What Templestowe's setting means for roofs
Trees everywhere
Victorian Places says the area was moderately timbered with gum and oak, and Wikipedia notes several forested gullies and an 'urban forest' in the rural-residential areas.
Late, generous development
The landscape barely changed until the 1950s, subdivision stayed limited while Templestowe was green belt, and the real expansion came in the 1970s. Victorian Places describes 'generously proportioned, sometimes opulent' houses with pools and tennis courts.
Streets that follow the land
Post-war planners laid out cul-de-sacs that follow the topography, and the hills have rounded slopes, so plenty of blocks fall away from the street.
Big houses, mostly
At the 2021 Census, 77.6% of occupied dwellings were separate houses and only 3.7% were flats.
Along the Yarra
The suburb is bordered by the Yarra River, with large parks such as Westerfolds and Candlebark along it.
Leaves, valleys and big roofs
Gum leaves are long and narrow, and they mat together in gutters and valleys. On a large roof with several valleys, a blockage in one can push water under the tiles well away from where the stain shows up inside.
Under heavy tree cover, gutter guards are worth considering. Mesh keeps most leaves out, though fine debris still builds up and needs an occasional clear. Gutter guards in Melbourne and leaf guard mesh compare the options.
Moss and lichen like shaded roofs. A roof clean every so often helps the tiles dry out properly between rains.
On a sloping block, a roofer may need extra gear on the low side, and two-storey sections take longer. Expect that to show up in the quote.
What you can do, and what to leave to a roofer
You can
- Watch the gutters from inside during heavy rain and note where they overflow
- Keep branches trimmed back from the roofline, after checking whether council's permission is needed
- Clear downpipe outlets at ground level
- Book a gutter clean before winter and again after autumn leaf drop
Leave to a roofer
- Clearing gutters and valleys on two-storey or steep sections
- Fitting gutter guards
- Moss treatment and roof cleaning
- Fixing leaks in valleys and box gutters
If it were our roof
Under gums, we'd clean the gutters and valleys before winter, then decide on guards once we'd seen a full season's leaf drop. On a big roof, we'd ask the roofer to check every valley and box gutter, not just the ones above the stain. Tell us the job and your postcode. If there's a licence-checked roofer for Templestowe on our books, they're the only roofer we send your contact details to, and if there isn't, we'll say so straight away.
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.
