Okay before posting I have had a poke about in relation to this question, but it appears greyer than a grey thing on a really grey morning. Roof was leaking on the I/P in two separate areas, and ceilings were damaged. I had a builder take a look up there and he has pointed out numerous tiles have broken. (The roof is around 25yrs old, cement tiles) He also points out that others have cracks and more will become porous very soon. Some of the ridge tiles need rebidding as the cement is crumbling. He states that the tiles need replacing, the ridge tiles re-bedded and the tiles re-coloured and sprayed with UV coat to combat the fact they are fast becoming porous. He has quoted $4375 to complete the work. So... questions are; 1.can this be claimed by me as a 100% tax write off as a repair at tax time? And 2. Has anybody had issues similar? Thanks in advance.
Id definitely get a few quotes from guys that do roof restorations and have a look at their reviews. The bigger companies that have really glossy magazines can charge an arm and a leg extra. Lots of small one man operators do this sort of work. Ideally before it starts leaking water into the roof space. You just have to find one thats good at his job.
Our (cement) tiled roof (Qld) is 41 years old. We have had our roof repaired twice. The first time (around mid-1990s) was to replace broken, chipped or damaged tiles and re-point the ridge capping. We were told that painting is only necessary if we wanted to change the roof colour (we didn’t). Also told that stories of tiles becoming “porous” were not true, that cement does not become porous. We recently had work done, replaced any broken tiles and had the roof painted as the original colour had faded noticeably and looked quite patchy. Marg
We've done as @Marg4000 has done. Older faded tiles, repainted & painted. Looks like new. Get a couple of other quotes.
As Marg said, concrete tiles do not go ‘porous’. This is a myth. They don’t need painting to keep them waterproof either. The Monier website even says: ‘...concrete tiles gradually improve in strength over several decades. This is caused by a hydration reaction between the water and cement.’ The only reason to paint concrete tiles is for looks - it doesn’t make them water proof. Broken tiles, on the other hand will need replacing - if they are actually broken. The valleys may be leaking. This is pretty common as the cement used in older bedding compounds corroded the metal valleys. I would get someone qualified in roof plumbing up to have a look - a builder isn’t necessarily an expert on roof tiling. I think he sounds dodgy - given the rubbish he has told you about porous tiles... Here’s expert advice from the CSIRO - see the section under ‘leaks’: http://www.residentialreports.com.a...rmation-Sheet-for-Concrete-Roof-Tiles.pdf.pdf
If the house is a recent purchase, the answer is no. You bought it with existing issues. To be able to claim that work as repairs, the roof would have needed to have deteriorated while you were renting out the property. Scott
Our first time around, when we did not paint the roof, our tiler took three rows of tiles off the bottom of the back roof (where it was not noticeable) and used these tiles to replace the broken ones (we had around 75 replaced). By using the original tiles we avoided the patchwork effect we would have had if shiny new tiles had been used to replace broken ones. The tiler then put all the new tiles back along the back section. If you don’t want/need to change the roof colour, painting is not necessary. Avoid employing anyone who tells you differently. Obviously it is far easier for them not to have to make the extra effort to match the tiles by reusing original tiles as our repairer did. Marg
Hey thanks guys, I think this porous thing as you say is a marketing ploy for the unwary. Hence getting on these forums is a blessing. So cheers for the advice. And Scott, duly noted re: the tax implications. I purchased the house several years ago and the tenants have been in two years now. So Im hoping I can claim it. I can only try I suppose.
Hey ya! not sure how it went in your case, but I've been looking at a bunch of different companies in Melbourne and read quite a bit of articles in regards to roofs and different tiles out there. I personally think the concrete tiles are the ones i'd go for if i was to choose. Have a look at this; Porous Roof Tiles - What Are They And What To Do - VivifyRoofing it starts by talking about porous roof tiles at first but throughout the articles it gives you the pros and cons of pretty much most of the tiles used out there.