Roofer in White Gum Valley

Roofing in White Gum Valley

Roofs in White Gum Valley have a particular way of going wrong and it pays to know it before you spend anything.

White Gum Valley sits behind the main ridge east of Fremantle and that single topographical fact separates it from the port suburbs barely a kilometre west. The ridge shelters it from direct ocean exposure , so while salt still reaches the suburb, it arrives with much of its force taken out. Chemical Delignification Perth and metal corrosion remain worth checking on an old tiled roof, but they sit a clear step below the coastal streets. A useful distinction when comparing two apparently similar cottages on either side of the ridge. The suburb is thought to be named for the tuart , sometimes called white gum, which is native to this ground. Mature tuarts are large and long-lived and on older blocks that has practical consequences: substantial root systems running near century-old drainage and footings and significant limb loads over roofs . They are also protected in places, so removal is not simply a matter of preference. That matters. White Gum Valley's older housing shares the district's solid-walled, lime-mortar, no-damp-proof-course construction, with heritage-listed houses among it and the alteration constraints that listing brings. But there is also a distinctly modern pocket: the former Kim Beazley School closed in 2008. Was demolished in 2011 to make way for housing, so post-2011 homes now sit among stock a century older. Establishing which of the two you are looking at determines the whole inspection.

The ocean air reaches further inland than most people assume. It settles on every sloping surface and because a roof stays damp longer than a wall does, salt gets a much better grip up there. Fixings usually go first.

Old roofs need a lighter hand than modern ones. Original terracotta is brittle, early profiles have not been manufactured for decades and a century of settlement means very little sits square. Matching salvage stock beats putting modern tiles across an old elevation.

On estate housing of this vintage we are usually looking at something specific rather than general wear. Solar mounts, whirlybirds and flashing junctions account for most of it.

How we approach a White Gum Valley job

Perth weather gives a roof two different problems each year. Summer bakes the surface, drives moisture out of mortar and chalks whatever coating remains. Then winter arrives as a run of cold fronts off the Indian Ocean, throwing rain almost horizontally at the western face of the building. Most leaks announce themselves in June rather than January, though the damage that caused them happened months earlier under a very hot sky.

Most work here is easier outside the winter fronts. That said, leaks do not wait and we will make a roof watertight in any weather that is safe to work in.

Our work carries a ten year workmanship warranty. Manufacturer product warranties are separate documents with separate terms. You should finish a job holding both.

One more practical note. Our crew are employees rather than a rotating cast of subcontractors, so the person who quotes your roof is generally the person standing on it. Gear gets carried in, rubbish gets carried out and the garden survives. Small things, but they are the difference between a tidy job and a fortnight of picking mortar out of your lawn.

We cover the whole of the City of Fremantle. That takes in Fremantle and the streets around White Gum Valley. Short drives keep roofing affordable on smaller jobs and most of ours are smaller jobs.

We will also tell you when work is not needed. A roof that looks tired from the street is often sound underneath and a clean plus fresh pointing can buy years. Selling somebody a replacement they do not need is a short career.

Questions we get asked in White Gum Valley

How long will it take? A straightforward repair is often half a day. Re-bedding and pointing a whole roof usually runs two days. A full restoration with cleaning, repairs and coating typically takes three to five working days, weather permitting.

Do you charge for the quote? No. Inspection, photographs and a written price cost nothing.

Is my roof insured for this? Depends entirely on cause. Insurance Roof Repairs Perth cover sudden events such as storms or impact. Gradual deterioration is excluded, whatever the salesman told you.

Can you deal with asbestos? Older roofs sometimes contain it. We identify it before disturbing anything and handle it lawfully rather than pretending it is not there.

Talk to us

If you want a straight answer about your roof, ring us. We will look at it, tell you what we find, and put a price on the work that is actually required.