Slate Roof Repairs in Sydney

The sheet says slates in the gutter are often a sign of rusted nails, that water stains appearing as thin streaks down the slates may be an early indication of nail failure, and that delaminated slates have a dull sound when struck, quite different from the clear ring of a sound slate. It adds that an old roof should be kept going as long as possible through regular maintenance. The sheet is dated March 1998, online edition 2004.

Who goes on the roof

The sheet says only trained people should venture out over a brittle roof surface. SafeWork NSW says a business must protect workers from falling from one level to another, no matter the height, and not to walk on skylights or plastic and asbestos roof sheeting unless a competent person has assessed it as structurally sound. A slate roof is not asbestos sheeting, but the rule about who assesses a roof surface is the same.

Ask the provider what the quote assumes about the nails and the battens, and whether any slate replaced is matched to the old.

What does a slate in the gutter mean?

The NSW Heritage Office's sheet says slates in the gutter are often a sign of rusted nails. The sheet is dated March 1998, online edition 2004.

Does a slate repair need a licence?

The contractor needs a NSW contractor licence once the job is valued at more than A$5,000 in labour and materials, including GST. Roof slating is a named trade category.

Can I go up and look myself?

The sheet says only trained people should venture out over a brittle roof surface. Look from the ground, and note what you see for the provider.