Food, healthcare, and body care products are all labelled with expiry dates to show users that they are not meant to last forever, and can be unsafe beyond a certain point. While they may not come with handy tags with dates on, the same thing can be said for the roof on your home. At some point, due to the wear and tear, sun, storms, intense rain and more your roof will start to deteriorate. Unfortunately, it is just a matter of time. A roof over your head is one of the fundamental human necessities, so it is vitally important to stay on top of yours and ensure it is up to date, efficient, and safe.
But what happens when your roof deteriorates? What happens when cracks emerge, the tiles become porous, and the metal begins to rust? What are your options when your roof is no longer giving you the 100% satisfaction it used to?
While some companies may offer you cheap repair options, these will often only solve your problem in the short term. Taping over cracks when it comes to your roof can get very costly and even unsafe if carried out by the wrong people. Once your roof starts to deteriorate, replacing it becomes inevitable. So, the most cost-efficient solution is to jump on the problem early and seek out a re-roofing specialist, also known as a roof plumber. A roof plumber is a proficient provider of roofing services, and they are well experienced in everything pertaining to roofing and re-roofing in Melbourne.
What is Re-roofing?
Reroofing is essentially a roof replacement – keeping some of the usable and strong frame elements while setting a shiny new roof on top. This is an inevitable job for any long-term homeowner, as a roof is only made to last a number of decades before you will start to notice negative effects. It is important to stay on top of the issue and replace your roof before it leads to damages that may affect other parts of your home.
What if you have Asbestos Roof Sheets?
Asbestos Roof Sheets was banned across Australia in 2003
In Australia, asbestos cement materials were first manufactured in the 1920s and were commonly used in the manufacture of residential building materials from the mid-1940s until the late 1980s. During the 1980s, asbestos cement materials were phased out in favour of asbestos-free products. From 31 December 2003, the total ban on the manufacture, use, reuse, import, transport, storage or sale of all forms of asbestos came into force.
Many houses built before 1990, therefore, contain asbestos cement materials, especially as roofs and in the eaves, internal and external wall cladding, ceilings (particularly in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries) and fences.
More Information can be found at The Department of Health, but the general rules are:
- Before the mid-1980s – It is highly likely that it has asbestos-containing products
- Between the mid-1980s and 1990 – It is likely that it has asbestos-containing products
- After 1990 – It is unlikely that it has asbestos-containing products*.
- *Some houses built in the 1990s and early 2000s may have still used asbestos cement materials until the total ban on any activity involving asbestos products became effective from December 2003.
Bonded Asbestos Products
Gloeocapsa Magma on Asbestos Roof Sheets
The vast majority of asbestos-containing products used in houses were bonded asbestos cement materials, including:
- Roofing
- Siding, villaboard and similar
- Exterior and Interior wall cladding
thermal boards around fireplaces
Defect Roof Materials
Unfortunately, no matter what your roof is made of, it can pick up damages, wear, and tear over time. However, different materials can be prone to different defects, which can eventually lead to the need for a re-roofing service.
Metal – Metal roofing can suffer from minor issues such as scratching and scuffing, chalking and fading. However, more serious issues such as leaking, corrosion, rust, installation error, and oil canning can lead to longer-lasting problems.
Asbestos – Inhaling asbestos can have lasting damage to a person’s lungs, leading to illnesses such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleura thickening. This is why the use of asbestos in roofing is no longer practiced in Australia. As asbestos roofs deteriorate with age they can become weaker and more brittle. This can then lead to exposed mineral fibres, putting the inhabitants of the dwelling at risk.
Tile – Tiled roofs can come with a number of possible defects, some of which can lead to long-lasting damage and the need for repairs. Slipped or broken tiles, blocked valleys, cracked lead, roof leaks, moisture, weather flashing, ponding water, and poor ventilation are all potential defects of a tiled roof.
Repairing only a small section options another chapter: The Health Risk. As we all know, even your roof has a set lifespan, and within this lifespan, different organisms start growing on our roofs.
* Repairing or cleaning such roofs is not allowed by law for asbestos roofs, but colorbond can be cleaned
Why Reroofing your roof is so much better than just patching it up
In the event that your rooftop is cracking, rusting, and/or becoming porous, and it’s an ideal opportunity to get another one, you may start inquiring about the best course of action for your personal situation. While you can put off re-roofing for two to three years by having a maintenance plumber patch it, it’s only a matter of time before a full re-roofing will be needed. Therefore, it is economically inefficient to shell out the money for a patch job, as well as the inevitable re-roofing just a couple of years later. While re-roofing can be on the expensive side in some cases, it may also be cheaper than you think. After all, this is essentially replacing one of the most important pieces of your home. If you can get on top of leaks sooner rather than later, you can save on further damage costs that may occur to other parts of your home, such as roof leaks, damaged carpets, damp walls and ceilings, etc. Also, you must view re-roofing as a long-term investment. While it may seem expensive in the short-term, once you account for the years of savings in heating, cooling, roof repairs, not to mention the increased safety, it will pay for itself over time. You can contact one of the premium providers of all services relating Re-roofing and roof replacement in Melbourne – KC roof plumbing – to check your roof and tell you what it needs.
When it comes to the options available to you when you require re-roofing, the most cost efficient option and the best long-term investment is to opt for KC Roof Plumbing in Melbourne. Re-roofing is similar to remodelling – where you can add to what you already have to make it better without altering or replacing the entire base structure, which would be far more expensive. Companies that offer re-roofing in Melbourne do so with considerations to the strength and quality of the supporting deck of each specific home. Generally, the moment you choose a re-roofing company in Melbourne to re-roof your home, your roof plumber will carry out checks to ensure everything is still intact. In the event that the supporting framework of your roof is not strong enough to bear the weight of the new one, they will advise you to consider another option. Proficient Melbourne roofing plumbers will sit you down and explain all the options available to you and advise and guide you on the best way to proceed.
Only homes with strong supports are considered for re-roofing, and many Melbourne roofing companies are particular about that. This means you wouldn’t have to worry about replacing your roof anytime in the near future since you’ll be overlaying a solid structure.
Trying to make up your mind about having your home re-roofed?
Have you been thinking of getting a new roof for your home but are experiencing some difficulties in making the right decision? Or, perhaps you figure your home may be a decent contender for re-roofing?
If you are well ahead of the issue, then re-roofing can be a choice, a matter of when you do it, if you will. On the other hand, if re-roofing is left until the last minute, with severe damages, then the control can slip through your fingers. While sometimes the decision will be made for you, the vast majority of re-roofings come through choice. Homeowners often decide to be proactive and invest in a new roof as soon as they see a hint of significant damage or decay in their existing roof. Staying ahead of the problem like this ensures that the rest of the house remains damage-free.
Try not to endeavour to make sense of it all alone. Seek the help of proficient experts – call the rooftop specialists at KC Roof Plumbing guidance you can rely on with regards to all issues identified with your roof. Our team of experts at will assess the current state of your roof and give you customized, explicit proposals to ensure your roof is safe and appropriate for your home and family. It is always a good idea to get an expert’s opinion on any building job, and re-roofing is no different. For such a large financial commitment, and when dealing with something that could last you for decades, it is important to be well-informed and to get as much information and knowledge as possible. KC Roof Plumbing will talk you through all of your options, your time scale, and the exact state of your current roof to ensure that you can make the best decision for you.
Do you need planning permission for re-roofing?
In the vast majority of cases, you do not need to apply for planning permission for a standard re-roofing job. As long as the new roof is within the set guidelines with regards to its height and alterations compared to the original roof, no planning permission is needed. For more extremely alterations, you may need to look into such permission, but consult your roofing experts to be sure. Different countries and cities have different rules regarding planning permission.
Does re-roofing add to the value of your home?
The short and simple answer is yes, it definitely does. Re-roofing is something that must occur every set period of time, depending on the material and condition of your roof. This is an expense that the homeowner will have to shell out for at some point. Therefore, logically the house price will fluctuate depending on when the house last received a re-roofing. For example, if a house was re-roofed yesterday, then the new potential buyers will know they won’t have to pay for another re-roofing for decades to come, and the house price goes up. However, similarly, if the house is in desperate need of a re-roofing, then the potential buyers already know they will have to shell out for that expense themselves and will be less willing to pay full price for the house. The simple rule is that the better the condition the home is in, the more money it will fetch on the housing market.
What you should expect during the re-roofing process
When you contract us to re-roof your home, their team of experts will take you by the hand and guide you through the whole re-roofing process. At KC Roof Plumbing, we hire the best quality specialists in all sorts of re-roofing services, including but not limited to Modular Roofing, Extension Roofing, Colorbond Roofing aka Metal Roofing.
Here is a rundown of things you can expect during the re-roofing process
Protecting the siding of the house
When it’s time to re-roof your home, the first course of action would be to ensure that your property is secured by coverings, with the goal that the siding of your home isn’t harmed and your house-plants aren’t tampered with amid the re-roofing procedure. The canvases secure your:
- House from gathering overabundance dampness while it is uncovered
- House-Plants from the sheets, tiles, or other things that may fall off your roof
- House-siding from getting scratched or harmed
Removal of old Roof Layers
The majority of the old or existing layers must be totally expelled to start the re-roofing procedure. Thus, the contractual workers can examine the timber underneath to see if they are still workable and to check for dampness and decay. In the event that they simply overlay the old roof with a new one (nobody should ever only overlay), you won’t be able to know if the deck and supporting frames are good enough to bear the weight of the new roof. This is imperative on the grounds that it will prepare you for the next course of action in the event that you need your deck or frame is damaged. If there is any harm to the timber that bears the weight of the sheets or tiles, the timber should be supplanted with the goal that the rooftop does not collapse.
Examination of the timbers underneath the current roof sheets, tiles, or others
All delicate, wet and decayed timber should be supplanted, although this may not mean supplanting the majority of the timber on the rooftop. Only the harmed timber should be supplanted in case it fits for the new roof. On the off chance that the timber is not damaged, at that point, the old sheets or tiles will be removed and replaced with new ones. Therefore, it is vital for your security and the life span of your home to ensure that the timber is in not damaged.
Double checking to ensure the timbers are properly fixed
In the event that the roof plumbers don’t find any faults in the timbers that provide support for the metal sheets or tiles or what is chosen, they will carefully examine everywhere the timbers are attached to the rafters. If they find any loose timber, they will nail it in place.
Setting out the Base for the new roof
Prior to the time that the roofers will install the roofing felt, they’ll introduce a drip edge end to end of the sides of the roof, and they’ll take go all-out in making sure that every spot that is susceptible to water penetration are covered.
Setting up the new roof
At this point of the re-roofing process, roof plumbers will start laying the new sheets or whatever has been preselected by you on the spots where old roof covers have been expelled.
Inspection of the roof after completion
At KC Roof Plumbing, we make it our priority to ensure the safety of our clients, that’s why they go all-out in conducting inspections on every roofing Melbourne.
To see our complete 18 step re roofing process click here, or call us on 1300 KC ROOF for a free quote today!
