CUSTOMER TIPS FOR ROOF RESTORATION

After ten years of living in my home, we decided our house needed a roof restoration. I had encountered minor issues with the roof in the past, like a pesky drip caused by the antenna anchor on a tile. Overall, the roof had held up quite well for a 30+ year old house. Now a simple fix with some roof silicone managed to keep that issue at bay. Yet, the time had come for a comprehensive restoration, and I felt it might be valuable to share my journey through this process.

TIP: If you are thinking of getting solar installed, you may want to think about getting the roof restored before hand.

Not long ago, a roof restoration company approached me while working on a house on the same street. They knocked on my door with an enticing offer—an exclusive discounted rate for a roof restoration, only available for that week. The quote was approximately $6,500, which made me pause. While I recognised the value in restoring the roof, I also sensed this might be a classic sales tactic designed to pressure homeowners into immediate decisions. So, I kindly declined their offer and decided to take a little time to research and think about my options.

Now I think it’s the best time to share with you all on the condition of the roof

A few weeks later, during a casual conversation with a friend, I learned that they had recently completed their roof restoration. Intrigued, I asked for details and was shown pictures of the work. The transformation was impressive! My friend spoke highly of the company’s professionalism and thoroughness, which piqued my interest enough to request a quote for my own roof.

When the representative arrived from the recommended company, I was immediately struck by his professional demeanour. He was meticulous about not leaning the ladder against the gutters. Something I had previously worried about during such inspections. This attention to detail gave me confidence in his approach and reassured me of the company’s commitment to quality service.

TIP: Although this person what professional, their staff and external hire may not be as professional. Make sure you get them to use a gutter guard for their ladders otherwise, it may scratch and damage your gutters.

The quote I received from this company was also roughly in the same ballpark as the first one I had received, reaffirming my initial instincts about the potential costs involved in roof restoration. The quote included the following:

• Pressure clean tiles
• Flush out valleys, gutters and downpipes
• Replace broken tiles (approx 20)
• Remove all ridge capping
• Remove existing mortar
• Re-bed all ridge capping
• Install weep holes through new mortar
• Re-point all ridge capping
• Install weep holes through new pointing
• Apply 1 x coat primer
• Apply 2 x coat coloured membrane
• Tidy the site and remove rubbish

In my quest for the best service, I sought a third quote. However, this experience was notably different. The representative from this company quoted a mere $2,000 without even climbing onto the roof to assess the number of tiles that required replacement. This lack of thoroughness raised red flags, leading me to dismiss them as a viable option.

After careful consideration, I opted to proceed with the second company. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and thorough approach to quoting made it clear they were the right choice for my roof restoration. They included repointing in their proposal, an essential aspect that the other contractors overlooked.

Here’s a breakdown of what the steps were:

On the first day, they came and started replacing the broken tiles and cleaning the roof. This was the messy part because the roof had red cement tiles, which left red residue everywhere. Although they did go around cleaning at the end of the day, I noticed that the residue dried quickly, and simply spraying water on the gutters and the driveway didn’t help much. My tip is to wipe it down immediately after they spray; don’t wait until the end. For the driveway, I used my Karcher surface cleaner to clean it effectively.

You may also find there are small broken tile pieces in the gutter and they do use a scooper to remove them but noticed that some were still there. I spent a few hours after the job was done cleaning the area since it was also blocking the downpipes.

While inspecting a leak in one of the rooms, I discovered some pieces of tile in the attic. It seems that there was a hairline crack in one of the tiles, so the roof installer came out to replace it.

The final result was this – the colour is monument:

In the photo above, you’ll notice some red paint along the row of tiles just above the gutter. It seems they don’t spray that edge because their spray gun can’t reach it, and the line of sight may not show it depending on where you’re standing. I ended up requesting some leftover paint and decided to touch it up myself with a brush.

Embarking on a roof restoration journey taught me the importance of careful consideration and due diligence. Getting multiple quotes revealed not only the varying price ranges but also the different levels of professionalism. For anyone considering a roof restoration, I highly recommend seeking recommendations, asking detailed questions, and being mindful of sales tactics. If you have any questions let me know in the comments.

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Marco Tran

I am an entrepreneur based in Sydney Australia. I was born in Vietnam, grew up in Italy and currently residing in Australia. I started my first business venture Advertise Me from a random idea and have never looked back since. My passion is in the digital space, affiliate marketing, fitness and I launched several digital products. You will find these on the portfolio page.

I’ve decided to change from a Vegetarian to a Vegan diet and started a website called Veggie Meals.

I started this blog so I could leave a digital footprint of my random thoughts, ideas and life in general.

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