What a Torquay roof deals with
Breaking surf, not calm water
Torquay's beaches, from Point Impossible and Torquay Surf Beach to Jan Juc and Bells on the south-west edge, face Bass Strait. BlueScope's homeowner guide recommends COLORBOND steel more than 200 m from breaking surf, COLORBOND Ultra between 100 and 200 m, and SUPERDURA Stainless closer in, all measured from the high water mark.
Lots of empty houses
At the 2021 Census, 1,687 of Torquay's 8,351 private dwellings (20.9%) were unoccupied, and the population usually triples between January and the end of February. A slipped tile in an empty holiday house can leak for weeks before anyone sees it.
Mostly recent building
Torquay grew from 4,887 people in 1991 to 10,142 in 2011. The Church Estate came in the 1960s, Jan Juc in the 1970s, new estates north of town after the 1980s, Ocean Views from 2000 and The Sands from 2001. In 2021, 90.6% of homes were separate houses.
Bushfire on the coast road
On Ash Wednesday 1983 the Otways fire reached Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Jan Juc, Torquay and Bellbrae. Where land is in Victoria's Bushfire Management Overlay, its Bushfire Management Plan sets the construction standard for new work.
Which jobs come up in Torquay?
Rinsing and checking metal near the surf. BlueScope's maintenance bulletin says unwashed areas, like the underside of gutters and eaves, should be washed every three months in coastal areas with marine salt spray. Corrosion often starts there, or at fixings and flashings. See roof plumbing in Geelong.
Builder defects on newer homes. On a house from the last couple of decades, raise any leak with the builder in writing before paying someone else. Roof repairs in Geelong covers what's usually involved once it's yours to fix.
Gutters before summer. Leaves and sand in gutters hold salty water against the steel, and leaves are fuel in fire season. Gutter cleaning in Geelong has local detail.
Ask before you sign
- How far is my roof from the high water mark, and which BlueScope product does that call for?
- Are you a registered or licensed plumber for roofing (stormwater) work? Check on the BPC practitioner search.
- Is the property in the Bushfire Management Overlay, and what Bushfire Attack Level applies?
- Can you send photos after the job, since we're not here most of the year?
If we had a Torquay holiday house
We'd measure the distance to the surf before getting any re-roof quote and expect every roofer to name the steel product it calls for. Between visits, we'd have someone check the place after big storms, and we'd book gutters cleaned in late spring so the house goes into summer without dry leaf in them.
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.