St Marys roofing, from Queen Street to Ropes Creek

An old town with old roofs

St Marys predates most of the suburbs around it, and the housing shows it. The streets either side of Queen Street and the Great Western Highway carry a genuine spread: inter-war and post-war cottages, fibro and brick veneer from the 1950s and 1960s, later infill, flats, and commercial buildings through the town centre with their own flat-roof and box-gutter problems.

Some of these roofs are on their second or third round of patching by three different hands. That history is the main thing an inspection has to untangle.

The question we get asked most here

Is it worth fixing, or should I just replace it?

The answer sits in the roof space, not on the roof. Three things decide it:

1. The tiles themselves. Sound tiles with failed mortar are a restoration job. Delaminating or widely cracked tiles are not.
2. The battens and timber. Soft battens under old leaks change the sums entirely.
3. How much of the roof has already been patched. A roof carrying four generations of mismatched repairs is often cheaper to replace than to keep chasing.

We check all three before giving you an opinion, and the inspection is free. Compare restoration and full replacement.

Terracotta on the older houses

A fair number of the older St Marys houses carry original terracotta rather than concrete tile. Terracotta lasts remarkably well but it is brittle, it cracks under foot traffic, and matching a discontinued profile takes some hunting. It is worth saying so when you call so we come with the right expectation.

Commercial and flat roofs

The Queen Street end has buildings with flat and low-pitch roofs, box gutters and internal drainage. Those fail differently again — usually at the sump or the overflow provision — and they fail dramatically. Mention it when you call.

Free inspection and written quote

(02) 4705 5100 or send the details. Nearby: North St Marys, Oxley Park, Colyton and Werrington. See all the areas we cover.