Restore or Replace? Reading the Condition of a 30-Year-Old Roof

A roof that is 30 or more years old is not automatically due for replacement. Many can be given years more service with the right work. The question is how to tell which way to go.

Signs restoration may suit

The roof is structurally sound, with no sagging. Most tiles or sheets are intact, and rust is limited to the surface or to specific areas. Fixings can be replaced, ridges repointed and coatings renewed. In these cases, cleaning, repairing and recoating can extend the roof's life and freshen the look of the house.

Signs replacement may be due

Rust has gone through the steel in many places, sheets are thin or holed, or tiles are failing across the whole roof. The underlay is perished and the battens are damp or soft. Repeated leaks keep showing up in new places. At that point money spent on patches tends not to last.

What a restoration usually involves

A typical restoration includes cleaning, moss treatment, repairing or replacing damaged tiles or sheets, refixing, repointing ridges on tile roofs, and applying primer and topcoats suited to the material. Roof Repair Wellington describes its restoration service as clean, repair and recoat, and says over 90% of the jobs it is called to are solved with a targeted repair or restoration rather than replacement. If you are weighing up restoring an older roof instead of replacing it, ask for a written scope that lists each step.

How to decide

Get a clear look at the whole roof first. A walk-over where safe, or drone images where not, shows the real condition, and our post on drone inspections explains what to expect. For tile roofs in particular, our notes on concrete tile roofs in the Hutt cover the common faults to look for.