Being a homeowner isn’t always easy. One of the biggest decisions you may face is how to look after your roof as it ages. Got a leak and you are wondering should you patch it, or replace it entirely? It can be an agonising choice with serious cost implications. To help you decide on the best solution, here are five key facts about roofing every homeowner should know:
Your roof will look fine until it starts leaking
It’s easy to ignore your roof because it is out of sight. That is, until the roof is not doing its job. All of a sudden, you notice a stain spreading on the ceiling or rainwater already dripping in. That’s when the roof has your full attention. Often by the time leaks appear inside, the underlying roof damage has been developing for a while so you may have no choice but to take action immediately.
The brown water stain on the ceiling is a sign of a roof leaf. It can quickly cause mold growth and rotten framing once water gets through. Small problems will only grow larger and more expensive the longer you wait.
Don’t wait for leaks to tell you there’s a problem. Schedule a free roof inspection today and catch small issues before they become costly repairs.
Both roof repair and reroofing will cost money
The big question is how much money. A complete reroofing for an average older home, around 150 m² should roughly cost between $15,000–$20,000 in New Zealand. On the other hand, small repairs might seem cheaper in the short run, but they can add up to a sizeable total as well, especially if both roof repairs and reroofing require the same safety measures like scaffolding. In some cases we have seen, patching a roof repeatedly over a couple of years reached almost half the cost of simply getting a new roof.
Your Roof Won’t Last Forever – Plan Reroofing
If your home is one of Canterbury’s classic character houses or a post-war bungalow built 50–60 years ago, chances are its original roof has seen better days. After decades of sun, wind, rain, and frost, even the best materials begin to show their age. We’re seeing plenty of aging concrete tile and corrugated iron roofs around the region starting to fail, often quietly, until the damage becomes obvious.
Getting your roof checked now is a smart move. A professional inspection can tell you how much life your roof has left and help you plan ahead before leaks or rot force an urgent (and expensive) replacement.
Like For Like location Roof Work Don’t Need Building Consent
If you need to replace the roof, and if you are simply replacing your old roof “like-for-like location”, which means using similar materials with no structural changes, it’s generally considered maintenance and building consent won’t be required. Important to note is that you can convert old concrete or clay tile roof for long-run metal roofing or any other modern roofing option and as long as you don’t change anything structural, like roof plan or a roof pitch and you use correct fixings for wind uplift you won’t need Building Consent.
However you will need a building consent if any of these apply:
- If the existing roof failed before 15 years durability clause B2 and reroofing to remedy that failure requires consent.
- If you are changing the structure/roof plan/pitch or replacing substantial structural elements.
- If you are switching to a heavier cladding that could affect structural loads.
Colour affects performance, not just looks
Roof colour changes surface temperature, expansion noise, coating fade rate, and energy load. Dark roofs can run tens of degrees hotter than light ones, increasing thermal movement, accelerating paint fade, and stressing fasteners. In Christchurch’s hot summer sun + frosty winters, a lighter color pigment can lower heat stress and reduce summer under the roof temperature, while in the coastal areas, lighter mid-tones can hide salt staining better than very darker colors.
When selecting a new roof or repainting the current roof you consider both aesthetics and the practical effects and you will be happier in the long run with a roof that not only looks great but also works better for your home.
After learning these facts, you should be better prepared to make the call between patch repairs or a full re-roof. Every situation is different and factors like your roof’s age, the extent of damage, your future plans for the property, and of course your budget all come into play.
For any roofing related questions feel free to book a no-obligation roof check and let our local team help you plan your next steps with confidence.