Glen Iris has some of Melbourne's most handsome terracotta and cement tile roofs, many now a century or more old. We repair, rebed and repoint them with care, recoat where it suits, and our owner is on site from the first inspection to the final coat.
No Fees. No Obligation. Open 7 Days a Week.
Glen Iris is full of homes with real presence: Federation villas with Marseille terracotta and ornate ridges, interwar bungalows with deep eaves, and solid post-war brick houses with cement tiles. Leafy streets running down towards Gardiners Creek and around the Burke Road and High Street shops add to the charm. They also add leaf litter, shade and moss, which is where a lot of roof trouble begins.
We service Glen Iris from our Cairnlea base, and the first step is always the same. We get up on the roof, look at every tile, ridge, valley and flashing, and photograph what we see. Then we give you a straight answer on whether the roof needs some careful repair work or a full restoration. On many Glen Iris terracotta roofs, repairs and a gentle clean are all that is needed, and we will tell you that.
No obligation · Same-day response · Open 7 days
A good terracotta roof can easily outlast the people who built it. The tiles themselves are seldom the problem on a Glen Iris Federation home. What wears out is everything holding them together. The original ridge bedding was typically a soft lime mortar that, after a hundred years, crumbles to the touch. Valleys and box gutters were made of galvanised iron that rusts away from the inside. Lead or zinc flashings around chimneys perish and lift.
Post-war cement tiles are a different story. Their surface coating wore off long ago, leaving them porous. Under the big plane trees and elms common in the area, they stay damp, grow moss and slowly weaken.
Finally, renovations. Glen Iris has seen a great many rear extensions and second storeys. Where those meet the original roof, the quality of the flashing work makes all the difference, and we trace plenty of slow leaks back to a junction like that.
On a character roof, the right repair preserves what is there. Our Glen Iris repair work includes:
Each repair is photographed so you can see exactly what we did up there.
A Glen Iris inspection is a careful walk over the whole roof. We check tile condition, ridges and decorative capping, valleys, box gutters, flashings and every junction where renovations meet the original structure. Photos record each concern. Afterwards, over a cup of tea, you hear the findings in everyday words, including everything that is perfectly fine, and provide a written quote for the work that matters. We do not charge for it, and there is no follow-up pestering.
For many Federation and interwar terracotta roofs in Glen Iris, the best restoration is a sympathetic one: a gentle clean, rebedding and repointing, new valleys and replacement tiles where needed, leaving the natural terracotta uncoated. For post-war cement tile roofs, a full restoration with a new coating usually makes more sense.
On a 1950s cement tile roof off, say, Tooronga Road, that means a hard wash to lift decades of moss, new tiles where old ones have split, every ridge stripped and rebedded, valleys renewed, and then a membrane-style sealer, primer and topcoat in a shade that sits well with the streetscape. Whichever route suits your house, you will pay far less than a re-roof would cost, and nothing original gets thrown in a skip unnecessarily.
If you would like the longer explanation first, our roof restoration services page sets it out.
Old roofs reward patience. Over two and a half decades on roofs, our owner has learnt which Marseille tiles can be reused, how far a hundred-year-old batten can be trusted, and when to stop and ask before going further. He personally runs every Glen Iris job, so the judgement you heard at the inspection is the same judgement applied on the day.
Everything else is as it should be: proper licensing and insurance, quality-assured work, and an itemised quote on paper. Narrow side paths, prized roses and leadlight windows are shielded, and we leave no mess behind.
We travel across from Cairnlea to Glen Iris regularly. To arrange a visit, phone 0421 990 207.
First, we will begin with a professional roof inspection. This will help us assess your needs for roof restoration and / and repair in Albion. And also we will confirm all the conditions of all the processes and the services accordingly.
Based in Cairnlea, we provide our services to all suburbs across Melbourne. Distance is never a problem. We are open 7 days a week.
All Suburbs in Melbourne
We service properties in different suburbs throughout Melbourne.
Ensure your home’s safety by telling us when we can inspect your roof. No obligation. No fees. Here 7 days a week when you need us.
Whether you have a roofing emergency, want a free inspection, or just need honest advice, we are available 7 days a week.
Let us know how we can help you.