Blacktown's roofs at a glance
Built in a rush
Blacktown City Council says the city's population of 18,000 began to grow after the Second World War, with large-scale housing development in Blacktown and north of Mount Druitt in the 1960s and 1970s. By 1981 the city had 181,000 people.
Housing Commission streets
The NSW Housing Commission developed Lalor Park in 1959 and Marayong, north-west of Blacktown, in the 1960s.
Mostly houses
At the 2021 Census, 65.4% of occupied homes in Blacktown were separate houses and 18.6% were semi-detached houses or townhouses. Only 15.8% were flats.
Hail, more than once
The storm of 9 December 2007 dropped confirmed hail of 7 cm at Blacktown, and the Insurance Council of Australia estimated the damage at $415 million. On 14 October 2021 the western Sydney supercell reached its peak just west of Blacktown.
Restore, replace or test first?
A roof from the post-war decades can still be sound underneath. If the tiles are solid and it's the ridge mortar, paint and valleys letting go, a roof restoration usually beats a new roof on cost. If tiles are cracking right across the roof, put the money into replacement instead.
Before anyone drills, cuts or water-blasts, find out what the roof, eaves and gutters are made of. The NSW EPA says a house built before 1990 probably has asbestos-containing materials somewhere, and corrugated asbestos cement roofing was sold under names such as Fibrolite and Super-Six. Our asbestos checker helps you work out what you might be looking at.
If your roof might be asbestos cement
Don't drill, cut, water-blast or walk on it. ASSEA says it's illegal in every state to use high pressure water on asbestos materials, and pressure cleaning asbestos roofs has spread fibres to neighbours' yards, footpaths and stormwater. Get a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist involved before any roof work starts.
After a Blacktown hailstorm
Hail damage on tiles is hard to judge from the ground. A roofer can photograph cracked tiles, dented ridges and split skylights for your claim. Moneysmart says to contact your insurer as soon as practical, even before you know the full extent, and to talk to them before you spend money on temporary repairs.
Be wary of strangers at the door. The Insurance Council warns that 'disaster chasers' knock after storms claiming to have spotted damage, and are often unlicensed. Insurers won't send a tradesperson without telling you first. There's more in our guide to hail damage roof claims.
Where we'd start in Blacktown
On a post-war Blacktown house, we'd first find out whether any of the roof, eaves or gutters could be asbestos. Then we'd ask one roofer for an honest view on whether the tiles have years left. If they do, restore. If they don't, replace once and do it properly. Send us the job and your postcode: a licence-checked roofer who covers Blacktown gets it, and only that roofer. Where we don't have anyone yet, we'll say so.
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.