Free roof inspection and an obligation-free quote.
Heritage Roof Restoration Melbourne
Terracotta roofs on Federation, Edwardian and interwar homes, restored with the tiles they were built with rather than the nearest modern substitute.
A lot of roofing companies avoid heritage work. It is slower, the tiles are no longer made in volume, and getting it wrong on a house under a heritage overlay creates a problem for the owner rather than just a bad-looking roof. We have the team for it, and we started out as a terracotta tile manufacturer in the 1930s — these are the roofs the company was built around.
What heritage roofing actually involves
On a period roof the failure is rarely the tile. Terracotta outlasts almost everything else on the building. What fails is the bedding and pointing, the valley irons, the flashings, and sometimes the battens underneath.
So a heritage restoration usually means lifting and setting aside the original tiles, replacing what has cracked with the closest current profile, renewing the valleys and flashings, re-bedding and repointing the ridges, and relaying the original tiles back down. The roof that goes back on is largely the roof that came off.
Matching a tile that is no longer made
This is the part that decides whether a heritage roof looks right or looks patched.
Melbourne’s period roofs are mostly Marseille-pattern terracotta, along with Wunderlich and early Monier. Those exact profiles are not in current production. We hold both Monier and Bristile and know which current tiles sit closest to each older pattern.
Where nothing matches closely enough, we will tell you before you commit rather than after the roof is half done. Sometimes the honest answer is that a full replacement in a single current profile will look better than a patchwork of near-misses.
Heritage overlay and what councils expect
Large parts of Boroondara sit under a heritage overlay, and so do sections of Stonnington and Glen Eira. Under an overlay, replacing like for like — terracotta with terracotta — usually attracts far less scrutiny than changing material or profile.
We are not a planning consultancy and we will not tell you a permit is unnecessary when it is. What we can do is tell you, from having worked these streets for decades, what a council is likely to accept and what will attract objection. See our guide to roofing permits.
Chimneys, finials and the details
Period roofs carry things modern roofs do not: terracotta ridge capping with decorative cresting, finials, chimney pots, lead flashings, and box gutters behind parapets. These are usually where the leaks are, and they are usually what a general roofer either removes or renders in cement.
We keep them. If a finial is broken we will try to source or repair rather than delete it, because on a Federation house those details are most of the character.
Restoration or replacement
Where a heritage roof is structurally sound and the tiles are largely intact, restoration is the right answer and considerably cheaper. Where the battens have gone or a majority of tiles are cracked, a re-roof is honest.
We inspect and photograph before quoting, so you see what we saw. See also roof restoration and terracotta roof tiles.
Where we work
Across Melbourne from Burwood, with most heritage work through Camberwell, Hawthorn, Kew, Balwyn, Canterbury, Surrey Hills, Malvern, Armadale, Toorak and Brighton. See our service areas.
Tiled roofs only: terracotta and concrete. We do not work on slate.
The Camberwell Potteries works on Highbury Road, Burwood, where the company made terracotta roof tiles from 1930. A good deal of the terracotta still on Melbourne’s period roofs came out of works like this one, which is why we can usually tell you what yours is.
Some of our recent projects
WHAT FAILS FIRST
Signs a period roof needs attention
On a heritage roof the tiles usually outlast everything holding them down.
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Failed bedding and pointing
The mortar under and between the ridge tiles cracks and drops out. It is the commonest fault on a period roof and rarely means the tiles themselves are finished.
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Rusted valley irons
Original valleys were often unlined steel. Once they rust through, water runs into the roof at exactly the point where two planes meet.
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Cement over the details
A previous repair that rendered finials, cresting or chimney flashings in cement. It traps water and it removes the character that made the roof worth keeping.
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Pests
Many people face small pests crawling into their space. All they need is a small crack to enter. It is something that requires immediate attention from the roofing experts.
There were common signs that your home needs solar roof vents or others to keep it safe from future damages and cost you a big amount.
WHY US
Why bring us to a heritage roof
We started as tile makers
We match rather than substitute
We keep the details
We know these streets
5. Maintenance
Related Services
Heritage Roof Restoration
Frequently asked questions
Can you match my original terracotta tiles?
Usually, and it is the main reason people call us for heritage work. Marseille, Wunderlich and early Monier profiles are no longer made in volume, but we hold both current brands, and know which modern tile sits closest to each older pattern. Where nothing matches well enough we will say so before you commit.
Do I need a permit to restore a roof under a heritage overlay?
Replacing like for like — terracotta with terracotta, same profile — usually attracts far less scrutiny than changing material. Changing from tile to metal, or to a visibly different profile, is where councils object. We will tell you what is likely to be accepted, but we are not a planning consultancy and we will not tell you a permit is unnecessary when it is.
Is it cheaper to restore a heritage roof or replace it?
Restoration, where the roof is structurally sound and most tiles are intact — considerably cheaper, because you are keeping the tiles. Where the battens have failed or most tiles are cracked, replacement is the honest answer. We photograph what we find so you can see which case you are in.
Do you keep the finials and decorative ridge capping?
Yes. On a Federation or Edwardian house those details carry most of the character. If a finial is broken we will try to source or repair rather than remove it. A general roofer will often delete them or render them in cement, which is very hard to undo.
Why do so many roofers avoid heritage work?
It is slower, the tiles are not on a shelf, and the consequences of getting it wrong on an overlay property fall on the owner. It needs someone who has handled these profiles before. We began as a terracotta tile manufacturer in the 1930s, so these are the roofs the company was built around.
Do you work on slate roofs?
No. Terracotta and concrete tile only. Plenty of period homes have slate and we are simply not the right roofer for those — we will say so rather than take the job.
How long does a heritage restoration take?
Longer than a standard restoration, because tiles are lifted, set aside and relaid rather than stripped. Two to three days for bedding, pointing and painting on a straightforward roof; longer where valleys, flashings or battens need work. Because tiles come off, we watch the weather rather than the diary.
Have a period roof that needs looking at?
If you have a period roof and you want it kept rather than replaced with something that only approximates it, we will come and look at it.
Free inspection and obligation-free quote. Call 03 9888 7088, Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm. Safety is always our first priority — hand-rail, scaffolding or a roof harness is used on every job and included in the quote.
