What Maroubra roofs face
A surf beach by name
In 2006 Maroubra Beach became Australia's second national surfing reserve, after Bells Beach. BlueScope doesn't list Maroubra in its examples, but its surf class means breaking surf and ocean spray, so get your roofer to confirm the class for your street.
Gales off the sea
On 6 May 1898 the iron ship Hereward was driven ashore at the northern end of the beach by gale-force winds. Loose ridge caps and lifted flashings are what give way on days like that.
Beach blocks from 1911
On Australia Day 1911, 60 waterside blocks were auctioned as the Surf Bathers Estate, and the tram reached the beach in 1921. Some houses near the water are now more than a century old.
The Coral Sea estate
The NSW Housing Commission took over the old speedway site in 1947 and built the Coral Sea estate between 1951 and 1961. In 2021, 29.6% of Maroubra's homes were separate houses, 20.9% semis or townhouses and 48.5% flats.
Before anyone works on a post-war roof
The NSW EPA says homes built before 1990 probably contain asbestos. In Maroubra that takes in the Coral Sea estate and most older houses and flats. Don't let anyone drill, cut, water-blast or walk on fibro sheeting or old roof sheets until it's been tested.
The jobs that come up in Maroubra
Salt checks on fixings and flashings. BlueScope's maintenance bulletin asks for unwashed areas to be cleaned every three months near salt spray. Screws, flashings and the undersides of gutters tend to show rust before the sheets do.
Ridge and tile work after wind. Monier lists cracked ridge mortar as a common cause of leaks. Ridge capping repairs are worth doing before East Coast Lows arrive in autumn and early winter.
Near the beach, the quote should name the product and the distance it's rated for. Roof replacement in Sydney has more.
What we'd do in Maroubra
Within a few streets of the beach, we'd have a roofer check fixings, flashings and gutters every couple of years instead of waiting for a drip. On any older house, we'd get the asbestos question answered before the roof is touched, because it changes who can do the work and how.
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.