Roof Cleaning in Cremorne

Land shape puts many of these roofs on show. The conservation area falls towards Shell Cove in irregular lots that follow the contours, and council protects the outlooks from the Bertha Road, Guthrie Avenue and Boyle Street lookouts as well as views from Lower Murdoch Street, Glade Avenue and Reed Street. A roof below one of those vantage points, or below a neighbouring block of flats, is seen from above far more than from the footpath.

Further north the character changes. The Montague Road Conservation Area has Federation Queen Anne houses and California bungalows on a sloping plateau, with stepped and elevated forms, tile or slate up front and corrugated metal to the rear. In the Northern Foreshore neighbourhoods council favours low pitched roofs, and a shallow pitch gives rain less speed to carry dirt away.

Moisture lingers where gardens are established and buildings sit close together, so growth tends to favour the planes that dry last. Close to the water, council's Street Tree Strategy notes exposure to salt-laden winds, and a salty film adds to what rain has to shift.

Concrete and terracotta tile, plus corrugated and Colorbond metal, are all cleaned using a soft wash or controlled pressure. Slate is cleaned as well, with the method set after the inspection.

In a conservation area, replacing a roof is rarely a free choice. North Sydney's controls aim to keep characteristic roof profiles and roofing materials, so an owner who lets a roof decline may have to find a replacement compatible with the area rather than whatever is cheapest. Removing the growth that holds damp against tiles and metal is a modest way of putting that decision off.

An anti-mould and lichen treatment goes on after the clean to slow regrowth. It earns its place on shaded rear wings and shallow pitches, which can be slow to dry out after rain.

The first look over the roof has value of its own. Slipped tiles, rust along a corrugated sheet and tired flashings around brick and rendered chimneys are far easier to spot when nothing is growing over them, and picking them up early keeps a repair small.

Appearance counts for more than usual in a suburb where people look down on each other's rooftops. Blotches and black streaks stand out from an upstairs flat or a lookout, while a clean roof simply blends back into the street.

Before-and-after photos are supplied with every job, which helps strata committees report to owners who cannot get up there, and gives anyone preparing to sell or lease a dated record of what was done.