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Brisbane Roof Restoration Experts

After the foundations, your home’s roof is the most essential structure!
It has to keep all the elements out of your home and, at times, subjected to extreme weather conditions of Brisbane.
Our roof restoration team is always kept busy due to Brisbane’s climate.

Sun – We live in a hot climate, and the UV damage from sunlight is extreme

  • Sun – We live in a hot climate, and the UV damage from sunlight is extreme
  • Rain – Brisbane experiences a lot of thunder and hail storms
  • Wind – With the thunderstorms comes high wind gusts, and the tail end of cyclones

The roof area of the average home makes up more than 30% of the visible surface area of your home, making it more susceptible to damage and deterioration from the elements. 
Temperature fluctuations over time dramatically affect the resilience and weather resistance of your roof. 
The expansion and contraction with heat and cold can cause your roof surface to warp, crack, decay and fade.Eventually, this can cause water to seep through, which can then damage your home. Once your roof is damaged, damage into your home’s interior will result.

repair plaster ceiling

When To Call A Roofing Company Immediately

Often we realise too late that there is a problem with the roof!
The signs of taking immediate action are:

Water Is Leaking Inside Your Home. 

Your roof or guttering has damage which is allowing water in or not letting rainwater drain and it is being pushed back under the roofline.

Damp or mould on the ceiling, 

Living in Brisbane, there are times when mould can appear during humid weather, and this is from poor ventilation or airflow.
Damp and mould from a leaking roof will happen in an area, and you will also notice damage to the plasterboard as the excess water swells and damages the ceiling.
You may not see water dipping inside, but the water damage will continue to spread and weaken the ceiling until it collapses. 

Gutters Overflowing Or Rusted

Leaking, rusted, damaged or sagging gutters are a good indicator that it’s time to consider gutter replacement. Water stains or mould in ceiling corners and walls signify that the gutters are not working as they should.
If your gutters have gotten to the stage where they need to be replaced, it’s time to hire a professional roofer or plumber to replace the guttering and to check all your downpipes.

Roof Inspections 

We recommend you inspecting your roof at least once a year, and it’s ideal to have it professionally inspected every two years or after major storms. 
Make sure that you get photos and reports after each professional inspection so you can compare them each time.
It is important to identify minor defects and potential water leaks at an early stage. 
Regular roof inspections and quick repairs are quick and easy fix and prevents further extensive damage.

Quick repairs can be loose screws and cracked seals on a metal roof or tile cracks on a tiled roof. If you never go onto your roof, you will not discover them until it is too late.

A roofing inspection should consist of:

They will closely inspect your roof for anything that requires roof repair, including:

  •     Damaged or crumbling cement between the roof tiles.
  •     Cracked or broken roof tiles
  •     Gaps between Colorbond sheets
  •     Defective tile cappings
  •     Defective flashings
  •     Damage to skylights
  •     Damage to the chimney
  •     Loose or incorrectly fitted screws
  •     Missing sealant or cracked sealing washers
  •     Rusted anything – gutters, screws, roofing sheets
  •     Blocked gutters
  •    Inspection and resealing of skylights, chimneys and whirlybirds

If damage is detected, we also recommend that you get quotes from several reputable companies in your area and have been working for years. 

All professional roofing companies should be QBCC registered, have appropriate insurance and have references from satisfied customers to ensure you have selected the right company to do your roof restoration.

Most jobs that can be quickly fixed by a qualified roofing company are;

  •     Replacing tiles.
  •     Re-roofing of tiles.
  •     Repair or replacement of guttering.
  •     Replacing flashing.
  •     Sealing minor holes or leaks in fittings or fixtures.
  •     Sealing and repairing skylights.
  •     Cleaning of roofs and gutters.
  •     Repair or replacement of guttering and leaf guards.

Smaller roof repairs are charged hourly, while fixed prices are normally charged for larger jobs. Roof repairs can be expensive, with extensive storm damage running into the tens of thousands of dollars. If you want the best price, you need to shop around.

Roof Maintenace

Apart from regular roof inspections, you can do things as a homeowner to avoid roof damage and extend the life of your roof. And even if your roof is a few years old, good maintenance will extend its life and save you from having to replace it prematurely. Here’s what you need to do to get the most out of your roof.

 

gutter cleaning

Clean The Gutters

Water stains and damp damage on your ceilings around the walls and cornices are typical problems caused by clogged gutters. When gutters are full of leaves, they will overflow.

The water is forced upwards as the water has nowhere to go, and it can be pushed back under the roof eaves and into the ceiling cavity, where it will eventually end up onto the plasterboard ceiling and into the wall cavities. Repairing both the damaged ceiling and damaged gutters can run into the thousands of dollars.

You can easily avoid all this by cleaning your gutters every autumn and spring. 

In Brisbane, we tend to have thunderstorms from late October through to February/March. Gum trees have a massive leaf drop at the end of summer.
Checking gutters and getting them cleaned at least yearly or even twice a year if you are surrounded by bushland. If you have a lowset home, you can do this yourself in a couple of hours of work on a ladder or hire a professional if you are not willing to go on a ladder or have a high set home.
Using products like gutter guard can also help with excess leaf litter in your gutters.

Pruning Back Trees

Pruning trees goes a long way in keeping leaves off your roof and protecting your roof from damage. The constant abrasion from branches and leaves on your roof can also eventually damage the surface. High winds and rain can lead to branches falling onto a roof.
When branches fall, they not only damage a roof, it can potentially kill somebody if the roof collapses in.
Overhanging branches also give rodents access to your roof and entry into your roof cavity. In parts of Brisbane, trees also give pythons easy access. Pythons can cause extensive damage to ceilings as they are heavy when they are sitting on the plasterboard sheeting.
Branches need to be 2 metres from the roof to keep rodents and snakes at bay. 
Pruning branches that hang over the roof may require an arborist.

Moss and Lichen

Although moss can look really lovely in some garden settings and landscaping designs, you do not want moss growing on your roof. 
If left to grow unchecked, moss can damage roofs of all kinds – including timber and tiles. 
Here’s how it happens: Moss grows between tiles.
Over time, it compacts and lifts the tile off the roof, allowing water to penetrate.
Moss will also grow in gutters that have damp leaf litter, over time the weight and moisture from the damp litter and moss will start damaging the gutters, blocking them and leading to rust. If you have your roof painted, moss and lichen will damage the roof coating. So keep an eye on moss and get your roof cleaned.

Seal The Joins

Flashings are the metal strips (usually aluminium, galvanised metal or lead) that run along the edges or joints of the roof. 
They are necessary to divert water or keep water out of areas that be covered with tiles. They are also used around things on your roof like skylights, whirlybirds, air vents and chimneys. 

Over time they can rust, crack, lift or peel. In Australia, lead flashing is often used as it lasts for decades with little to no maintenance. 
It also doesn’t contain rubber that deteriorates over time in the sun, making it less likely that you’ll need to caulk and reseal those problem areas of your roof flashing.

What is a Roof Restoration?

A roof restoration is a more affordable option than a roof replacement and can increase the lifespan of your roof by 10-15 years and increase the resale value of your home.
Roof restoration involves a through clean of the roof and then applying roof coatings or roof paint to the surface of tiles or metal roofs. 
The paint is meant to serve several functions; it reseals the surface of tiles that have become porous with age while recoating metal roofs protects the surface from corrosion and rust.

The following roof surfaces are ideal for refurbishment.

  •    Terracotta tiles
  •    Cement tiles
  •    Iron/metal cladding

 

painted tile roof

Roof Restoration Benefits

A restored roof also offers homeowners a chance to do a makeover on their roof. There are 32 colour choices of roof coatings that can be applied to a roof.
We can make a home instantly look more modern when the roof is painted a darker colour. Or we can lighten and brighten the appearance of a house with a fresh new look.
Or we can stick to the same colours and make the roof look brighter and clean again.
The roof coatings that we use also have heat reflective properties, which will also help keep your home cooler in summer.
Roof painting is a great way to change the look of your home.

restored roof end result

How Long Does A Roof Renovation Take?

The length of time a roof renovation takes depends mainly on the condition and size of your roof. Roofs that don’t need repairs can be completed on the same day as long as the weather conditions are favourable. Roofs that need significant repairs will have their completion time extended.
A roof older than ten years, will almost always require some repair work, such as replacing cracked tiles, repointing ridge tiles and damaged flashing. 
All repair work and roof cleaning must be completed before restoration can start.

Roof Replacement

There are times when no amount of repairs or restoration work can save a roof. Eventually a roof will need to be replaced

Here are some signs that your roof needs to be replaced;

  •     Rising roof repair and maintenance costs.
  •     Rotting roof timbers.
  •     Your roof is sagging.
  •     Most of your roof tiles are brittle or broken.
  •     Large amounts of corrosion on the roof surface 
  •     Damage or mould on interior ceilings.

Brisbane Roof Restoration

 We specialise in roof repairs using For tiled roofs, we use the best materials and expert workmanship. 
These things ensure you get a quality repair that can last the rest of your roof.
When you hire us for your roof repairs, you get a 3-year warranty on workmanship and a 15-year warranty on materials. 
So you can sleep easy knowing you have a good roof over your head.
So contact us at Retro Roof and we can get on your roof, identify any problems and suggest the quickest and most cost-effective way to restore your roof and make your home look great and keep it weatherproof again.

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