unenclosed; Wooden outdoor furniture; Store for firewood; Leaves accumulated Enclosed with fine steel mesh Deck frame & decking non-combustible; No spaces between decking (or 3mm spacing) Concrete or non-combustible material; Fire-retardant-treated timber; No flammable furniture Further informationOutdoorsVertical barriers to shield the building Bulk of building oriented towards hazard with no barriers Partial shield <1m high Continuous screen of low-flammability vegetation understorey to canopy Solid masonry wall >2m high to shield building Further informationLandscaping
