Getting Colorbond right in Wollongong
Measure to the surf
With patrolled surf beaches from Stanwell Park to Windang, distance is the first question. Lysaght, a BlueScope business, recommends COLORBOND Ultra for Wollongong homes 100 to 200 m from breaking surf and SUPERDURA stainless for anything nearer. Beyond 200 m, standard COLORBOND is BlueScope's own pick.
Wind from the west
Winter westerlies can gust over 100 km/h. Lysaght says corrugated roofing should always be fixed through the crests, and the NCC sets how many ribs need a fastener: every second rib on end spans and every third on internal spans, plus the side lap. Ask how your sheets will be fixed before you ask about colour.
Rain driven in from the east
Moist easterlies push rain sideways off the sea. Lysaght recommends blocking rib cavities with infill strips, turn-downs or stop-ends in severe environments, which keeps out wind-driven rain, dust, insects and embers.
The northern bushfire suburbs
Where Black Christmas burned, from Helensburgh up to Stanwell Tops, it helps to know that BlueScope rates COLORBOND roofing, gutters and downpipes as usable in a compliant system all the way to BAL-FZ under AS 3959:2018.
Hail now and then
Warm-season storms occasionally bring hail. BlueScope says dents don't usually shorten a COLORBOND roof's life, though big dents on a low-pitched roof can cause ponding and bent overlaps can let water in.
Installation details worth asking about
Choose the grade first and the colour second. Standard COLORBOND comes in 22 core colours, while Ultra narrows that to seven, so inside 200 m of the surf you're picking from the shorter list. Our Colorbond colours pages show each one.
BlueScope says neutral cure sealants are the right choice for COLORBOND, because sealants that smell of vinegar or ammonia give off by-products as they cure that corrode the coating. It also wants swarf (the metal filings from cutting and drilling) swept or hosed off at the end of each day, since it rusts and stains the roof.
Metal roofing is roof plumbing work in NSW. If the job is worth more than $5,000, the roofer needs a roof plumbing contractor licence, which you can check on Verify NSW.
What to ask a Wollongong roofer
- How far is my house from the high water mark, and which grade does that put me in?
- How will the sheets be fixed for westerly gales: which screws, and how many per sheet?
- Will you fit infill strips or stop-ends at the ribs?
- Which sealant are you using on laps and flashings?
- Is my address on the Wollongong or Shellharbour bush fire prone map?
- Who registers the BlueScope warranty once the roof is on?
The call we'd make
Let the distance to the surf choose the steel and the westerlies choose the fixings, then pick a colour from whatever range is left. A roofer who explains both without being asked is usually one worth hiring.
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.