What makes Lane Cove roofs different
Five steep fingers
The Lane Cove River cuts a gorge through the Hawkesbury sandstone, and creeks split the ridges into the 'five fingers' of Greenwich, Northwood, Longueville, Riverview and Linley Point. Steep, rocky blocks often mean scaffolding or edge protection, which should be its own line on a quote.
Tall gums over the gutters
The slopes and gullies were forested with bluegum, blackbutt, stringybark, red mahogany and turpentine. About 16% of Lane Cove is public recreation land, with bushland along the river near Riverview and Lane Cove West, and the national park next door.
Flats along the main roads
The first block of flats went up in 1962, and nearly 200 lined the main roads around the village by 1979. By 2021, 62.4% of homes were flats or apartments, while the side streets kept their single houses.
River water, not surf
BlueScope's calm class covers protected water such as river estuaries, and it names the Parramatta River as calm. It doesn't name the Lane Cove River, so if you're near the water and choosing steel, have your roofer confirm the class.
The jobs that keep coming up
Gutter cleaning, more than once a year. Monier's advice is a gutter, downpipe and valley clean at least yearly, or twice a year in tree-lined streets. On a two-storey home on a slope, that's work for someone with proper ladders and a harness. See gutter cleaning in Sydney.
Guards that suit gum leaves. Leaf guards cut down how much ends up in the gutter. Ask how the guard is fixed on your roof type and how it gets cleaned. Gutter guards in Sydney compares the options.
Shared roofs on older blocks. On a block of flats the roof is shared, so repairs go through the strata. The NSW EPA says homes built before 1990 probably contain some asbestos, so check before anyone cuts or drills.
Questions for a roofer on a steep Lane Cove block
- How will you get safe access, and is scaffolding included in the price?
- Can you clean the gutters and check the valleys in the same visit?
- Will you send photos of the roof itself, not just the gutters?
- Have you worked with strata managers on shared roofs before?
Where we'd start in Lane Cove
Under big gums, we'd book the gutters and valleys cleaned before the wetter months and again before summer, with photos each time. Water spilling from a blocked gutter or valley can look exactly like a roof leak from inside, so rule that out before paying for bigger repairs.
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.