Roof slating repairs, restorations and re-roofing

If you live in Malvern and have a problem slate roof, Abardeen Roof Slating has been servicing, restoring and replacing roofs in Melbourne’s inner city suburbs for over 30 years.

The period homes in Malvern and neighboring suburbs like Armadale and Camberwell, were mostly built and established around the same era. The problems with the slate roofing that these houses have nowadays are most often all very similar. Obviously the number one reason for problems is age and whether the roof has been maintained or just let go over the years. It can also be due to the style, color and type of slate chosen at the time of construction.

Choosing an experienced slate roof company

We understand that these days it can be difficult choosing a trade services company. Perhaps the best advice here is to choose a company that deals with slate roofing every day.

We’ve been to many homes where the slates have been attempted to be repaired or replaced by handymen, plumbers and the like. Really nothing was accomplished but a waste a of money. The roof still had problems but now the job had gotten a bit more complex and time consuming … adding to the cost.

There’s many fly by nighters in the trade services and plenty in the roofing industry. At this link you can read a few testimonials about our company. Here you can also see a few independent reviews about our roof slating services

If you’d like assistance contact us on :   0403022137

If you’re not sure what kind of problem you have, or if you have one at all, we’ll take a look for you and offer our advice.

No matter how big or small the problem is with your slate roof we can help. Over the years we’ve seen many different problems associated with Melbourne’s slate roofing.

Common problems around Malvern can be as simple as a blocked or rusted gutter, right up to the roof slates themselves needing to be completely replaced.

If you think you have a problem, or you know you really do have one … contact us for assistance. It really doesn’t pay in the long run to ignore them. Nearly all slate roofing problems that we’ve dealt with over the years could have been avoided or the damage minimized if attended to quickly.

Problems with leaking and slipping slates are fairly common on Victorian and Edwardian era homes these days due simply to their age.

 Our slate roof services for Malvern include :

• Maintenance programs … periodic inspections every few years can avoid costly repairs
• Insurance claims for damaged roofs … We’ll work with insurance company’s to repair your roofing
• Broken roof slates … Had a tree or trade serviceman damage the slates on your roof. ? We can help.
• Slipping slate roof tiles …. slate tiles that constantly slip from their correct position need proper repair
• Slate roof restorations …  When your slate roof needs more than a repair, it may need a complete restoration.
• Slate re-roofing …  We offer a complete re-roofing solution for your home when the slates are past their serviceable life
• Metal capping repairs … Metal cappings repaired or renewed. and
• Terracotta capping … terracotta slate roof capping re-cementing and mortar pointing repairs for all home styles
• Valleys and gutters ….  Have a problem with rusted out box gutters or valleys on your slate roof ? We’ve done plenty of them

Contact John on 0403022137  for advice or help. Or to discuss any of our services

Here’s a recent Malvern slate re-roof we completed

This Victorian era home had been having a few small consistent leaking problems for the last few years. The owners and builders of these homes, at the time, weren’t concerned about how the homes roof would last and perform another 100 plus years down the track. Being around 120 years old, the slate tiles had done a pretty good job up until now but they were now getting very soft and porous. The original slate tiles were what’s known as ” Delabole” slate. That simply denotes the quarry they were manufactured from in England back in the day.

There are many period houses in Melbourne with their original  Delabole slate tiles still on their roofs but they are all now reaching their use by date. When roofing slate goes soft there’s nothing that can be done for the longer term other than install new ones. In some instances you can give them a small patch up job to extend the life of the roof a little further but it can be a bit risky in the next big storm.

The home we re-roofed in Malvern had been well maintained for many years and was about to get a major freshen up to the internal and external paint scheme. The owners were well aware that the slates needed to be replaced and they had actually kept up a good maintenance scheme on the roof over the last few years. This maintenance had extended the the life of the roof but it was now time to replace to avoid damaging the new paint work.

This is what we recommended as the best approach for their new slate roof.

1. Remove all existing slate tiles one section at a time
2. Remove all existing oregon slate tile battens
3. Install heavy duty fire retardant insulation sarking to top of rafters.  This also serves as a membrane for dust prevention. In our opinion it’s well worth the added small expense
4. Install new 50×25 oregon slate battens. We like oregon battens … they’re stable and unlike cheaper pine they don’t dry out and twist or warp over the years.
5. Remove and install new metal flashings like valleys and chimney tray gutters and soaker soakers. It’s pointless to install a new roof which may fail due to old flashings
6. Install new top quality guaranteed and certified slate roofing tiles
7. Replace all spouting. The owners chose colorbond gutters to extend their life and prevent future maintenance issues
8. Install period style roll top ridge capping. They again chose colorbond to limit maintenance

The new slate roof installation took two weeks to complete.

When the exterior paint work was completed shortly after, the home took on a whole new appearance that the homeowners were delighted with and now will need no further maintenance work for many years. The slate roof tiles have a 100 year guarantee form the quarry manufacturer and a 25 year installation guarantee from us.

Below are a few pictures of the Malvern slate roof replacement in progress and finished.

If you’re interested interested in our services contact John on :  0403022137

Abardeen Roof Slating & Tiling, 66 Eglinton St Moonee Ponds VIC 3039