What a Gold Coast roof puts paint through
Strong sun and summer heat
The Gold Coast record is 40.5 °C. Dark roofs soak up far more heat than light ones: in hot, sunny weather, BlueScope puts the surface gap between them at up to 35 °C. If you're repainting anyway, colour is a free chance to run cooler.
Humid summers slow drying
Afternoon humidity averages 70% in January and February and drops to 55% in July. Coatings want dry weather either side of each coat, so late winter into spring is the easier time to book.
Salt on metal roofs
For coated steel in salt marine locations, BlueScope suggests a system with better corrosion resistance, such as a zinc-rich primer, under a water-based acrylic topcoat. On the beachfront or the canals, ask which primer is in the quote.
Older homes and asbestos
The Gold Coast's canal estates and suburbs have been going up since the 1950s, and homes built before 1990 are likely to contain some asbestos. Queensland bans water-blasting asbestos cement roofs, with fines up to $10,000 plus clean-up costs, and suggests a fungicide and sealant instead.
Is painting worth it on your roof?
Concrete tiles: Monier says the colour coat is decorative and doesn't waterproof the tile. Repainting refreshes the look and needs redoing every five years or so. Terracotta: the colour is fired in, so it doesn't need paint. COLORBOND or ZINCALUME: BlueScope says overpainting voids its warranties, so on a newer steel roof, think twice. On older metal with surface rust, a proper paint system can buy years.
If you collect rainwater for drinking, check the paint suits a drinking water catchment. BlueScope says to confirm with the paint supplier, because not every roof paint does. The national roof painting page covers coatings in more depth.
Who's licensed to do it
Here's a Queensland quirk. The QBCC's roof tiling and roof and wall cladding licences both cover maintaining roofs, but they specifically exclude painting them. Ask the contractor what licence covers the painting, and look them up on the QBCC register before paying a deposit.
What to ask a Gold Coast roof painter
- Which paint system, by product name, and how many coats?
- Will you repair tiles and ridge capping before painting, or is that extra?
- What primer do you use on metal this close to salt water?
- Is the coating suitable for my drinking water tank?
- How will you clean the roof first, given how old the house is?
- Whose warranty is it, the manufacturer's or yours, and what does it cover?
Our call
We'd only paint a roof that's already been repaired, and we'd book it for late winter or early spring, when the air is drier. On newer Colorbond, we'd leave it alone. On older concrete tiles or weathered metal, we'd choose a light colour for the heat, and on metal anywhere near the water we'd ask for a zinc-rich primer. The Gold Coast hub has more on local conditions.
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.