What a Townsville roof does to paint
Sun that never really lets up
Even July averages a 25.1°C maximum at Townsville Airport, and the dry season brings months of mostly fine weather. Dulux says roof coatings fade as UV breaks down the acrylic binder, which shows up as chalking. Expect a coating here to work hard all year, not just in summer.
Salt near the bay
For salt marine locations, BlueScope says to use a paint system with better corrosion resistance, such as a zinc-rich primer, under a water-based acrylic. Homes along the Strand or on Magnetic Island should ask what primer is going on before they ask about colour.
Old houses on stumps
Historian Henry Reynolds remembered most Townsville houses in 1965 standing up on stumps. High-set homes mean longer ladders and edge protection, which adds to a painting quote. Older roofs from that era may also be fibro, which changes the whole job.
Heritage streets
Flinders Street has many preserved 19th and early 20th century buildings, and North Ward has heritage-listed homes such as Selhurst and Kardinia. For places on the Queensland Heritage Register, most changes need approval first, and a new roof colour is a change.
Before anyone picks up a spray gun
On Colorbond or Zincalume, overpainting voids BlueScope's warranty, and air-dried paint weathers differently from the factory finish. BlueScope says scratches under 2 mm wide that can't be seen from the ground are best left alone. If the roof is under a year or two old, check the warranty before you paint.
On concrete tiles, Monier says the colour coat is decorative and plays no part in waterproofing, and a repaint needs redoing about every five years to keep the look. Terracotta doesn't need painting at all. Our guides to painting metal roofs and painting tile roofs go further.
One licensing quirk: the QBCC's roof cladding and roof tiling licences cover refurbishing roofs but specifically not painting them. Ask a painter which licence they hold and check it on the QBCC register. Work over $3,300 still needs a written contract.
Asbestos roofs must not be water-blasted
It's illegal in Queensland to use a high pressure water blaster on an asbestos cement roof, and homeowners can be fined up to $10,000 plus clean-up costs. If your roof might be fibro, get it tested before anyone prepares it for paint. Queensland's asbestos authority suggests a fungicide and sealant instead of cleaning.
Questions to ask a roof painter
- What paint system and primer are you using, and does it suit salt air?
- How will you clean the roof first, and is it safe for my roof type?
- Will painting void a manufacturer's warranty on my roof?
- What's the coating warranty, and what maintenance does it depend on?
- Will you replace rusted screws or broken tiles before painting, or only paint over them?
- What licence do you hold, and can I see it?
Our honest view
We'd only paint a Townsville roof after someone has checked the fixings and sheets underneath. If screws are rusting or sheets are thinning, put the money towards repairs or a re-roof first. If the roof is sound and just tired, a light colour with a proper primer is a sensible way to buy it more years.
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.
Tell us your suburb and whether the roof is metal or tile, and we'll pass your job to one local roof painter where we have one. Our national roof painting page and the Townsville hub have more.