Canterbury, VIC

Restoring a 1910 Weatherboard Roof to Match Modern Townhouses

This heritage home had been in the family for over 40 years. The roof was previously painted to match newly built townhouses at the rear, but poor workmanship led to fading and patchiness. We brought the home back to life with a full roof restoration, precise repainting, and weatherboard touch-ups — all while avoiding costly scaffold and structural removals quoted by others.

Roof Restoration Warehouse was engaged privately by the homeowner to restore their original Colorbond roof. The main house, built in 1910, had been in the family for over 40 years. During major renovations in 1994, the roof was replaced with a manor red Colorbond roof and matching gutters.

In 2011, additional townhouses were built at the rear of the property for extended family. These were fitted with new Colorbond Monument roofs. To create a consistent look, the homeowner had the front house roof recoated in Monument to match. Unfortunately, the contractor at the time used low-quality products, and within a few years, the coating had faded and become patchy.

By the time we were called in, the paint had almost entirely worn away. The original home now looked tired and out of place compared to the newer townhouses. Multiple roofing companies had already turned the job down, citing safety concerns, roof pitch issues, and the high cost of scaffolding. One quote even recommended a full roof replacement at over $100,000, including the removal of second-story weatherboards to access the flashings.

1. Steep roof with poor access
2. Previous poor-quality paint job
3. Severe fading and patchiness across roof
4. High scaffold costs ruled out
5. Replacing the roof would require major structural work
   

We began with a full inspection and confirmed that the roof iron and gutters were still in good condition, with no signs of rust. This made the project a perfect candidate for restoration rather than replacement.

We installed a custom fall protection system using:

• 3Sixty fall arrest anchors
• AP141A wide-deck twin rope access anchors
• LD402 fixed ladder brackets
• 3000mm cable strops
• 12mm dynamic rope and 13mm static fall arrest lines
• Skylotec twin-rope access harnesses
• Industrial carabiners and work-positioning lanyards

Once secured, we pressure-washed the roof to remove dirt and loose paint. We hand-painted the gable barge roll flashings and chimney flashings, and reinforced the roll-top ridge by replacing the original rivets with proper roof screws. All penetrations and flashings were resealed, and we also sealed off small entry points where birds had been nesting in the roof cavity.

After cleaning and masking surrounding surfaces, we applied one coat of Dulux MX Primer Plus, using a Graco 795 paint machine at 2000 PSI. This delivered an even spread at approximately 9.5 m² per litre, following AS 2311 (Painting of Buildings).

The next day, we applied two coats of Dulux Acratex Roof Membrane in Monument Satin, achieving a wet film thickness of 165 microns per coat. Once the roof was complete, we removed all masking and carefully touched up any overspray on the weatherboards using Dulux Weathershield Refined Stone and Antique White.

This Canterbury project is a perfect example of how restoration, when done right, can outshine replacement. With the right access systems, premium materials, and technical know-how, we delivered a standout result where others saw a problem too hard to solve.

• A fully restored roof matching the newer townhouses
• Improved visual appeal for the entire property
• No need for costly scaffolding or invasive structural work
• Long-lasting, high-quality finish using premium coatings
• Safe execution on a steep roof others had rejected
  

READY TO RESTORE YOUR ROOF?

Contact ROOF WAREHOUSE Today!

Experienced and fully insured, providing transparent quotes, quality workmanship, and up to a 10 year written warranty.

Our team services homes and businesses across Melbourne, from Bayside and the Eastern Suburbs to the Mornington Peninsula and parts of regional Victoria. If your area isn’t listed, get in touch and we would be happy to discuss your project and organise an inspection and quote.