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Underfloor storage: A bonfire ready to go

Storing flammable items underneath a floor is a like having your own bonfire ready to fire up when embers arrive

The underfloor space of a house seems like a convenient place to store items out of the weather.

The more space the bigger the items.

Often it’s permanent storage for camping gear, kayaks, building materials and so on.

Underfloor storage space

Risks

Wind driven embers will ignite this dry fuel leading to the almost certain destruction of your home.

Fibreglass items and densely packed materials will provide a long lasting flame and devastating heat source.

Underfloor space storing kayak and other flammable items

Fixes

Bark mulch and wood chips are highly combustible. When embers land on them they ignite the whole bed. The fire produces intense, long lasting heat right where you don’t want it—against walls, windows, decks and vents. Heat from burning mulch can crack glass and ignite nearby building elements such as weather boards, decks and underfloor structures.

The best designed houses are simply not designed to handle the types of fuel loads that are possible to store under them.

So don't do it, unless the subfloor space is fully enclosed and ember tight to the same standard as your living area.

This means a carefully vented space using non-flammable materials and wire mesh no greater than 2mm that deny embers to enter.

Underfloor space clear of any storage items
Sponsored by
Hurstbridge & Eltham Community Bank Branches
Proudly sponsored by
Hurstbridge & Eltham Community Bank Branches
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