What a roof restoration actually involves
Restoration is not painting. Painting is the last stage of it, and doing that stage on its own is how people end up paying twice. A proper restoration is a sequence, and each step exists because the one after it fails without it.
It suits a roof where the tiles and the structure underneath are still in good order, and what has worn out is the mortar, a handful of tiles and the surface itself. If the battens or sarking have gone, no amount of coating will save it, and we will tell you that rather than quote you for one.
How we do it
Inspect and report back
We get on the roof, photograph what we find and check the battens from inside the roof space. You keep the photos either way.
Pressure clean the roof
Moss, lichen and grime come off, and hidden cracks show themselves. The quote is confirmed here rather than guessed at.
Replace broken tiles
Cracked and slipped tiles swapped out, profile matched. On older roofs that can mean sourcing second-hand tiles.
Re-bed and re-point the caps
The mortar bed under the ridge caps is rebuilt, then flexible pointing over it. Rigid mortar cracks again the first hot summer.
Seal, prime and top coat
A primer, then two membrane coats. This is the part that fails early if anything above it was skipped.
Restoration usually makes sense when
- The tiles are sound and only a few are cracked or slipped
- Ridge capping mortar has cracked and needs re-bedding and re-pointing
- The surface has gone chalky or porous but is not leaking through
- Battens and sarking are still in good order
- The roof has not already been coated more than once
When restoration is the wrong call
- Battens or sarking have rotted, so there is nothing sound to fix to
- The roof leaks in several places rather than one
- The tiles themselves are delaminating rather than just dirty
- You are about to re-roof for another reason anyway
In those cases the honest answer is a replacement, and we would rather say so at the quote than halfway through the job.
What does a roof restoration cost in Newcastle?
Most restorations on a standard single-storey Newcastle home land somewhere between $4,000 and $9,000. That is a genuine range rather than a hedge, and the spread comes from four things: the size of the roof, its pitch, how hard it is to get access and equipment to, and how much of the ridge capping needs rebuilding rather than just re-pointing.
A steep two-storey roof with difficult access can sit well above that. A small, low-pitched roof in good condition can sit below it. Anyone quoting you a firm price over the phone without seeing the roof is guessing, and the number will move once they are standing on it.
We quote in writing after the inspection, with the cleaning stage confirming it, so the figure you sign is the figure at the end.
Restoring a roof near the water
From Merewether down through Redhead and around to Swansea, salt spray changes the job. Coatings chalk faster, fasteners corrode sooner and the windward face of a roof will always be further gone than the sheltered one. We spec for that rather than treating a Warners Bay roof and a Stockton roof as the same job, and it is worth asking any roofer you get a quote from how they are allowing for it.
Common questions
How long does a roof restoration take?
Most jobs run three to five days on site, spread over a slightly longer window because the coats need time to cure and none of it can happen in the rain. A bigger or steeper roof takes longer.
Is a roof restoration worth it, or should I just replace the roof?
It depends entirely on what is under the tiles. If the battens and sarking are sound, restoration costs a fraction of a replacement and buys 10 to 15 years. If they have gone, restoration is money spent on a roof that still needs replacing. That is the first thing we check.
Will a restoration stop my roof leaking?
If the leak is coming from cracked pointing, broken tiles or a porous surface, yes. If it is coming from failed flashing, a valley iron or a structural problem, those are separate repairs and we would identify them at the inspection rather than coat over them.
How often does a tile roof need restoring?
Roughly every 10 to 15 years on the coast, a little longer inland. A roof that has already been coated twice is usually at the point where replacement is the better spend.
Do you restore metal roofs as well?
Metal roofs need a different approach and often a recoat rather than a restoration in this sense. Corroded sheeting is generally replaced rather than treated. Ask us and we will tell you which one your roof is looking at.
Related services
When 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 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 moreA recoat or a colour change on a roof that is otherwise sound. Roof spraying is a different trade from house painting, and it is done off a clean, repaired surface or not at all.
Learn more
Thinking about roof restoration?
We will come and look at the roof, photograph what we find and put a price in writing. Free, across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.