Free roof inspection and an obligation-free quote.
Roof Restoration Murrumbeena
Terracotta and concrete tiled roofs in Murrumbeena and Hughesdale — restored, repaired and matched by roof tilers who have been working with these tiles since the 1930s.
Of all the suburbs we work in, Murrumbeena is the one we feel most at home in. It was a pottery suburb, and so were we.
Two potteries, the same decades
In 1913 Merric Boyd’s parents bought him a block on what was then the south-eastern fringe of Melbourne — the remnants of an old orchard backing onto the Outer Circle railway reserve. He called it Open Country, built a cottage, and by the 1920s had added a proper pottery studio and kilns. He is generally regarded as the father of Australian studio pottery. His pottery burned down in 1926 and he rebuilt.
His son Arthur, with John Perceval and Peter Herbst, started the Arthur Merric Boyd Pottery at 500 Neerim Road in 1944. It ran until the early 1960s.
Camberwell Potteries was established in 1930, making terracotta roof tiles from a works on Highbury Road in Burwood. Different product, same decades, same clay. While the Boyds were throwing pots in Murrumbeena, we were firing the tiles that went onto the roofs going up around them.
Ninety years later we are still working on those roofs.
What Murrumbeena is built on
Glen Eira council divides its own history neatly: mansion estates in the north-west around Elsternwick and Caulfield North, pastoral runs through the middle, and market gardens to the south. Murrumbeena is pastoral run — open land that was not built over until the twentieth century.
The consequence is that the earliest surviving houses here generally date to the 1880s and there are few of them, while the dominant layer is interwar. Californian bungalows, the occasional Spanish Mission, Federation on the older streets.
That is terracotta country, and those profiles are long out of production, so matching is the part that decides a Murrumbeena job rather than an afterthought.
Less heritage control than its neighbours
Glen Eira has roughly 2,995 places in its heritage overlay, but they are concentrated in Elsternwick and greater Caulfield. Carnegie and the suburbs east of it are comparatively lightly covered.
Practically, that usually means more freedom in what you can put back on a Murrumbeena roof than on an Elsternwick one. It does not mean none — check before you plan anything, and we can tell you what we think you are dealing with.
What usually fails first here
Ridge and hip pointing. On an interwar roof that has not been repointed in decades, the mortar cracks and drops out. On its own it is a repair, not a new roof.
Valley irons, particularly under the mature street trees these suburbs are full of.
Flashings where a roof plane meets a wall or a chimney.
Sarking at the end of its life. On a roof approaching a century old this is a real possibility, and it is the one fault a restoration cannot fix. 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.
Some of our recent projects
WHAT FAILS FIRST
Signs a Murrumbeena roof needs attention
On these roofs the tile usually outlasts everything holding it down.
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Cracked mortar along the ridge lines
Visible from the ground. On an interwar roof it is usually first to go.
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Rust streaks in a valley
Leaf litter from the street trees holds water against the metal until it rusts through.
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Damp around a chimney
Failed flashing rather than a tile problem.
WHY US
Why call us for a Murrumbeena roof
We were making these tiles
We can identify what you have
Interwar roofs are our era
Tile only, and we say so
Related Services
Roof Restoration Murrumbeena
Frequently asked questions
Can you match the terracotta on a 1920s Murrumbeena house?
Usually. The original profiles are largely 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 say so before you commit rather than after the roof is half done.
My roof is nearly a hundred years old. Does it need replacing?
Not on age alone. Terracotta of that vintage is frequently still sound. What has usually reached the end of its life is the pointing, the valleys and possibly the sarking underneath. We inspect before quoting and tell you which applies.
Is my house heritage controlled?
Less likely here than in Elsternwick or Caulfield, where most of Glen Eira’s overlay is concentrated. But it is worth checking before you plan anything, and we can tell you what we think you are dealing with.
What is the connection between your business and the Boyds?
None directly — but the timing is not a coincidence. The Boyds were potting in Murrumbeena from 1913 and we were making terracotta roof tiles in Burwood from 1930. Same clay, same decades, different product. It is why we know these roofs.
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, depending on size, pitch and access.
Do you cover Hughesdale and Carnegie?
Yes, along with Oakleigh, Chadstone, Ormond and Caulfield. We are based in Burwood and work across the eastern and south-eastern suburbs.
Will you tell me if I do not need the work?
Yes, and it happens often. A great many roofs we inspect need pointing and a valley cleared rather than anything major.
Tiled roof in Murrumbeena that needs looking at?
If you have a tiled roof in Murrumbeena or Hughesdale and you want it assessed honestly, 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.
