Roofing in St Johns: Mid-Century Roof Replacement
Re-roofing, tile and iron repairs and spouting for St Johns' 1950s to 1970s family homes.
Roofing in St Johns
- Mostly 1940s-70s homes
- Hillside sections
- Larger sections
St Johns occupies the high ground between Meadowbank, Kohimarama, Glen Innes and Stonefields, with St Johns Road running along its spine and the old theological college grounds giving the suburb its name. It is quiet and residential, with sloping streets and many homes enjoying views toward the harbour or the Tamaki Estuary. Most roofs we see here belong to solid mid-century family houses whose original materials are coming to the end of their working lives.
Homes in St Johns
St Johns was built up mostly between the 1950s and the 1970s, a period of steady private housing development on the eastern isthmus. Brick-and-tile homes, weatherboard houses and split-level designs on sloping sections are typical, many with attached or under-house garages. A handful of earlier homes exist, and in recent years, some older houses have been replaced with modern builds or had substantial additions, but the mid-century character remains strong.
The roofs we work on here
Concrete tile is extremely common, along with some clay tile, corrugated iron and decramastic. Fifty to seventy years on, concrete tiles are often porous and lichen-covered, with cracked tiles, failing ridge mortar and corroded valley trays. Low-pitch roofs over additions and garages can leak at their junctions with the main roof. Some decramastic, added during re-roofs in the 1970s and 80s, is shedding chip and rusting at the laps. Usual work includes tile restoration and recoating, valley and ridge repairs, junction flashings and full replacement in long-run steel.
Weather and exposure
Being elevated, much of St Johns catches the wind more than the sheltered valleys below, and gusty conditions from the south-west or the east can lift loose ridges and flashings. Salt is not a major issue for most homes, though views to the water mean some exposure on the highest points. Moss on south-facing tile slopes and leaves from mature gardens are common maintenance issues.
Typical roofing jobs in St Johns
- Restoring a 1960s concrete tile roof with replacement tiles, rebedded ridges and a fresh coating.
- Replacing corroded valley trays on a brick-and-tile home where leaks have stained the ceiling.
- Re-roofing a split-level house and its later garage extension together in long-run steel.
- Refixing ridge tiles and flashings loosened by strong winds on an elevated section with harbour views.
Services most asked for here
- Roof RestorationCleaning, ridge re-bedding and re-coating tired concrete and clay tile roofs.
- Roof ReplacementTile-to-metal re-roofs when tiles are porous, brittle or beyond economic repair.
- Roof RepairsCracked tiles, slipped ridges, worn valleys and leaks around chimneys and flues.
- Gutters & SpoutingReplacing original spouting and downpipes that have rusted, sagged or split.