Cronulla's setting
Water on three sides
Cronulla is Sydney's southernmost coastal suburb, at the end of a peninsula that frames the southern half of Botany Bay. Bate Bay is on its eastern front, with Port Hacking and Gunnamatta Bay behind it.
Surf beaches
From north to south the beaches run Boat Harbour, Greenhills, Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla, Cronulla, Blackwoods, Shelly and Oak Park, with surf clubs at Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla and South Cronulla.
Guest houses to high-rise
Cronulla was subdivided in 1895 and grew as a holiday spot. From the 1950s, guest houses began giving way to high-rise flats. At the 2021 Census, 72.5% of occupied homes were flats or apartments and 20.5% were separate houses.
Wind off Kurnell
Kurnell sits 8 km north-east. On 16 December 2015 a tornadic supercell un-roofed homes and businesses there, with a 213 km/h gust described as the fastest recorded in NSW.
Picking steel that survives the surf
BlueScope defines surf as areas exposed to breaking surf and ocean spray, and names Bondi and Manly as examples. Its selection guide recommends standard COLORBOND (Classic or Matt) more than 200 m from breaking surf, COLORBOND Ultra more than 100 m away, and SUPERDURA Stainless at any distance. Distances are measured from the high water mark.
The Port Hacking and Gunnamatta Bay side isn't named in BlueScope's examples. Its calm class covers protected bays and estuaries, but don't assume: ask your roofer to confirm the class and put the product name on the quote.
The roof sheet is only part of it. Flashings, fixings and gutters corrode too, so ask that they suit the same coastal rating. Tiles are another route: Monier says its concrete and terracotta tiles are salt safe and won't corrode.
Keep salt off the sheltered spots. BlueScope says areas rain doesn't wash, such as under the eaves and the underside of gutters, should be hosed every three months in coastal areas with salt spray. If rust has already started, read rusty roof.
Fixing a roof in a strata building
In Cronulla's apartment blocks the roof is usually common property, so the strata manager or owners corporation arranges and pays for repairs. Report leaks in writing with photos and dates, and note whether they get worse in southerlies or heavy rain.
If the committee is collecting quotes, ask each roofer for their NSW licence number and which steel or tile product they'll use given the distance to the surf. Anything over $5,000 needs a written contract.
What we'd do in Cronulla
Within about 100 m of breaking surf, we'd go straight to SUPERDURA Stainless; between 100 and 200 m, Ultra. We'd want the product named on the quote and the eaves rinsed every few months. Send us the job and your postcode: where we have a licence-checked roofer for Cronulla, it goes to that one roofer, and where we don't, we'll be upfront about it.
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.