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Roof restoration in Cairns
A full restoration brings a tired tile or metal roof back to near-new: cleaned, repaired, re-sealed and re-coated.
Free matching service run by OneRoofer. This site does not carry out or quote the work; one independent local business quotes you directly and pays for the introduction.
Signs it is time
- Faded, patchy or chalky colour
- Moss, lichen or black mould on the tiles
- Cracked tiles or crumbling mortar along the ridges
- Leaks or water stains on the ceiling after rain
- Rust spots or lifting screws on a metal roof
What to know in Cairns
Mostly metal roofs built for cyclones. Cyclones, heavy wet seasons, mould and strong UV, which is what usually decides when a roof needs work.
Cairns is in wind region C, the cyclonic band.
Cyclone Jasper in December 2023 was the wettest tropical cyclone on record in Australia. The Barron River beat its 1977 flood record and Cairns Airport went under water, which is a good reminder of what gutters and downpipes here have to carry.
Work on a roof here has to meet the cyclone standard: cyclone-rated screws and washers on metal, and properly fixed ridge and hip caps on tiles. Ask the roofer how they fix them and whether the job will be certified for your wind rating.
If the house was built before 1990, make sure the roof is not asbestos cement before anyone pressure-cleans it. Asbestos was banned in Australia from the end of 2003, and cleaning an asbestos roof with a pressure washer can release fibres.
What is usually included
- High-pressure clean to strip moss, lichen and old coating
- Replace cracked or broken tiles, or fix loose and rusted sheets and screws
- Rebed and repoint the ridge caps on tile roofs
- Seal and prime, then two coats of a membrane or roof paint
- Clear gutters and check flashings and valleys
Questions to ask
- Which coating system do you use, and whose warranty is it?
- Is rebedding included or only repointing?
- How many coats, and is the primer or sealer separate?
- Are broken tiles or sheets included, or priced per item?
Cost
Guide only, not a quote
$3,000 to $11,000
for a typical single-storey house. Time: 2 to 5 days, weather permitting. The business that quotes you looks at the job first.