| Region | the Northern Beaches |
|---|---|
| Work we do here | Roof Repairs, Roof Replacement, Metal & Colorbond Roofing, Roof Restoration, Gutter Repair & Replacement, Storm & Emergency Roof Repairs, Roof Inspections & Reports |
| Inspection & quote | Free, no obligation |
| Enquiries | (02) 8000 1949 |
Surrounded by bushland on three sides
Allambie Heights sits at about 118 metres, with Manly Dam Reserve along its southern boundary, Garigal National Park on its western edge and Allenby Park with its creeks to the north. The estate was subdivided in 1918 but built out in the late 1940s and early 1950s, so the housing is largely original post-war brick and fibro with concrete tile.
Being ringed by bush is the whole story for roofs here. It is not a salt suburb. It is a leaf suburb, and it is bushfire country.
Leaf load, and what it does
Angophoras, spotted gums and scribbly gums drop long leaf and heavy seed capsules, and they drop most of it in a short burst after wind. That material lands on the roof, slides down into valleys and gutters, and sits there holding moisture against metal.
Two consequences follow. First, blocked valleys dam water back above the tile edges, where nothing is designed to stop it, so it runs sideways into the roof space and surfaces as a ceiling stain in an unrelated room. Second, gutters holding a wet mat of leaf mulch corrode from the inside out, which is why the rust you eventually see from the ground is already well advanced.
Practical answer: clear valleys and gutters twice a year rather than once, and fit leaf guard matched to the litter rather than whatever is cheapest. Fine mesh collects long gum leaf on top; a profile that sheds it works better here.
Bushfire-prone land
Much of the land abutting the reserve and the national park is mapped as bushfire-prone. Where it is, roof construction follows AS 3959 and the BAL assessed for the site: non-combustible roof coverings, full sarking on tiled roofs across the common BAL ranges including over ridges and hips and into gutters and valleys, and attention to every gap an ember could get through. Confirm your own lot against Northern Beaches Council bushfire-prone land mapping rather than assuming.
Arrange a free inspection
Call (02) 8000 1949 or send the form. We also work in Frenchs Forest, Forestville and Beacon Hill. See every area we cover.