Roofing FAQs — Melbourne Tiled Roofs

Every roof is different, so any figure quoted without seeing yours is a guess. What actually moves the price is the roof area and pitch, access for scaffolding and bins, the tile you choose, the condition of the timbers and sarking underneath, and how much of the flashing and valley work needs replacing. We inspect the roof, tell you what we found, and give you a written quote free of charge and with no obligation. Call 03 9888 7088.

Repointing is one of the cheaper jobs we do and one of the most worthwhile, because failed mortar on the ridge and hip capping is the commonest way water gets into a tiled roof. Price depends on the length of ridge and hip line, the pitch, and access. It is usually quoted as part of a maintenance visit or a restoration.

Because we would have to walk it back. What decides the cost of a roofing job sits under the tiles — the sarking, the battens, the fixings and the timbers — and none of that is visible from the ground or over the phone. A number given without an inspection is either padded to cover the unknowns or too low and revised later. We would rather look first. The inspection is free.

Ask each quote the same questions. Does it include new sarking and battens, or only tiles? Which brand and profile of tile, and is that profile still in production? Is the pointing flexible pointing or rigid mortar? Are valleys, flashings and gutters included? What workmanship guarantee comes with it, in writing? Is scaffolding included? Two quotes that look thousands apart are often quoting different jobs.

Most domestic re-roofs run one to two weeks of working days, weather permitting. A restoration is usually quicker. What extends a job is access, roof complexity — turrets, multiple pitches, steep inclines — and anything unexpected found once the tiles come off, such as rotten battens. We work in sections rather than stripping the whole roof at once, so your ceilings are never left exposed longer than necessary.

Check they are licensed and insured, and ask how long they have traded under the same name. Ask whether they specialise in your roof type — tiled roofs behave differently to sheet roofs, and the detail is in the pointing, valleys and flashings. Ask for the workmanship guarantee in writing and for local jobs you can look at. Be wary of anyone who quotes a full replacement without inspecting the roof properly, or who will not put the scope in writing.

Every three years is a sensible interval for a tiled roof in Melbourne, and sooner if your roof sits under trees or has a low pitch. It matters beyond appearance: both Monier and Bristile require the roof to be cleaned and maintained in line with their guides, and neglect is the commonest reason a warranty claim is refused.

The tiles themselves last a very long time. Plenty of Melbourne roofs laid in the 1920s and 1930s are still in service, and terracotta colour is fired through the clay rather than coated on, so it does not fade. What needs periodic attention is the mortar, the valleys, the flashings and the sarking underneath — those have a shorter life than the tiles, and they are what usually triggers a re-roof.

Restore when the tiles and the structure are sound but the roof looks tired across the whole surface and the pointing has gone. Replace when the sarking, battens or fixings have reached the end of their life, because a restoration does not touch those — it puts a good finish on a roof that still needs replacing. That distinction is not visible from the ground, which is why we inspect before quoting.

Almost always repair, if the structure and sarking are sound. A leak, a cracked tile, a section of failed pointing or storm damage are all repairs. Replacement only makes sense once the system beneath the tiles has reached the end of its life, or when repairs keep failing in new places — that pattern, more than age, is the signal.

For a straight like-for-like replacement, usually not. If your property sits in a heritage overlay — common through parts of Camberwell, Hawthorn, Kew and Malvern — or you are changing the roof profile or colour significantly, you may need approval. We flag it during the inspection so it does not become a surprise.

From inside, not from the roof. Water travels along battens and rafters before it drops, so the ceiling stain is often metres from the actual fault. Look for staining on the underside of the sarking from inside the roof space, note whether it only leaks in wind-driven rain (which points to pointing or flashings rather than tiles), and check whether the damp sits near a chimney, skylight or valley. Please do not walk on the roof to investigate — tiles crack underfoot and that is a common cause of the damage people then need repaired.

We work on terracotta and concrete tiled roofs only, and we do not repair decramastic, metal or slate. Replacing an existing decramastic roof with a new tiled roof is a different question and depends on whether the roof structure can carry the load — tiles are heavier than pressed metal. That needs assessing on site before anyone can tell you yes or no.

Two separate things. The tile carries the manufacturer warranty, and it differs by brand: Monier warrants 30 years against manufacturing defects with 30 years on terracotta colour, while Bristile terracotta carries a Colour for Life warranty with 50 years on selected profiles, and Bristile concrete carries 50 years. Neither manufacturer covers colour on concrete, because fading there is treated as normal weathering. The workmanship is ours: 10 years on a full re-roof and 7 years on a roof restoration. Note that Bristile’s 10 Year Total Roof Warranty applies only to roofs installed by Bristile Roofing themselves, not to roofs we install. All of this sits on top of your rights under Australian Consumer Law.

Sarking is the membrane laid over the battens and under the tiles. It is the second line of defence: it catches wind-driven rain and condensation that gets past the tiles and drains it out to the gutter. A roof without sarking, or with sarking that has gone brittle with age, can leak in extreme weather even when every tile is sound. Because it sits under the tiles it cannot be replaced without lifting them, which is the single most common reason a roof needs replacing rather than restoring.

Yes. Concrete tiles carry their colour as a surface coating, and both manufacturers we supply treat fading and weathering on concrete as normal exposure rather than a defect, so it is excluded from warranty. It does not affect how the roof performs — a faded concrete roof still keeps water out — and recoating as part of a restoration will bring the colour back. If long-term colour matters to you, terracotta is the answer.

Painting is not the right treatment for terracotta. The colour is fired through the clay, so there is nothing to restore, and paint on terracotta tends to flake as the tile breathes. Restoring a terracotta roof is about the pointing, the valleys, the flashings and cleaning, with sealing to finish, rather than about colour.

Yes, and it is very common. Two things worth planning for: if your roof is due for replacement or restoration in the next few years, do the roof first — removing and refitting panels adds cost. And make sure whoever installs the panels understands tiled roofs, because cracked tiles and disturbed pointing around mounting feet are a frequent source of leaks we get called out to.

Concrete and terracotta tiles are inert and widely used for rainwater collection across Australia. As with any roof, what matters is what else is up there — debris, overhanging trees, bird droppings, and the condition of the gutters — plus proper filtration and a first-flush diverter. Check with your local water authority for the requirements that apply where you are.

All of Melbourne, from our base in Burwood. Most of our work is through the eastern and south-eastern suburbs — Camberwell, Burwood, Glen Iris, Hawthorn, Kew, Balwyn, Malvern, Caulfield and Brighton — and the bayside suburbs including Mentone, Highett and Beaumaris.