So, you’ve heard the term “roof restoration” used, but what exactly is a roof restoration?
The reason the “roof restoration” can be a little unclear, is that it describes the outcome of service rather than the process.
A roof restoration is a service during which your roof is “restored” back to functioning and looking like a brand-new roof.
What is involved in that process? Well, that depends on your roof.
The roof restoration process, and as a result, price, will depend on a number of factors, including;
Roofing Material: In Perth, 99% of roofs will be one of three roofing materials. Terracotta tiles, concrete tiles, or metal sheeting (Colorbond). What material your roof is will change the roof restoration process.
Roof Condition: The age and condition of your roof will affect what needs to be done to restore your roof. Damaged tiles may need swapping out, flashings need replacing or sealing, valleys and gutters may need replacing etc.
Budget and Desired Outcome: Depending on your budget there may be some options that you choose to forgo, like sealing or painting the tiles that are lower priority than replacing damaged tiles or pointing the ridge caps.
The roof restoration process for terracotta tiles is usually as follows.
Changing out damaged tiles
Damaged tiles are first replaced in order to make the roof water tight before cleaning.
High pressure cleaning
The Roof is high pressure cleaned in order to remove lichen, mould, moss etc.
Re-point and re-bed ridge caps
Ridge caps are re-pointed with a flexible mortar, which seals gaps between tiles and ridge caps. In some cases where ridge caps have become loose, new bedding may be needed as well.
Replace valleys and gutters
In cases where valleys and gutters are heavily rusted, these will be replaced with new ones.
Flashings and roof penetrations
In some cases, flashings and roof penetrations may need replacing, or resealing if only small cracks are present.
Sealing roof tiles
Sealing terracotta tiles is an optional step in the roof restoration process. Sealing will prevent the tiles from absorbing water and thus prevent mould and lichen from growing on the tiles.
Terracotta tile sealing is done using a clear sealer, rather than coloured paint like on concrete tiles. If coloured paint is used on terracotta tiles, it can result in the paint chipping and flaking within a few years and the only fix will be to paint again. As terracotta tiles get their orange colour naturally from the clay, or by glazing from the factory, they won’t lose this natural colour, even after 80+ years. Covering them with a short-term paint will only increase the maintenance required to keep them looking nice.
The roof restoration process for concrete tiles will be the same as for terracotta tiles, with one major difference.
Roof Painting
Concrete tiles, in addition to being naturally grey in colour, and thus not very visually appearing, are also much more porous than terracotta tiles.
To address both of these issues, concrete tiles are sealed with coloured roof paint from the factory. This gives the tiles their colour and seals the surface, preventing them from absorbing moisture.
Unsealed concrete tiles will absorb a significant amount of water, which allows mould, moss, algae and other organics to grow on the tiles. In addition, this absorbed water can increase the weight of your roof significantly, which can potentially cause damage to roof battens and roof trusses.
Over time, this paint will fade and wear off due to constant exposure to wind, rain and harsh UV rays from the sun. Your concrete tile roof will then need to be repainted, using a high-quality acrylic membrane paint.
This re-seals the concrete tiles, once again preventing them from absorbing moisture and protecting them from the elements.
You can get a free quote to restore and re-seal and paint your roof here.
“It’s a pleasure dealing with honest, upfront and personable tradies. Thank you Che! You did everything that was required with a good team of people who, as you do, cared about their customers. Couldn’t be more delighted to recommend your services to anybody that wants a roof job done in good time. Worked weekends to beat the rain as well. ”
– John, Beaconsfield, Perth
“Che was real from the start did exactly what he said and when he said the job is great he cleaned up and didn’t affect the neighbours all in all very satisfied at the right price.
Thanks West Wash” – Russel, Huntingdale, Perth
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