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Roof Replacement & Re-Roofing in Medina

Full re-roofs, tile to Colorbond, asbestos removal and metal re-sheets, done to Australian Standards. Serving Medina 6167 and the far-southern suburbs.

Fully licensed & accredited — Builders Registration BC105819 · Painters Registration PC102072 · Patent ID AU-A-2020100623

Quick answer

A full replacement strips the covering and starts again, usually with new battens and sarking. It suits roofs where the tiles are breaking down or the framing has gone. For most Medina properties something smaller does the job and we would rather quote that.

Why Medina roofs behave the way they do

Medina was Kwinana's first suburb, designed in the early 1950s by Margaret Feilman, Perth's first female town planner, as the first of four “neighbourhood units” built to house workers for the new Kwinana Industrial Area. For an inspection, its single most important feature is the signature Medina house, whose original State Housing construction was highly specific: jarrah weatherboard to window height, asbestos sheeting above, on jarrah frames, floors and stumps. That fabric inspects nothing like the brick-and-tile found across most of Perth. Two things follow directly. First, a proper subfloor inspection is essential, those jarrah stumps and timber floors need checking for levelling, ventilation, moisture, borer and termite. Second, the asbestos sheeting is a defining part of the house, so careful asbestos assessment is central here, not incidental. It adds up. These are the two things a Medina report must get right. The suburb keeps its heritage Feilman “neighbourhood unit” layout, curved streets, mature street trees, some heritage-listed community buildings. Sits close to the Kwinana Industrial Area, so air quality, emissions and heavy-vehicle traffic are genuine local factors. Being near the coast and industry, salt is only a minor consideration (delignification low-to-moderate). The Medina report is really about its distinctive jarrah-and-asbestos fabric: the subfloor and the asbestos above it.

Roof Replacement in Medina: the short version

There is a middle option most quotes leave out: lift the tiles, replace the battens, add sarking and relay what you already own. Detail on our service page.

What that means for roof replacement in Medina

We check the roof space before quoting anything here, because a coastal roof can look immaculate from the driveway while the structure beneath it is finished.

A century of previous repairs means the framing under an old roof is rarely as built. Stripping it is the first time anybody has seen it properly and what turns up should be photographed and discussed.

Roofs of this era were laid straight onto battens with no sarking at all. If the covering is coming off anyway, that is the moment to add it and to improve ventilation.

Medina roofs: symptom and fix

What you are seeingWhat it usually meansWhat it needs
Asbestos sheeting, weatheredRegulated materialLicensed removal, then replace
Tiles slipping right across the roofBattens failing generallyRe-batten and relay existing tiles
Faded chalky tiles, sound structureSurface wear, not structural failureRestoration, not replacement
Tile edges crumbling in the handMaterial genuinely at end of lifeReplacement of the covering

Guide only. Every roof differs, which is why we look before quoting.

More roofing in Medina

Roof Restoration in Medina, Perth
01

Roof Restoration in Medina

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A roof restoration renews a tired but sound Medina roof for a fraction of replacement: we treat the moss and lichen, high-pressure clean, replace broken tiles, re-bed and re-point the ridge caps in a flexible compound, then seal and coat with a Dulux AcraTex membrane as accredited applicators.

It’s the right call when the tiles have decades left but the surface and pointing are gone — the same judgement we bring to nearby Orelia. We’ll tell you honestly whether a restoration suits your roof or whether repairs or a re-roof make more sense, and the finished job carries both a manufacturer coating warranty and our 10-year workmanship warranty. Most Medina homes take two to three days depending on the repairs needed before coating. As accredited applicators we prepare to the manufacturer’s specification, so the membrane actually holds — a coating only lasts if the surface beneath it was treated, cleaned and repaired properly first, which is exactly where a cheap spray-over fails within a couple of summers.

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Roof Repairs in Medina, Perth
02

Roof Repairs in Medina

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Most Medina roof problems come down to a handful of failures: cracked or slipped tiles, perished ridge pointing, rusted valley irons and tired flashings. We trace the leak to its actual source — which is rarely under the ceiling stain — and fix the cause, whether that’s replacing matching tiles, re-bedding and re-pointing the ridge in a flexible compound, or renewing a corroded valley.

We’ll always tell you honestly when a roof is genuinely repairable versus when the repairs are mounting up and a restoration would serve you better, as it often does through nearby Casuarina. Prompt repair matters: a single cracked tile left through a wet winter becomes soaked insulation, stained ceilings and, eventually, damaged roof timber. Every repair is backed by our workmanship warranty, and because we photograph what we find and talk you through it, you’ll understand exactly what was wrong and what we did about it rather than being handed a bill and a shrug.

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Roof Carpentry in Medina, Perth
03

Roof Carpentry in Medina

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Roof carpentry is the structural timber under your tiles — the rafters, battens and trusses that hold everything up. On Medina homes we repair and rebuild that framing to standard: sistering weakened members, replacing rotted or termite-damaged timber, and reinstating trusses that have been cut for a skylight, duct or downlight.

We also test for delignification, the chemical breakdown that leaves roof timber looking sound but unable to hold a fixing — the same treatment we carry out through nearby Kwinana Town Centre where the timber is worth saving rather than replacing. As registered builders we can certify structural carpentry, which a general handyman can’t, and we assess the whole load path while we’re in the roof space so a repair addresses the cause, not just the symptom. Where a member is load-bearing we prop it safely with acrow props and work to a structural engineer’s design before anything is cut — it’s the natural companion to our tie-down and structural-defect work.

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Roof Inspection in Medina, Perth
04

Roof Inspection in Medina

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A roof inspection is the cheapest way to know exactly what your Medina roof needs before you commit to anything — or before you buy. We get onto the roof and into the roof space, physically checking the tiles, pointing, valleys, flashings, gutters and the structural timber, then hand back a clear written report with photographs.

On older homes we test the timber for rot, termite damage and delignification; on newer ones we look for the builder-grade detailing faults that leak early. It’s the same thorough check we run through nearby Kwinana Beach, and it’s what tells you whether a roof needs a minor repair, a restoration or something structural. If you’re buying a home, an inspection of the one part most people skip — the roof space — is money very well spent, and the written report gives you something concrete to put in front of an agent, a buyer or your insurer rather than a verbal all-clear.

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Storm Damage Repair in Medina, Perth
05

Storm Damage Repair in Medina

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When a storm hits a Medina roof — lifting ridge caps, cracking tiles or dropping a limb through it — our first job is always to make the roof safe: tarp the opening, stop the water, and take the immediate danger out of it. Only then do we scope the permanent repair and deal with your insurer.

We document the damage thoroughly, separating genuine storm damage from pre-existing wear so the claim is properly supported, and we check the framing around any impact because a limb strike shock-loads more than the visible hole. It’s the same rapid response we bring to nearby Anketell. Getting there quickly limits the internal damage — an hour of water ingress can mean ceilings and insulation you’ll otherwise be replacing later. We liaise with your insurer directly and hand back a documented, photographed scope, so the claim is straightforward and the repair holds up in the next blow rather than becoming the next emergency.

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Roof Tie-Downs in Medina, Perth
06

Roof Tie-Downs in Medina

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A roof tie-down is the continuous chain of connections that holds the roof down to the walls and the walls to the footings, resisting the wind trying to lift the roof off. On Medina homes we assess that load path against the site’s wind classification, then reinforce it with framing anchors, triple-grips and proper anchorage wherever it falls short.

The single most important point is the re-roof: converting a tile roof to lightweight Colorbond removes dead weight and raises the net uplift, so the tie-down must be reassessed — exactly as we do through nearby Orelia. As registered builders we can certify the structural work, and we work to the wind and framing standards by name rather than guesswork. On exposed or elevated blocks we design to the wind actions in AS/NZS 1170.2 rather than a generic detail, so the roof stays put when the weather turns — it’s the natural companion to structural-defect rectification.

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See all roofing services in Medina, or read more about our roof tie-downs service across Perth.

Signs a Medina roof may genuinely need replacing

  • Fixings pulling out across the whole roof rather than in one spot
  • Tiles breaking down at the edges rather than simply faded
  • A roof line that has visibly sagged or wandered
  • Sheeting perforated rather than chalky
  • Repeated repairs that no longer hold

Local conditions in Medina

The signature Medina house: JARRAH WEATHERBOARD to window height + ASBESTOS SHEETING above, on JARRAH STUMPS with timber floors. This exact fabric demands: SUBFLOOR inspection (jarrah stumps/joists, levelling, borer, termite, ventilation, moisture) and careful ASBESTOS assessment (the sheeting is a defining feature). Inspects nothing like brick-and-tile.

Heritage 1950s Feilman 'neighbourhood unit' plan, curved streets, mature street trees; some heritage-listed community buildings; original layout intact.

Close to the Kwinana Industrial Area, air quality/emissions, heavy-vehicle traffic and industrial context a real local factor.

We cover the whole of the City of Kwinana. Around Medina that takes in Kwinana and Perth. Short drives keep roof replacement affordable on smaller jobs and most of ours are smaller jobs.

Materials and specification

Batten gauge is engineering rather than preference. It suits the profile going back on and the wind classification of the site and getting it wrong produces a roof that flexes or fails under load. Ask what spacing is specified and to what classification. A competent contractor answers immediately.

A little about Medina

Kwinana's First suburb; designed early-1950s by Margaret Feilman (Perth's first female town planner) as the first of four 'neighbourhood units' for workers in the new Kwinana Industrial Area; ~32km S of Perth; named after the ship Medina (1830); streets named for passengers/crew 1950s SHC neighbourhood-unit stock (jarrah/asbestos) + later infill; heritage town-planning layout; lower-income, established Built for the 1950s Kwinana industrial boom (BP oil refinery, BHP steel, Alcoa alumina, Csbp acid/superphosphate, Cockburn Cement), heavy-industry town None of that decides what your roof needs. It does tell us what to expect before we get the ladder out in Medina.

Recent work

Powerdrive Roofing — roof replacement for Medina homes, Perth WA
Looking to replace your old roof tiles and give your home a whole new lease on life? Powerdrive Roofing can help with our great rates on a new colorbond…
Roof replacement by Powerdrive Roofing, serving Medina, Perth
Looking to replace your old roof tiles and give your home a whole new lease on life? Powerdrive Roofing can help with our great rates on a new colorbond…

What the work involves

  • Sarking, then the new covering. A membrane goes on before the tiles or sheeting, giving a secondary water barrier the original roof almost certainly never had. In bushfire areas it forms part of ember protection
  • Flashings, penetrations and the edge. Every abutment, chimney, skylight, vent and solar mount is re-detailed and guttering is usually renewed while access exists because doing it later costs the setup twice
  • Establish whether it is warranted. Roof space first, testing battens physically rather than looking at them. A tired surface on sound structure is a restoration, not a replacement and the difference is several multiples of cost

Common questions about roof replacement in Medina

What about solar panels?

They come off and go back on, which needs coordinating with an electrical contractor. Raise it at quoting rather than discovering it mid job.

Can I change from tile to metal?

Yes and it reduces load on the structure. It also changes battens, detailing and rain noise and it costs more than relaying tile, so it is a choice rather than an economy.

How do I know a replacement quote is honest?

Ask three things. Which component has failed. Whether anyone entered the roof space. Whether photographs exist. Clear answers to all three usually mean the assessment was real.

Can I keep my existing tiles?

Usually yes. On most Perth roofs the tiles have decades left and it is the battens, fixings and missing sarking that have reached the end. Relaying is substantially cheaper than buying a roof's worth of tile.

Do you work throughout Medina?

Yes and the surrounding suburbs. Ring 0421 768 842 and tell us your street. If we are not the right people for the job we will say so rather than quoting anyway.

How to tell a real assessment from a sales visit

Compare scopes rather than totals. A cheaper quote is frequently a different job and the gap is usually treatment time, film build, or repairs excluded and raised later. Ask for the product name, coat count and what happens if more damage is found once work starts.

Getting a quote in Medina

Ring 0421 768 842. Somebody who has been on roofs will come and look at yours, photograph the findings and price the job itemised rather than by the square metre. Quotes on Medina homes stay open for a reasonable period so nobody is rushed.

Dulux AcraTex accredited applicators

Powerdrive Roofing is an accredited applicator for the Dulux AcraTex roof restoration system, so your coating carries the manufacturer’s product warranty alongside our own 10-year workmanship warranty. How the Dulux AcraTex warranty works →

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What Perth homeowners say

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Or call the office on 08 9306 1656, or 0421 768 842 after hours and emergencies.

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