Free roof inspection and an obligation-free quote.
Roof Restoration Burwood
Terracotta and concrete tiled roofs in Burwood, Burwood East, Bennettswood and Burwood Heights — restored, repaired and replaced by roof tilers based right here.
Burwood is not a service area we drive out to. It is where we are.
Your roofer is down the road
Our workshop and showroom are in Burwood. That means the shortest travel time of anywhere we work, and it means something more useful: you can come and look at tile profiles and colours in person rather than choosing from a brochure.
That matters more with roof tiles than most materials, because terracotta in particular reads differently under different light. A colour that looks right on a screen can look wrong on your roof. Showroom visits are by appointment — call ahead and we will make sure someone is there who knows the stock. If you are matching tiles to an existing roof, bring a tile or a clear photo.
Burwood has a seam down the middle
The Toorak Road tramline was extended to Warrigal Road in 1912, and subdivision followed it. For decades afterwards Warrigal Road was the dividing line: made roads and settled housing to the west, small farms and orchards to the east.
After the war the development pushed east along Burwood Highway. Bennettswood was named in 1953 and had its shops and school by 1954, then Burwood Heights, then Burwood East.
So the suburb carries two quite different housing stocks, and your roof depends on which side of that seam you are on:
West of Warrigal Road is largely interwar — bungalows from the 1920s and 30s, and this is where the terracotta is. Those profiles are out of production and matching them is the whole job.
East toward Bennettswood and Burwood East is postwar brick veneer, and overwhelmingly concrete tile. Concrete of that age has usually lost its surface coating rather than its strength, which makes it a strong candidate for restoration rather than replacement.
Three councils, one suburb
This catches people out. Burwood is shared between Boroondara, Whitehorse and Monash. Before the 1994 amalgamations it was split between Camberwell, Box Hill, Nunawading and Waverley. The suburb runs about six kilometres along Toorak Road and Burwood Highway and its extent is best traced by the postcode rather than by any council boundary.
The practical consequence is that which council you deal with, for a permit question or a heritage overlay, can depend on which end of the street you live at. We work across all three and can tell you who you are actually dealing with before you go looking.
What usually fails first here
On a Burwood roof it is rarely the tile.
Ridge capping mortar. The bedding and pointing under the ridge and hip caps cracks and drops out. The commonest fault in the suburb, and on its own it is a repair rather than a new roof.
Surface coating on concrete tiles, which chalks and fades while the tile underneath stays sound. This is exactly what a restoration is for.
Valley irons. Original valleys were often unlined steel. Once they rust through, water enters where two roof planes meet and the stain shows up inside somewhere else entirely.
Sarking at the end of its life on the oldest roofs. It is the one fault a restoration cannot fix, and we will tell you if we find it rather than coating over it.
We work on terracotta and concrete tiled roofs only — no metal, no Colorbond, no slate.
The Camberwell Potteries terracotta roof tile works on Highbury Road, Burwood. This is where the company started in 1930, a few streets from the workshop and showroom we still work out of today.
Some of our recent projects
WHAT FAILS FIRST
Signs a Burwood roof needs attention
On these roofs the tile usually outlasts everything holding it down.
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Ridge capping mortar dropping out
The commonest fault here. On its own it is a repair, not a new roof.
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Concrete tiles gone chalky and faded
The surface coating has broken down, not the tile. This is what a restoration is for.
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Stains appearing inside
Often a rusted valley iron, and the stain usually shows up nowhere near the actual fault.
WHY US
Why call us for a Burwood roof
We are based here
You can see the tiles in person
We know both halves of the suburb
Tile only, and we say so
Related Services
Roof Restoration Burwood
Frequently asked questions
Can I come and look at the tiles?
Yes, and being local you may as well. Our workshop and showroom are in Burwood and you can see profiles and colours properly rather than guessing from a brochure. Visits are by appointment so we can have someone there who knows the stock. Bring a tile or a clear photo if you are matching an existing roof.
Which council am I in?
It depends where in Burwood you are. The suburb is shared between Boroondara, Whitehorse and Monash, and before 1994 it was split between Camberwell, Box Hill, Nunawading and Waverley. We can tell you which one you are dealing with before you start ringing around.
My house is west of Warrigal Road. What is my roof likely to be?
Most likely interwar terracotta. That side of Warrigal Road was settled from the 1912 tram extension onward, so the housing is largely 1920s and 30s bungalows. Those tile profiles are generally out of production, and matching them is the part that decides the job.
My roof is concrete tile. Restore or replace?
Almost always restore, if the structure is sound. The colour on a concrete tile is a surface coating that chalks and washes off long before the tile loses strength. A clean, repoint and recoat gets you a roof that looks new for a fraction of a replacement.
Can you match the terracotta on an older Burwood house?
Usually. Wunderlich and early Monier profiles are out of production, but we hold both current brands and know which modern tile sits closest to each older pattern. Where nothing matches well enough we will tell you before you commit rather than after the roof is half done.
How long does the work take?
A straightforward repair is often an hour. Re-bedding and repointing is generally a day. A full restoration with pointing and coating runs to two or three days. A complete re-roof is one to two weeks, depending on size, pitch and access.
Do you cover Burwood East and Bennettswood?
Yes, along with Burwood Heights, Ashwood, Glen Iris and Box Hill South. Being based here, this is the quickest area in Melbourne for us to reach.
Tiled roof in Burwood that needs looking at?
If you have a tiled roof in Burwood, Burwood East or Bennettswood and you want it assessed honestly, we will come and look at it — and we do not have far to come.
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.
