Ember Guard
Purpose-Built Protection Against Ember Attack
During a bushfire, windborne embers can travel significant distances ahead of the main fire front, entering vulnerable openings within a building and potentially igniting combustible materials. Karben Guard® Ember Guard has been developed to help reduce this risk by providing effective screening of openings and cavities throughout the building envelope.
Manufactured with a 1.9mm aperture, Karben Guard® Ember Guard is designed for applications where protection from ember attack and fine debris entry is required, while still maintaining essential ventilation and drainage performance.
Designed for Compliance with AS3959-2018
AS3959-2018 defines an ember guard as a cover inserted in or over an opening or cavity to prevent the entry of burning embers. The Standard further states:
“The maximum allowable aperture size of any mesh or perforated material used as a screen shall be 2 mm.”
For many ember protection applications in BAL-12.5, BAL-19 and BAL-29, the Standard requires the use of:
“a mesh or perforated sheet that conforms with Clause 3.6 and is made of corrosion-resistant steel, bronze or aluminium”
However, for ember protection applications in BAL-40 and BAL-FZ the Standard removes aluminium as an option.
Aluminium and Stainless Steel Options
The Karben Guard® Ember Guard range includes solutions for a variety of bushfire protection applications.
Karben Guard® 1.9mm Aluminium Ember Guard Mesh provides an effective and corrosion-resistant solution for BAL-12.5, BAL-19 and BAL-29 applications. It is also commonly used as a premium gutter protection product, allowing builders and installers to utilise a consistent mesh solution across multiple areas of a project.
For projects requiring corrosion-resistant steel screening materials, Karben Guard® also offers a 1.9mm Powder Coated Stainless Steel Ember Guard Mesh suitable for ember protection applications, including BAL-40 and BAL-FZ construction requirements. While stainless steel mesh can provide a solution for the highest Bushfire Attack Levels, it is important to understand the implications of using stainless steel in contact with other building materials. BlueScope’s technical guidance on dissimilar metals identifies stainless steel and zinc/aluminium coated steel products as generally incompatible in direct contact due to the potential for galvanic corrosion of the less noble metal.
See extract from BlueScope Dissimilar Metals Technical Bulletin (CTB-12)
For this reason, Karben Guard® Stainless Steel Ember Guard Mesh is primarily intended for specialised ember protection applications where they are not in direct contact with other metals. Designers, builders and installers should carefully consider material compatibility and refer to the relevant manufacturer recommendations before specifying stainless steel mesh in conjunction with roofing and guttering products manufactured from galvanised steel, Zincalume® steel or similar coated steel substrates. The durable powder coating potentially offers some level of separation between dissimilar metals but Karben Industries does not in any way claim that this coating alone can provide the level of separation needed to ensure there is no reaction between dissimilar metals and does not recommend the use of this product in contact with any other metal materials.
A Versatile Solution for Modern Construction
Karben Guard® Ember Guard is commonly used in applications where ventilation and ember protection are both required. Typical uses include:
- Roof ventilation systems
- Ridge ventilation openings
- Eave ventilation systems
- Roof cavity protection
- Wall cavity protection
- Weep hole screening
- Building penetrations
- Ventilated construction systems
By combining ember protection with airflow management, Karben Guard® Ember Guard provides builders, designers and installers with a practical solution for many of the screening requirements commonly encountered in bushfire-prone areas.
Why Choose Karben Guard® Ember Guard?
- 1.9mm aperture ember protection mesh
- Corrosion-resistant construction
- Suitable for a wide range of screening applications
- Supports ventilation while helping prevent ember entry
- Available in aluminium and stainless-steel options
- Trusted by builders, roofing contractors and installers Australia-wide
- Designed specifically for Australian conditions
Whether you’re protecting roof spaces, ventilation openings, wall cavities or other building penetrations, Karben Guard® Ember Guard provides a proven solution for projects requiring effective ember protection and long-term performance in bushfire-prone areas.
