Where Enfield's roofs come from
A small village first
George Hickox laid out Enfield in 1843. A few early houses survive, including Pine Forest on Gurney Terrace, built in the 1850s, and Barton Vale on Walker Court, both on the South Australian Heritage Register.
The 1950s building rush
Next door in Clearview, part of which used to be called Enfield Heights, much of the housing went up in the 1950s, many homes in the economical austerity style. Across the state, shortages of brick and galvanised iron were filled with timber and cement roof tiles, imported prefabricated materials and fibro.
Imported timber houses
Between 1950 and 1954 the Housing Trust imported 3,832 prefabricated timber houses from Britain and Germany, and the first were let at Clearview. A lightweight timber house shouldn't have heavier roofing added without a structural check.
Young owners, mostly houses
At the 2021 Census Enfield's median age was 34, and 77.0% of homes were separate houses, 17.8% semis or townhouses and 5.0% flats. Plenty of these roofs are now with owners who didn't see them go on.
Bought an older Enfield house? Check the roof in this order
Work out what it's made of
Cement tile, terracotta, steel or cement sheet. SafeWork SA says homes built or renovated before the mid-1980s are highly likely to contain asbestos, and roofs and eaves are among the places it's found.
Leave suspect sheets alone
No drilling, cutting, water-blasting or walking on fibro. Only a NATA accredited laboratory test can confirm asbestos.
Get a roof inspection
It's cheap next to a surprise re-roof. Our roof reports page covers what you should get.
Decide repair, restore or replace
Sound cement tiles can usually be restored. Cement sheet near the end of its life is a replacement job, with a licensed removalist taking the old sheets away.
What we'd do in Enfield
We'd treat any unidentified sheet roof, eave or shed in Enfield as asbestos until tested, and plan the job from there. On a cement tile roof in reasonable shape, we'd restore rather than replace. And if you're still deciding whether to buy, we'd get the roof looked at before you commit.
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.