Tile Roof Replacement in Sydney

Why old tile roofs start leaking everywhere at once

Tiles rarely fail on their own -- the real leak points are underneath. Older tile roofs were often built with no sarking at all, so the tiles were the only barrier between you and the weather. Once individual tiles crack or slip, or capillary action draws water under the laps, there is nothing to catch it and the ceiling gets wet. Add crumbling ridge bedding and rusted valley irons and you get leaks in several places every big storm.

That is why patching an old tile roof so often disappoints: the tile you replaced was never the whole problem. A full replacement lets us install proper sarking as a genuine second line of defence.

New sarking, battens and correct tile laying

With the old tiles off, we lay anti-condensation sarking across the whole roof and fix new treated battens at the correct gauge so the tiles interlock and lap properly. Getting the batten gauge right is what stops wind-driven rain creeping back up under the tiles. We then lay the new tiles, clip the perimeter and exposed courses against wind uplift, and cut the valleys and hips cleanly.

Re-bedding and pointing the ridges and hips

Ridge and hip caps are the highest-maintenance part of any tile roof. We bed the caps on fresh mortar and finish with a flexible pointing compound rather than rigid cement, so the ridge can move slightly with heat and house movement without cracking straight back open. Done properly, the ridge line stays sealed for years rather than needing re-pointing every few seasons.