Roof Cleaning in North Sydney

Roof materials change with the building's age. On the Victorian houses of Walker, Ridge and Church Streets, council records slate and corrugated metal, while the Federation houses nearby carry terracotta tiles, and rear extensions are often skillion roofs in metal. Further west, the 1882 terraces in Lord Street all had iron roofs, and 64 Bank Street is an 1879 timber and iron house. We clean concrete and terracotta tile as well as corrugated and Colorbond metal. Slate is cleaned as well, once the inspection has set the method.

The lie of the land affects how quickly growth arrives. The CBD and the streets around it generally fall south towards the harbour, so plenty of roof planes face away from the sun, and in steep streets a neighbour on the uphill side can shade them further. Add tall buildings close by, and some surfaces stay damp well after rain, which suits moss, lichen and algae.

Traffic and vegetation add to that. Soot from the Warringah Freeway and Pacific Highway can leave a dull film, and leaf litter from Walker Street gardens or St Leonards Park holds moisture where it collects behind chimneys and in valleys.

On strata buildings, tell us what the roof is made of, because tile and metal are what this service covers and the method follows from the material.

Council's conservation statements list modified roof planes among the changes that do not suit the Walker/Ridge area, and they value the original materials that remain. That makes maintenance the sensible path. Slowing the decay of an existing roof keeps replacement further away, and it avoids the awkward question of what a matching material would look like beside its neighbours.

Growth does more than look untidy. Lichen and moss hold water against tiles and metal, and over the years that dampness works into joins and fixings. Once they are gone, an anti-mould and lichen treatment goes on to slow the return, which is most useful on the shaded south-facing planes that stay wet longest.

The inspection has value beyond choosing a method. Slipped tiles, rust on old sheets and tired flashing around old chimneys are easier to find on a clean roof, and small repairs cost far less than chasing a leak through a two-storey home or a top-floor apartment.

For the owners corporation of a tile or metal-roofed block, or a landlord who rarely goes up there, before-and-after photos give a clear record of the roof's condition. Anyone preparing to sell a house in a conservation area can also show a buyer what was done and when.