Free roof inspection and an obligation-free quote.
Roof Restoration Northcote
Terracotta and concrete tiled roofs in Northcote and Thornbury — houses and larger buildings, restored, repaired and replaced by roof tilers working with these tiles since the 1930s.
Our biggest Northcote job was not a house. It was a nursing home, and it took forty working days.
St Georges Road, and working on an occupied building
The facility on St Georges Road was one of the largest roof replacements we have done — an extensive roof area spread across multiple buildings and sections, in CSR Monier Titan Marseille.
The constraint was not the roofing. It was that the home had to keep operating throughout. We worked through it progressively, section by section as each became available, so residents and staff were disrupted as little as possible. The number of separate roof areas and the services running through the complex meant most of the work was planning.
If you manage a building that cannot simply close for a fortnight — aged care, a school, a church, flats — that is the kind of staging we are set up for. See the project.
The houses, and an honest limit
Northcote was surveyed early. The first land sales were in 1839 and suburban subdivision followed between 1853 and 1855, which is why the suburb has its characteristic grid of narrow east-west streets crossing High Street.
That leaves a lot of Victorian and Edwardian housing, and here is the honest part: a great many of those cottages and terraces are roofed in corrugated iron or slate, and neither is our trade. If yours is one of them we will tell you on the phone rather than send someone out.
What we do work on is the tiled stock — the Federation and interwar houses, the later infill, and the larger buildings where tile was used at scale.
What usually fails first here
Valley irons on the period roofs, and on a large complex the valleys are where most leaks begin.
Box gutters and parapet flashings on the bigger buildings, which spill inward rather than over the side when they block.
Ridge and hip pointing, which cracks and drops out. On its own it is a repair.
Sarking at the end of its life on the oldest roofs. The one fault a restoration cannot fix, and we will say so rather than coat 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 Northcote roof needs attention
On these roofs the tile usually outlasts everything holding it down.
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A stain inside after heavy rain
On a parapet building this is often a box gutter overflowing inward, not a tile fault.
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Rust streaks in a valley
On period and large roofs alike, the valleys are where most leaks begin.
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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 Northcote roof
We stage around occupied buildings
We will tell you if it is not tile
Large roofs are normal for us
Tile only, and we say so
Related Services
Roof Restoration Northcote
Frequently asked questions
My house is a Victorian terrace. Can you do my roof?
Probably not. Much of the older Northcote stock is corrugated iron or slate, and neither is our trade. Send us a photo and we will tell you straight away rather than waste a call-out.
Can you work on a building that has to stay open?
Yes. The St Georges Road nursing home stayed fully operational for the whole forty working days. We staged the work section by section as each area was released. Aged care, schools, churches and flats all work the same way.
How do I know whether my roof is tile?
Tiles are individual overlapping units with a repeating profile, usually terracotta orange or coated concrete grey. Iron is sheet, with long continuous ridges. Slate is thin, flat and grey-purple. A photo from the street is usually enough for us to tell.
Do you quote commercial and multi-residential work?
Yes. Large staged replacements are a substantial part of what we do, and we can provide a quote in a form that suits a committee, a body corporate or a facility manager.
Can you match the tiles on an interwar Northcote house?
Usually. The original profiles are largely out of production, but we hold both current brands and know which sits closest. Where nothing matches well enough we will say so before you commit.
How long does a house roof 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 Thornbury and Fairfield?
Yes, along with Alphington, Preston and Coburg. We are based in Burwood and travel north for re-roofing, restoration and larger projects.
Tiled roof in Northcote that needs looking at?
If you have a tiled roof in Northcote or Thornbury — a house, or a building that cannot stop operating — 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.
