What matters for Colorbond in Adelaide
How far you are from the gulf
Adelaide sits on the east shore of Gulf St Vincent. BlueScope recommends standard Colorbond (Classic and Matt finishes) more than 200 m from breaking surf or exposed marine water, at any distance from calm water. Zincalume and Colorbond Metallic need more than 200 m from surf or exposed water and more than 100 m from calm water.
Surf, exposed or calm?
BlueScope's TB-35 bulletin defines calm water as protected places like ports, harbours and estuaries, and exposed water as open salt water facing onshore winds without breaking surf. Its table lists no surf for metro Adelaide. The beaches north of Carrickalinga Point, including Port Noarlunga, West Beach, Glenelg and Semaphore, are exposed, and the Port River and West Lakes are calm. It's a guide only, so ask your roofer to confirm the category for your stretch of coast.
The closest homes
BlueScope recommends Colorbond Ultra more than 100 m from surf or exposed water, which on Adelaide's beachfront means homes 100 to 200 m back. Within about 100 m, it points to Superdura Stainless, which can go at any distance. Distances are measured from the high water mark.
Heat from the north
Hot northerly winds carry heat in from central Australia, and the airport's record is 47.7 °C. On a single-storey home, where the roof sits right over the living areas, colour choice makes a real difference to how much of that heat the roof soaks up.
Choosing a colour for Adelaide summers
BlueScope publishes a solar absorptance for every colour: the share of the sun's energy the roof takes in, from 0 to 1. Surfmist is 0.33 and Monument is 0.73, so the dark roof absorbs more than twice the share of sunlight. BlueScope also says light roofs can be up to 35 °C cooler on the surface than dark ones in hot, sunny weather.
That doesn't mean everyone needs a white roof. It means a dark colour is a trade-off you should make on purpose. The number is printed on the back of each swatch, and our Colorbond colours guide lists them.
Looking after it near the coast
Rain washes most of a roof, but not the sheltered bits: the underside of gutters and the tops of walls under the eaves. BlueScope's maintenance bulletin says to hose those areas down at least every six months, or every three months near the coast with salt spray.
For repairs, BlueScope says to use neutral cure sealant on Colorbond, because sealants that smell of vinegar or ammonia can corrode the coating. And corrugated roofing should be screwed through the crests, not the valleys, so check that's how yours has been fixed.
Ask before you choose
- Which BlueScope product suits my distance from the water, and is my coast surf, exposed or calm?
- Will the gutters, flashings and screws suit that grade, so nothing corrodes early?
- What's the solar absorptance of the colour I like, and is there a lighter option I'd be happy with?
- Is sarking or an insulation blanket going under the sheets?
- Will you register the BlueScope warranty, or tell me how to?
- Is your BLD licence number on the quote, so I can check it on the CBS register?
Our take
Within a few hundred metres of the beach, don't guess the grade. Ask the roofer to name the BlueScope product and the coastal category it's rated for, in writing. Inland, standard Colorbond is the usual pick, so put the thinking into colour instead: on a single-storey Adelaide home, a lighter roof takes in noticeably less of the summer sun.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.
Getting a Colorbond quote
Tell us your suburb and whether it's a repair or a new roof. We'll pass your details to one licence-checked local roofer where we have one for your area, and tell you plainly if we don't. Our national Colorbond roofing page and the Adelaide hub have more.