Roof inspections and written reports in Hornsby Shire

Most people never see their own roof. It is the single most weather-exposed part of the house and the one element that gets inspected by nobody until something leaks.

A roof inspection fixes that. Someone gets up there, goes through it element by element, photographs what they find and gives you a written report you can act on. Call (02) 9000 1127 to arrange one.

Who asks for these

Buyers. Before exchange on an older house anywhere from Beecroft to Berowra. The roof is the expensive surprise in a pre-purchase process otherwise focused on footings and termites.

Owners who have noticed something. A stain, a tile on the ground, a gutter that overflows in every decent downpour, or just a roof that has not been looked at in twenty years.

People making an insurance claim. Where the insurer wants evidence of damage and its cause rather than an assertion.

Owners planning work. When you are deciding between restoring and replacing, and the answer depends on what is under the tiles.

People who have just had storms through. Where obvious damage was repaired and nobody checked the rest of the roof.

What gets checked

• Covering — cracked, slipped, broken or delaminating tiles; sheet condition, fastener and washer condition, lap integrity on metal roofs.
• Ridge and hip lines — bedding mortar, pointing condition, whether caps are loose or sitting unevenly.
• Valleys — tray condition, corrosion, debris load, tile clearance and whether the detailing will actually clear litter.
• Flashings — chimneys, skylights, vent penetrations, parapets and roof-to-wall junctions, including where an addition meets original roof.
• Gutters and downpipes — fall, corrosion, debris, bracket condition, outlet capacity, and whether water is getting behind the fascia.
• Roof space, where accessible — sarking presence and condition, batten and rafter condition, staining, daylight, insulation that has been soaked, and signs of past leaks.
• Ventilation — whether the roof space is moving air or sweating under a dark covering.

What the report gives you

A dated set of photographs with captions, element-by-element condition notes, a plain summary of defects and their likely consequence, and a triage of what needs doing now, what should be planned, and what is simply the age of the roof and can be left alone.

No scare tactics and no padded list of urgent items. If the roof is in reasonable shape, that is what the report will say.

Older housing stock, specific things to look for

The Upper North Shore has a wide spread of building eras and each has its own tells.

Federation and inter-war terracotta through Beecroft, Cheltenham, Wahroonga and parts of Normanhurst. Look for cracked tiles from past foot traffic, failed mortar fillets at chimneys, old box gutters and sarking that was never installed.

Post-war and mid-century concrete tile across Asquith, Mount Colah, Hornsby Heights and Berowra Heights. Look for surface loss, chalking, failed pointing on long hip runs and corroded valley trays.

Later metal and additions everywhere. Look for mismatched metals, silicone used instead of proper flashings, and fasteners that have aged faster than the sheet.

Acreage houses and sheds at Arcadia and Fiddletown. Look for tank inlet cleanliness, long unsupported gutter runs and shed roofs fastened for a different wind exposure than they now face.

Call (02) 9000 1127 to book a look at yours.

Bushfire-prone land: what an inspection can and cannot tell you

We will note where roof-line details do not reflect the AS 3959 approach: absent sarking, plastic gutter guard, unsealed roof-to-wall junctions, open gaps at ridge or barge. That is useful and practical information.

What we will not do is issue a bushfire attack level assessment. That is a formal role for an accredited assessor, and conflating the two does homeowners no favours. Where your property is mapped as bushfire prone on Hornsby Shire's certified mapping and you are planning building work, you will need that assessment from the right professional.

Cost and obligation

The inspection and written quote are free when you are considering work. A detailed standalone report, particularly a pre-purchase one with full photographic documentation, is a separate piece of work and gets priced on the size and complexity of the roof and the access involved. We tell you the figure before we book it, and there is never any obligation to have us do the repairs.

Inspections across the area

We inspect roofs throughout Hornsby and the Upper North Shore, including Wahroonga, Waitara, Thornleigh, Pennant Hills, Asquith, Mount Kuring-gai and Berowra, and down to the river at Brooklyn.

Call (02) 9000 1127 or request an inspection.