What's different about Elizabeth roofs
One town, one building boom
Work on the first neighbourhood, Elizabeth South, started in 1954, the first houses were occupied in 1955, and the town was named on 16 November that year. The Trust planned it partly because it could no longer build big rental estates closer to Adelaide.
Bungalows, so the roofs are low
The Trust's Elizabeth houses were bungalows, meaning one level. Single-storey roofs are quicker and safer to work on than two-storey ones, which helps keep labour and scaffolding costs down.
What the Trust roofed with
Housing Trust homes of the 1950s austerity years were roofed with cement or terracotta tiles, or with corrugated sheets of galvanised iron or asbestos cement. Most were brick with cavity walls.
Hail in 2021
Elizabeth was one of the areas most claims came from when the Insurance Council declared a catastrophe after the hail and wind of late October 2021.
Heritage interest in Elizabeth South
The 1997 City of Elizabeth heritage survey proposed an Elizabeth South Historic Conservation Zone. If you're in the oldest streets, ask the City of Playford whether any controls apply before changing the look of the roof.
Restore or replace an Elizabeth Trust roof?
| Restore | Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Suits | Sound cement or terracotta tiles with worn ridges and coating | Lots of cracked tiles, rusted-through iron, or asbestos sheeting being removed |
| What's done | Clean, rebed and repoint ridges, replace broken tiles, recoat | Strip the old roof and lay new tiles or steel |
| Watch out for | Paying to restore a roof that's failing all over | Moving from tiles to lightweight steel may need engineering advice, Monier says |
Asbestos comes first on the oldest roofs
Corrugated asbestos cement was one of the Trust's roofing materials, and SafeWork SA says homes built or renovated before the mid-1980s are highly likely to contain asbestos somewhere, roofs and eaves included. Don't cut, drill, water-blast or walk on a sheet roof you can't identify.
SafeWork SA recommends a licensed removalist, and a Class B licence covers more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos such as fibro. Asbestos roof replacement walks through how the job runs.
Our take for an Elizabeth roof
On a Trust-era tiled roof with sound tiles, we'd restore and spend the difference elsewhere. On a corrugated sheet roof from the 1950s, we'd get a sample tested before any other decision, because asbestos changes the whole job. Either way, get two quotes that list the same scope so you're comparing like with like.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.