Roof repairs and gutter work in Claremont Meadows

Thirty years on from the first stage

Claremont Meadows is one of the more recent residential developments in the Penrith local government area, laid out between Werrington, Kingswood and St Marys, below the ridge that Caddens now occupies. The earliest stages are well past thirty years old, the later ones considerably younger, and the roofs reflect that: concrete tile on the older streets, more steel as you move through the newer sections.

Thirty years is an interesting age for a tile roof. It is too young to need replacing and old enough that the mortar is finished.

What we find on the older stages

• Pointing that has crazed and begun to crumble. First sign is grit in the gutter, not a leak.
• Complex hip-and-valley shapes that were fashionable in 1990s project homes and give water plenty of places to collect.
• Valley irons starting to show rust under accumulated litter.
• Original gutters reaching the end of their useful life at the same time as the roof surface.

That package is a roof restoration, ideally with gutters done in the same visit while the access is already paid for.

What we find on the newer stages

Steel roofs where the faults are fasteners, flashings and penetrations rather than mortar. Solar installations are a frequent source of leaks on these streets because the mounting feet go through the roof plane. See metal and Colorbond roofing.

Exposure

These are relatively open blocks on a rise, without the mature canopy that shelters the older suburbs closer to the river. That cuts the leaf load in the gutters and increases the wind exposure, which is a reasonable trade — right up until a storm crossing the plain finds a ridge cap whose bedding had already given up.

Book a free roof check

(02) 4705 5100, or send through the details and we will come and look. Written itemised quote, no obligation. Nearby: Caddens, Werrington, St Marys and Orchard Hills. Browse every suburb.