Bankstown's roofs in context
The post-war boom
The railway reached Bankstown in 1909. After the Second World War the population rose dramatically as people moved out from the inner city and migrants arrived, and industry grew around aircraft manufacturing at Bankstown Airport.
Apartments now lead
At the 2021 Census, 58.5% of occupied homes were flats or apartments, 30.0% were separate houses and 10.1% were townhouses or semi-detached.
Hot days
Bankstown averages 8.8 days a year above 35 °C, and hot north-westerlies can push it to 40 °C.
When the river rises
In February 1956, 300 mm of rain fell in two and a half days. Bankstown, Panania, East Hills and Milperra were among the seriously flooded areas, and 400 houses flooded in the Milperra Moorebank floodway. The area's mean annual rainfall is 872.5 mm.
Paint, restore or leave it alone?
Fix the leak before the colour. If water is getting in, the cause is usually cracked ridge bedding, broken tiles or rusted valleys. A repair comes first; paint never seals a leak. Monier says respraying a roof is aesthetic only.
Know what paint does on each tile. Monier says repainted concrete tiles need recoating every five years or so to keep the look, and terracotta doesn't need respraying because its colour is baked in.
Go lighter if you're repainting anyway. On a hot western roof, a paler coating takes in less sun. Ask the roofer for the coating's solar absorptance figure so you can compare products.
Gutters for big rain. Clear gutters and downpipes before summer storms, and replace rusted lengths before they split.
Before anyone pressure cleans a post-war roof
The NSW EPA says a house built before 1990 probably contains asbestos materials somewhere. ASSEA says it's illegal in every state to use high pressure water on asbestos, and Monier advises against pressure washers on tiles too. If you're unsure what the roof or eaves are made of, have it identified first.
What a Bankstown restoration quote should spell out
- How many broken tiles will be replaced, and what happens if there are more.
- Whether the ridge caps are being fully rebedded or just repointed.
- The cleaning method, and confirmation the roof isn't asbestos cement.
- The coating brand, number of coats and the warranty in writing.
- The roofer's NSW licence number and a written contract for anything over $5,000.
Our view for Bankstown
We'd pay for repairs that stop water before paying for paint that only changes the colour. On a post-war house, we'd confirm what the roof and eaves are made of before any cleaning starts. Share the job and your postcode with us. A licence-checked roofer covering Bankstown gets your contact details, and nobody else does; if there isn't one yet, we'll tell you.
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.