What St Ives roofs are up against
Bush on the doorstep
Since 1950 St Ives has spread into hilltop and valley streets bordering Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to the north and Garigal to the east and south-east. The wildflower garden near the showground has grown to 123 hectares of urban bushland.
Housing Commission weatherboards
The NSW Housing Commission bought land in 1954 and built weatherboard homes for immigrants and returned servicemen. The NSW EPA says homes built before 1990 probably contain some asbestos, so check old eaves and sheeting before anyone cuts or drills.
Project homes, then townhouses
Many family homes, including project homes, went up between 1961 and 1976, and townhouses and retirement villages followed from 1980. In 2021, 66.1% of homes were separate houses and 26.1% were flats or apartments.
Flatter than its neighbours
St Ives has more flat land than the rest of Ku-ring-gai, much of it along the ridge top, which made building easier. Access is often simpler than in the steep gullies nearby.
Getting a St Ives roof ready for fire season
Find out where you stand
Ku-ring-gai applies its bushfire controls to mapped bush fire prone land and recommends them within 700 m of it, to cut house loss from embers. The RFS online tool or your Section 10.7 certificate shows whether your block is mapped.
Clear roofs, valleys and gutters
The RFS recommends clearing leaf litter from roofs, valleys and gutters before the bushfire season. Book a roofer or gutter cleaner for anything you can't reach from the ground.
Choose guards that won't burn
Gutter and valley leaf guards in bushfire areas should be non-combustible and installed to AS 3959, the RFS says. Ask what a guard is made of before you agree to it.
Seal the gaps
The RFS guide to upgrading older homes says gaps over 3 mm should be sealed or covered with corrosion-resistant mesh. A roofer can do this under ridge caps and around vents during a repair or restoration.
Other jobs that come up
Tiled roofs on 1960s project homes may be ready for a restoration, which means a clean, new ridge mortar and a fresh coating. If the tiles are breaking up all over, roof replacement may be better value.
Terracotta and concrete tiles are non-combustible, Monier notes, which suits a bushfire edge, but that only helps if embers can't get in underneath.
Our take on St Ives roofs
If your block touches the bush, we'd treat ember protection as part of any roof job, not an extra. When a roofer is up there for a repair or restoration, get them to seal gaps and fit metal guards in the same visit, and keep the invoice in case your insurer asks.
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.