What Hamilton roofs are dealing with
Hamilton is largely Federation and interwar housing, which means original terracotta tile, decorative ridge capping, and roof geometry with more hips, valleys and gables than a post-war roof has. That is attractive and it is also more places for water to get in. Valleys in particular do a lot of work on these roofs, and a rusted valley iron under the tiles is one of the more common causes of a leak that presents nowhere near the actual fault.
The other thing about Hamilton is that it sits low and flat, and parts of it have a long history with stormwater in heavy rain. That shifts the emphasis. On a Hamilton roof the capacity of the guttering and downpipes, and whether they are actually connected and running to stormwater, is not a detail. Undersized or blocked downpipes on an old roof with a big catchment area is how water ends up going somewhere it should not.
What we look at first here
Valleys, capacity and the age of the mortar. On this kind of roof those three cover most of what goes wrong.
Downpipe and gutter capacity
A big Federation roof sheds a lot of water into a system that is often original and undersized. In heavy rain the failure is not the roof, it is the gutter overflowing back under the tiles because the downpipes cannot take it away fast enough.
Valley irons under the tiles
These roofs have more valleys than newer ones, and the iron under them rusts out of sight. Replacing one means lifting and re-bedding the tiles either side, so it costs more than the sheet of metal suggests and it is worth catching early.
Original terracotta and its mortar
Century-old terracotta is usually sound. The cement mortar holding the ridge and hip capping is not, and matching a discontinued profile when tiles do need replacing means sourcing from salvage rather than buying new.
What we do in Hamilton
Pressure clean, re-bed and re-point the ridge capping, replace broken tiles, then a coating system. Typically buys another 10 to 15 years out of a sound tile roof.
Learn moreSlipped and cracked tiles, failed pointing, rusted valley irons and flashing. We find what is actually causing the problem rather than patching the wet patch.
Learn moreWhen the battens or sarking have gone, a coating will not save it. We strip the old roof and re-sheet, usually to Colorbond steel.
Learn moreColorbond steel roofing, supplied and installed. Lighter than tile, quick to install, and it holds up well to the salt air along the coast.
Learn moreRoof plumbing is its own licensed trade: metal roofing, guttering, downpipes, flashing and box gutters. If water is meant to move, this is the work that moves it.
Learn moreA stain on the ceiling or a drip during last night's rain. Call us and we will come and look at it, find where the water is actually getting in, and make it safe.
Learn more
Common questions
Water came in during heavy rain but the roof is fine in normal weather. Why?
That pattern usually points at capacity rather than a hole. Gutters overflowing back under the tiles, a blocked valley, or downpipes that cannot clear the volume all behave exactly like that. It is worth diagnosing properly, because sealing the roof will not fix a drainage problem.
Can you match Federation terracotta tiles?
Usually, through salvage. The profiles and glazes used a century ago are not manufactured now, so matching means sourcing second-hand rather than buying new. We would rather spend the time on that than put an obviously different tile on a street-facing roof.
Is decorative ridge capping worth keeping?
Where it is intact, yes, and it can generally be lifted, re-bedded and put back rather than replaced with a plain modern cap. It is one of the things that makes these roofs look right, and losing it is hard to undo.
Should I upgrade my downpipes?
On a large old roof it is often the single most useful thing you can do, and it is far cheaper than most roof work. Whether yours need it depends on the catchment area and what is there now, which is a straightforward thing to assess on site.
Around Hamilton
We cover the streets either side of Hamilton as well, so if you are just over the boundary it is the same job and the same free inspection.
- Hamilton East
- Hamilton South
- Islington
- Broadmeadow
- Wickham
- Maryville
- Georgetown
Roof playing up in Hamilton?
Give us a call and we will come and look at it. Free on-site inspection across Newcastle and the wider Hunter, with the quote in writing before anything starts.