BAL-Maze Sectional Garage Door - Bushfire product guide
B&D BAL-Maze™ Panelift Sectional Garage Door Guide
Product overview
Product: B&D BAL-Maze™ Panelift Sectional Garage Door System
Brand: B&D (B&D Doors Australia)
Category: Residential sectional garage doors (bushfire protection upgrade within the Panelift range)
Primary purpose: Designed and developed to help prevent flying embers and burning debris from entering your home through the garage.
If you live in a bushfire-prone area, it’s important to choose building products that are designed for those conditions. The garage door is a large opening in the home, and B&D’s BAL-Maze™ garage door system is purpose built to provide added peace of mind for homeowners in bushfire zones.
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Quick facts
- CSIRO-tested grading: BAL-Maze™ is the only garage door system in Australia with a CSIRO-tested grading for bushfire protection (up to BAL-40).
- What it’s designed to do: Help prevent flying embers and burning debris from entering your garage and, by extension, your home.
- How it works: BAL-Maze™ is a seal-and-door system that uses bespoke solid steel barrier seals (not plastic seals).
- Where it fits: An upgrade option within the Panelift sectional door range and can be integrated as part of your garage door system by a professional B&D technician.
- Design flexibility: BAL-Maze™ is offered across a wide range of B&D sectional door colours and styles (subject to profile/finish availability and being installed to B&D instructions).
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Contents
- What is BAL-Maze™?
- Understanding Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL)
- Key features of the BAL-Maze™ system
- Design options: profiles and textures
- Finish and colour options
- Installation and compatibility
- Recommended opener and safety upgrades
- Warranty
- Frequently asked questions
- Key facts summary
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What is BAL-Maze™
BAL-Maze™ is B&D’s bushfire protection garage door system developed for homes in bushfire-prone areas. It has been designed and developed to maximise a garage door’s defence against flying embers and burning debris entering a home.
BAL-Maze™ is offered as an upgrade option within the Panelift sectional door range. This means you can select the look you want from B&D’s sectional door styles, then pair that door with the BAL-Maze™ system as part of a bushfire-focused solution.
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Understanding Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL)
A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) is used to describe the level of bushfire exposure a site may face. B&D recommends arranging a bushfire hazard assessment if you need to confirm the BAL-rating for your home or site—especially if you’re building a new home or renovating in a bushfire-prone area.
BAL categories commonly referenced include:
- BAL-12.5: Ember attack with heat flux up to 12 kW/m²
- BAL-19: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with heat flux up to 19 kW/m²
- BAL-29: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with heat flux up to 29 kW/m²
- BAL-40: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with heat flux up to 40 kW/m², with an increased likelihood of exposure to flames
Where BAL-Maze™ fits: BAL-Maze™ has been independently tested and confirmed to perform up to a BAL-40 level of protection in a bushfire, when fitted and installed to B&D instructions (see “Installation and compatibility” below).
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Key features of the BAL-Maze™ system
CSIRO-tested bushfire protection (up to BAL-40)
BAL-Maze™ is the only garage door system in Australia with a CSIRO-tested grading for bushfire protection—up to BAL-40.
A sealed system designed for ember defence
BAL-Maze™ is a superior seal-and-door system designed to help keep flying embers out of the garage.
B&D highlights that BAL-Maze™ door seals aren’t made of plastic (with CSIRO testing indicating plastic seals can melt at BAL-29 conditions). Instead, BAL-Maze™ uses bespoke solid steel barrier seals to help prevent embers entering the garage.
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Design options: profiles and textures
B&D offers BAL-Maze™ with a range of profiles and textures so you can match your garage door to your home’s style—from clean, modern lines to more classic patterns.
Profiles (choose from five)
- Nullarbor
- Seville
- Madrid
- Statesman (not available with Knotwood® finishes)
- Grange (not available with Knotwood® finishes)
Textures (select a texture)
- Smooth: A traditional, modern smooth finish on steel
- Woodgrain: A woodgrain-like texture over the door profile
Important availability note: Nullarbor profile with a smooth texture is only available on Panelift Icon doors.
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Finish and colour options
B&D provides several finish categories for BAL-Maze™ doors, with some finishes limited to specific profiles.
Natural-Look Finishes (Nullarbor only)
B&D’s Natural-Look finishes are inspired by raw materials and are available for BAL-Maze™ doors on Nullarbor only.
Natural-Look colours shown include:
- Limestone
- Concrete
- Granite
- Bronze Rust
- Amber Rust
- Burnt Stone
- Midnight Stone
Wooden & timber look — Knotwood® (Nullarbor only)
Knotwood® is a distinctive timber-look finish designed to replicate the look and feel of real timber, combining timber style with the durability of Australian steel.
Profile availability rules:
- Knotwood® colours are available with the Nullarbor profile.
- Timber look is not available on Seville or Madrid (Nullarbor only).
- Statesman and Grange are not available with Knotwood® finishes.
Knotwood® colours shown include:
- Nordic Oak
- Silver Wattle
- Tassie Oak
- Spotted Gum
- Blackbutt
- Australian Cedar
- Red Gum
- Western Red Cedar
- Southern Cedar
- Merbau
- Black Walnut
- Black Wenge
COLORBOND® steel colours
B&D BAL-Maze™ doors are available in a wide range of COLORBOND® steel colours, designed to help you match other exterior elements of your home.
Colours shown include:
- Dover White
- Classic Cream
- Surfmist
- Sandbank
- Paperbark
- Stone
- Dune
- Shale Grey
- Southerly
- Evening Haze
- Cove
- Pale Eucalypt
- Mangrove
- Cottage Green
- Woodland Grey
- Gully
- Wallaby
- Jasper
- Terrain
- Manor Red
- Ironstone
- Deep Ocean
- Windspray
- Blue Gum
- Basalt
- Monument
- Night Sky
- Timbergrain Classic Cedar
- Timbergrain Caoba
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Installation and compatibility
BAL-Maze™ is designed to be selected and ordered as part of your garage door system. A professional B&D technician can integrate BAL-Maze™ as part of a Panelift or Panelift Icon sectional door solution.
Important: BAL-Maze™ bushfire protection performance applies when the BAL-Maze™ system is fitted and the door is installed on a B&D sectional door to B&D instructions.
If you need help selecting the right configuration, B&D recommends contacting a local B&D Accredited Dealer or arranging a measure and quote.
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Recommended opener and safety upgrades
Recommended opener for BAL-Maze™: Smart Pro
B&D recommends pairing a BAL-Maze™ Panelift sectional door with the B&D Smart Pro opener.
B&D describes Smart Pro as a powerful, smart, secure opener that has been tested to lift and lower a garage door up to 30,000 times (based on 10+ years of daily use). Smart Pro is presented as a strong match for BAL-Maze™ doors.
Common safety and security upgrades highlighted by B&D
Depending on your configuration, B&D highlights these upgrades and capabilities:
- Battery Backup: Helps keep your door operational during a power outage.
- Auto-Lock: An automatic locking mechanism that engages a heavy-duty bolt every time the door is closed, helping keep the door locked shut.
- Smart Phone Control Kit: Lets authorised users monitor and operate the garage door from a smart device, without needing a remote.
- Safety Beams: When infrared safety beams detect an object in the path of a closing door, the door will automatically stop and reverse—an important safety feature for families with children or pets.
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Warranty
B&D lists a 10-year total confidence warranty for BAL-Maze™ when a B&D door and opener are purchased together (with standard Panelift and Panelift Icon warranty conditions applying otherwise).
B&D also notes:
- Panelift door: 3-year warranty
- Panelift Icon door: 5-year warranty
- Door + opener purchased together: 10-year Total Confidence Warranty (as described by B&D)
(Always check the current warranty terms for your specific purchase and configuration.)
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Frequently asked questions
How do I arrange a measure and quote?
B&D advises you can contact them on 13 62 63 or visit your local B&D Accredited Dealer to arrange a measure and quote.
I live in a bushfire-prone area — is BAL-Maze™ suited to me?
BAL-Maze™ is purpose built for homes in bushfire-prone areas and is designed to help protect your home in a bushfire up to a BAL-40 rating.
Can I replace a single panel/section of my sectional door?
B&D advises that if it’s a genuine B&D sectional garage door, a single section may be replaceable if damage is minimal. If damage affects a major component (for example, the frame), replacing the entire door may be required for safety reasons.
B&D also notes colour matching can’t be guaranteed because colours can fade over time in Australian conditions. If the door uses special finishes/textures (for example, woodgrain textures), B&D may recommend purchasing all new panels to avoid mismatched grain/colour.
How do I manually open a B&D sectional garage door?
B&D provides a “how to” guide/video for manual operation. If you’re unsure, contact B&D or your local Accredited Dealer for help.
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Key facts summary
What BAL-Maze™ is
- A bushfire-focused garage door system upgrade within B&D’s Panelift sectional door range.
What it’s designed to do
- Help prevent flying embers and burning debris from entering the garage/home.
What makes it different
- A seal-and-door system using solid steel barrier seals (not plastic seals).
Bushfire rating
- Independently tested and confirmed to perform up to BAL-40 protection when fitted and installed to B&D instructions.
Style choices
- Five profiles: Nullarbor, Seville, Madrid, Statesman, Grange
- Two textures: Smooth and Woodgrain
- Finish categories include Natural-Look (Nullarbor only), Knotwood® (Nullarbor only), and COLORBOND® steel colours.
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General note: Specifications, availability, and warranty terms can change. Confirm your exact profile/finish availability, installation requirements, and warranty coverage with B&D or a B&D Accredited Dealer at time of purchase.