Chelsea's roofs and where they came from
Units everywhere
At the 2021 Census, 41.7% of occupied dwellings were flats or apartments, 23.5% semi-detached or townhouses and 34.7% separate houses. Many older houses were knocked down for single-storey units in the 1960s and 1970s.
Shack beginnings
Victorian Places says the local timber yard served home builders and do-it-yourself holiday shacks, that the city was held back by sub-standard holiday houses, and that the area wasn't sewered until 1965.
Old swamp, still low
Chelsea stayed flood prone whenever the Dandenong Creek surged into what had been the Carrum Swamp, until works upstream and at the outfall improved things.
A long beach, and salt
Chelsea's long beach is overlooked by many houses. BlueScope classes this stretch of Port Phillip as exposed salt water, not calm.
What that means on a Chelsea roof
One roof, several owners. A block of units often sits under one continuous roof. That's good for cost, because one roofer can do the lot, but someone has to organise it. Usually that's the owners corporation, so start there before anyone quotes.
Asbestos in units of that age. EPA Victoria says houses built before 1990 are likely to have some asbestos, and roofing tiles are one product it can be in. Eaves and cladding on 1960s and 1970s units are worth asking about too. Get a test before drilling, cutting or cleaning.
Gutters on low ground. Kingston uses flood overlays for both creek flooding and overland flow, so water handling matters here. Keep gutters and downpipes flowing, and check the outlets aren't silted at ground level. See gutter cleaning in Melbourne and gutter replacement in Melbourne.
Salt on the metal. BlueScope's maintenance bulletin says areas the rain doesn't wash should be cleaned every three months in coastal spots with salt spray, rather than every six. On units, that means the eaves, the undersides of gutters and sheltered flashings.
If it were our unit block
We'd get the owners corporation to commission one roofer for the whole roof, with an asbestos check written into the job. We'd fix the gutters and downpipes before chasing smaller leaks, because on low ground, rain that can't get away quickly is the bigger risk.
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.
