Cheltenham: Federation rooflines and deep gardens

Cheltenham is the quieter half of the Beecroft and Cheltenham Heritage Conservation Area: few through roads, very large trees, and streets like The Crescent where the houses sit well back behind established gardens. Much of the early building stock here is large brick Federation, with timber houses among it, and the mix carries through the inter-war and post-war periods.

Careful work on old roofs

Terracotta that is ninety or a hundred years old is usually still structurally sound. What has failed is everything attached to it — the bedding mortar under the caps, the mortar fillets at chimneys, valley trays that have corroded through, and flashings that were improvised at some point in the 1970s.

The right approach is conservative: replace what is broken, rebed and repoint properly, form real flashings, and leave the tiles that are doing their job alone. We do not coat terracotta the way concrete tile is coated. The roof restoration page sets out the difference.

Before you change the look of the roof

Inside a conservation area, altering the roof material, profile or colour can require consent from Council, and individually listed heritage items anywhere in the Shire are in the same position. Maintenance and like-for-like repair are a different matter.

We flag it at the inspection. Finding out at the wrong moment is an expensive way to learn the rule.

The canopy, the gutters and the tree permit

Cheltenham gardens are the reason people live here and the reason the gutters never stay clear. Two clears a year is the baseline, and on blocks with gums directly over the roof it is three.

If your instinct is to remove the branch instead, note that Hornsby Shire protects trees on private property through its tree and vegetation preservation controls, and a permit is generally required to prune or remove. Fix the roof and the gutters first; that is the part fully within your control. See gutter repair and leaf guard.

Getting a quote

Free inspection with photographs, an itemised written quote, and a workmanship warranty on completed work. Call (02) 9000 1127 or send the form.

We also work in Beecroft, Pennant Hills and Thornleigh. The whole patch is on the service areas page.