What Hervey Bay does to a roof's finish
Federation Queenslanders
Fraser Coast Regional Council says Queenslanders from about the 1890s to 1915 survive mainly in Pialba and Urangan. Their iron roofs can often be rust-treated and recoated, but rusted-through sheets have to be replaced first. Talk to council before changing the look of a heritage or character home.
Homes from the boom
Pialba was the first bayside township, in 1863, but Hervey Bay really took off from the 1980s and became a city in 1984. Queensland says homes built before 1990 are likely to contain some asbestos, so find out what the roof is made of before anyone cleans it.
Salt in the air
Lysaght rates seawater and salt spray as the biggest influence on which roofing steel lasts, measured by distance from breaking surf. When overpainting steel in salty spots, BlueScope recommends a coating system with better corrosion resistance, such as a zinc-rich primer.
Sun on the coating
Trade winds keep summers mild, with a record high of 36.8 °C, but the sun still does its work. Dulux says coatings fade partly through chalking, when UV breaks down the acrylic binder, so the most exposed slopes usually dull first.
Restore or replace?
| Restore | Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Tiles or sheets | Sound, with a few cracked tiles or surface rust | Cracking all over, or sheets rusted through |
| Ridge caps | Rebedded and repointed as part of the job | Replaced with the new roof |
| Close to the water | Recoated with a system suited to salt air | New steel chosen by distance from the bay, which BlueScope classes as exposed |
| Fibre cement on a pre-1990 house | Sealing only, never pressure cleaning | Licensed removal, then a new roof |
What a restoration involves
Inspection
A roofer checks tiles or sheets, ridges, flashings and gutters, and tells you honestly whether the roof is worth restoring.
Cleaning
Mould, lichen and salt film come off. Monier advises against pressure washers on tiles, so ask what method and pressure they'll use.
Repairs
Cracked tiles replaced, ridge caps rebedded and repointed with flexible compound, rusted screws swapped for coastal-rated ones.
Coating
Primer, then topcoats. On concrete tiles, Monier says a new coat is about looks rather than waterproofing. On steel near the water, the primer choice matters most.
Questions to ask before a Hervey Bay restoration
- Is my roof sound enough to restore, or would I be coating a roof that's finished?
- Which coating system will you use, and does it suit salt air at my distance from the water?
- Which sheets or tiles need replacing first, and is that in the price?
- Could any part of the roof be asbestos cement?
- What warranty comes with the coating, and what do I need to do to keep it valid?
- Will there be a written contract and home warranty cover, since this is over $3,300?
Our take in Hervey Bay
If the roof is structurally sound, restoring it is usually money well spent, especially on a boom-era house you plan to keep. Near the water, though, we'd press the roofer on the coating system and the fixings, because salt is what will undo the work. If sheets are rusting through, we'd put the money towards a new roof in the right steel. Read the national roof restoration page and our Hervey Bay page for more.
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.