Tiled roofs are the most common roof across the Illawarra and the South Coast, and they fail in fairly predictable ways. Tiles slip or crack. Ridge capping mortar perishes. Valleys fill and rust. None of that is dramatic on its own, and all of it lets water in if it is left long enough.
Tile repairs
Broken, slipped and missing tiles get replaced with matching stock where we can source it. On older roofs an exact match is not always possible, in which case we will show you the closest option before fitting it rather than after.
Ridge capping, re-bedding and repointing
The mortar bedding under ridge and hip capping has a working life, and near the coast it is shorter than most people expect. Once it cracks, capping starts to move and water finds its way underneath. Re-bedding resets the capping on fresh mortar; repointing seals the joint with a flexible pointing compound. It is routine maintenance and far cheaper than what happens if it is ignored.
Restoration and roof painting
A restoration on a tiled roof is the clean, the capping and tile repairs, a sealer and then the membrane coats, in that order. Done as a paint job alone it peels. The roof restoration post covers what the full job includes and the two situations where a coat of paint is the wrong thing to spend on.
Leaks and valleys
Valley irons collect debris and eventually corrode. Penetrations move. We trace leaks back from where the water shows up inside, which is almost never where it gets in.
Where we stop
We do not touch gutters, downpipes or metal roofing. In NSW that is roof plumbing, a separate trade with its own qualification, and NSW applies the same $5,000 contractor-licence threshold to it that applies to roof tiling and general building work. It is not our trade at any value, so we refer it to a roof plumber. Clearing debris out of a gutter is maintenance and we are happy to do that. Replacing or installing one is not, and we will refer you on.
Common questions
Do you do metal roofing or guttering?
No. Metal roofing, guttering, downpipes and flashings are roof plumbing in NSW, a separate trade category with its own qualification, and it is not a trade we work in. The same $5,000 contractor-licence threshold applies to roof plumbing as to other trade work, but the value of the job does not change who should be doing it. We work on tiled roofs. If your job is metal or involves gutters, you want a roof plumber and we will say so.
How do I know if it's the ridge capping?
Cracked or crumbling mortar along the ridge lines and hips is the usual tell, often with fine sandy debris in the gutters below. Bedding mortar has a finite life and the coastal weather down here shortens it. Re-bedding and repointing is a normal maintenance item, not a sign the roof is finished.
Can you find a leak if you can't see where it's coming in?
Usually. Water rarely enters where the stain appears, so it means tracing back uphill from the mark inside — checking valleys, penetrations, cracked tiles and the ridge line. We would rather spend the time finding the actual entry point than patch the ceiling below it.
Is there a size of roof job you don't take on?
Most tile repairs, re-bedding and repointing jobs are comfortably within what we take on. Larger roof work needs a licensed contractor in NSW, and if yours does we will tell you up front and point you to a licensed roofer.