Choosing Colorbond for where you live in Brisbane
Distance from surf or exposed water sets the grade
Lysaght calls exposure to seawater and salt spray the most significant factor in choosing roofing steel, and that's the starting point for any Brisbane waterfront home. BlueScope's simple guide: standard Colorbond more than 200 m from breaking surf or exposed water, Colorbond Ultra between 100 and 200 m, and its SUPERDURA stainless steel within 100 m.
Moreton Bay is exposed, not calm
BlueScope's TB-35 names Redcliffe, Cleveland and Fisherman's Island on Moreton Bay as exposed, so the bay carries the same distance rules as breaking surf, not the gentler calm ones. Calm water, where standard Colorbond is fine at any distance and unpainted Zincalume needs more than 100 m, means sheltered spots like harbours and river estuaries. BlueScope doesn't name the Brisbane River, so if you're near the estuary, ask your roofer which category your street falls into. Distances run from the high tide mark, and wind and spots the rain never washes can change things.
Lighter colours run cooler
BlueScope says light roofs can be up to 35 °C cooler on the surface than dark ones in hot, sunny weather, and eleven core colours have a solar absorptance of 0.45 or less. In a Brisbane summer, the colour you choose changes how hot the roof space gets.
Hail and steel
Brisbane has had tennis-ball hail. BlueScope says hail dents don't usually shorten the life of a Colorbond roof, though on a low-pitched roof big dents can let water pond, so pitch matters as well as the sheet.
Bushfire-prone blocks
Where council maps a block as bushfire prone, BlueScope says Colorbond roofing, walls, gutters and downpipes can form part of a compliant system up to BAL-FZ under AS 3959:2018. The details around the sheets, like sarking and sealed rib gaps, matter as much as the steel.
Which profile suits a Brisbane house?
Corrugated, such as Lysaght's Custom Orb, is the traditional look on Queenslanders and can go as low as a 5 degree pitch. Concealed-fix profiles like Klip-Lok suit low-pitched and skillion roofs, down to 1 or 2 degrees depending on the sheet. A good roofer matches the profile to your roof's pitch first and your taste second.
What to ask a Brisbane roofer quoting Colorbond
- Which grade are you quoting, standard, Ultra or stainless, and why for my distance from the water?
- Are the screws, flashings and gutters compatible with the sheets? BlueScope says lead and copper corrode its steel.
- Will you use neutral cure sealant, which BlueScope recommends for Colorbond?
- Where will the hot water system overflow drain, so copper-rich water doesn't run over the roof?
- Will you register the BlueScope warranty, or give me what I need to do it within 12 months?
What we'd choose
Near the water, we'd pay for the grade BlueScope recommends for our distance rather than save on standard steel and watch it corrode. Further inland, standard Colorbond in a lighter colour would be our starting point for Brisbane summers. For colours and profiles in more depth, see the national Colorbond roofing page, our Colorbond colour guide and the Brisbane hub.
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.