Bentleigh's roofs, street by street
A late 1920s rush
Glen Eira's heritage statements say Bentleigh grew rapidly from about the mid-1920s once railway electrification improved services. In the Rose Hill estate, much of the building dates to 1928 to 1931, probably the busiest years in the area.
Rose Street (HO168)
This precinct takes in Rose Street and 253 to 259 Centre Road, built 1928 to 1945, mostly in the Bungalow style. Its hipped and gabled roofs are predominantly terracotta, glazed and unglazed, with just one concrete roof. The original chimneys and gable-end detailing are part of what's protected.
The Highway (HO169)
Built in only three years, 1939 to 1942, these Tudor Revival and Moderne houses have hipped or gabled roofs in glazed terracotta or concrete tiles.
Then the 1950s
Victorian Places says Bentleigh had another burst of rapid residential growth in the 1950s, as the last market gardens disappeared.
Mostly houses
At the 2021 Census, 59.7% of Bentleigh's occupied dwellings were separate houses, with the rest split almost evenly between townhouses and flats.
What Bentleigh roofs usually need
Ridge capping. The mortar under the ridge caps cracks and lets go long before good terracotta does. Rebedding (relaying the mortar) and repointing (the flexible top coat) fixes it. More in rebedding and repointing in Melbourne.
Broken tiles, matched properly. Terracotta's colour is fired in and doesn't fade, which makes second-hand tiles a good match for a 1920s roof. See reclaimed tiles.
Painting: usually no. Monier doesn't recommend painting terracotta, and once it's painted it needs recoating from then on. If someone offers to 'restore' your terracotta with paint, ask what problem it solves.
Gutters under glazed tiles. BlueScope warns that galvanised gutters can corrode early under glazed terracotta, and recommends COLORBOND or ZINCALUME steel gutters instead. See Colorbond gutters.
How long will it last? Sources differ. Monier says more than a century of service isn't unusual for terracotta. The NSW Government's heritage schedule plans on 40 years, with an inspection every 7 years. Either way, the ridges and flashings decide when you need a roofer.
What a good Bentleigh quote should spell out
- How many tiles will be replaced, and where the replacements come from
- Whether the ridges will be fully rebedded or only repointed
- That no paint or coating goes on the terracotta unless you've asked for it
- What the gutters are made of, if they're being replaced
If it were our bungalow
We'd keep the terracotta, fix the ridges and swap broken tiles for matching second-hand ones. We'd say no to paint. If the gutters are rusting under a glazed tile roof, we'd replace them in COLORBOND or ZINCALUME steel rather than galvanised. If you're in Rose Street or The Highway, we'd talk to Glen Eira before changing anything that shows from the street.
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.
