Free roof inspection and an obligation-free quote.
Roof Restoration Coburg
Terracotta and concrete tiled roofs in Coburg, Coburg North and Brunswick — restored, repaired and replaced by roof tilers who have been working with these tiles since the 1930s.
Most of the Coburg work we are asked about now comes with an extension attached, and that raises a question worth answering before you start.
The Grove — keeping the front, transforming the back
The house on The Grove was a complete renovation: a large modern extension to the rear, while the owner wanted the traditional street appearance kept intact.
We put CSR Monier Earth Marseille terracotta on the front roof to complement the original red brickwork, and installed new decorative terracotta finials to recreate the traditional detailing the roof had lost. From the street the house reads as it always did. Behind it, the property was completely transformed. See the project.
The question renovations raise
When you extend, the new roof and the old roof have to agree with each other — or deliberately not.
If you want them to match, the problem is that the original profile is usually out of production, so an exact match on the old section may not exist. If you want a clean break between old and new, that can work well, but the junction between the two has to be detailed properly or it becomes the leak.
Either way it is a decision to make before the builder sets the roof pitch, not after. We would far rather be asked early than be handed a junction that cannot be made watertight.
Finials and the details that carry a period roof
The Grove is a good illustration. Terracotta finials, ridge cresting and decorative ridge details are what make a period roofline read as period, and they are the first things lost when a roof is replaced cheaply.
They can be retained and reused where they survive, or new ones installed where they have gone. On two of our other jobs we removed the originals and put them back on the finished roof. Worth asking about before anyone quotes you.
What usually fails first here
Ridge and hip pointing, which cracks and drops out. On its own it is a repair, not a new roof.
Valley irons, particularly where an extension has created new junctions.
Flashings where a roof plane meets a wall, a chimney or a new addition.
Sarking at the end of its life on the older roofs. The one fault a restoration cannot fix, and we will tell you if we find it.
We work on terracotta and concrete tiled roofs only — no metal, no Colorbond, no slate.
Some of our recent projects
WHAT FAILS FIRST
Signs a Coburg roof needs attention
On these roofs the tile usually outlasts everything holding it down.
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A leak where an extension meets the old roof
The junction between old and new is where most renovation leaks start.
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Missing or broken finials
The detail that makes a period roofline read as period. They can be replaced.
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Cracked mortar along the ridge lines
Visible from the ground. On its own it is a repair, not a new roof.
WHY US
Why call us for a Coburg roof
We do the old-and-new junction properly
Finials and period detailing
We can identify what you have
Tile only, and we say so
Related Services
Roof Restoration Coburg
Frequently asked questions
We are extending. Should the new roof match the old?
It is worth deciding before the builder sets the pitch. An exact match on the original section is often impossible because those profiles are out of production. A deliberate contrast can work well, but the junction between old and new has to be detailed properly or it becomes the leak.
Can you recreate the original finials?
Yes. On The Grove we installed new decorative terracotta finials to recreate the traditional detailing. On other jobs we have removed the originals, kept them and reinstalled them on the finished roof. Either way, ask before anyone quotes — it is the first detail lost on a cheap replacement.
Can you match the terracotta on a period Coburg house?
Usually to a close match rather than an exact one. We hold both current brands and know which sits closest to each older pattern. Where nothing is close enough we will say so before you commit.
Do you work with builders on renovations?
Yes, and we prefer to be involved before the roof structure is set rather than after. The junction between an old roof and a new extension is where most of the risk sits.
My roof is concrete tile. Restore or replace?
Almost always restore, if the structure is sound. The colour is a surface coating that chalks and washes off long before the tile loses strength.
How long does the work take?
A straightforward repair is often an hour. Re-bedding and repointing is generally a day. A full restoration runs to two or three days. A complete re-roof is one to two weeks.
Do you cover Brunswick and Pascoe Vale?
Yes, along with Coburg North, Preston and Northcote. We are based in Burwood and travel north for re-roofing, restoration and heritage work.
Tiled roof in Coburg that needs looking at?
If you have a tiled roof in Coburg or Brunswick — particularly if you are extending and the old and new roofs need to work together — 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.
