St Peters roofing, from the old brickworks to Unwins Bridge Road

Built on and around the brickworks

St Peters grew around its clay pits and brickworks, and the evidence is still there — the kiln chimneys standing in Sydney Park are the most visible landmark in the suburb. The housing runs from the park down through May Street and across to Unwins Bridge Road and the Princes Highway, and it is mostly modest: single-fronted workers cottages, Federation semis, small terrace rows, with pockets of inter-war brick.

Many of those cottages were built for brickworkers, which means small roofs, narrow blocks, party walls and minimal drainage.

Common faults here

• Narrow box gutters between cottages, choked at the sump, with no overflow device
• Parapet cappings cracked and water tracking down inside the brickwork
• Rear lean-to and skillion roofs covered in tile at a pitch tile cannot hold
• Rusted eaves gutters on the detached inter-war houses
• Slipped slate on the older rows
• Cracked tiles and crumbling ridge pointing on the tiled stock

There is also a traffic and vibration factor to be realistic about: the Princes Highway and the surrounding arterial roads put a lot of heavy vehicle movement through the suburb, and old mortar-bedded ridge capping does not love constant vibration.

Fill, settlement and falls

Parts of St Peters are built on filled former clay pit and tip land, and settlement over decades shows up on the roof as lost falls. A box gutter needs a shallow but consistent fall over its whole run. Lose 10 mm at the wrong end and water stands, the lining corrodes from beneath and the capacity drops at the same time.

That is why reinstating falls, rather than just relining, is often the honest recommendation. See gutter and box gutter work.

Storm response

Short intense cells over a suburb with a lot of paved ground and limited drainage put water into ceilings quickly. Storm and emergency repairs covers make-safe first and a permanent repair once the roof is dry.

Nearby

Sydenham, Tempe, Erskineville and Marrickville — see the full suburb list.

Call for a free quote

(02) 8000 1103 or use the form. Free inspection, written quote, workmanship warranty.