You can’t have a home without a roof cover
Get ready to roof
It’s time to celebrate! We realise we say that a lot, but the roof is a pretty big deal. The bricks have been placed and laid to perfection with engineer-specified mortar to ensure everything is solid (and maybe your personalised brick is part of the final construction!). The structure of the home is beginning to take shape, and now the roofing is ready to rise.
Bring in the carpenters
The roof is one of the most important architectural elements of any home and is the first line of defence from the elements. That being said, we assign a certified roof carpenter (aka the one who has an office with a view, every day) to build a frame that meets the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards requirements. This ensures it’s in the right location to support the roofing materials; connected, bolted, strapped, and tied exactly as your engineer requires; and pitched at the perfect angle.
Types of roof pitches (because you may as well upskill)
It may not be MasterClass, but while you’re building your own home, you may as well learn a thing or two along the way. Okay, here goes. The roof pitch is the steepness angle of the roof and is essential for adequate water runoff. There are three options when it comes to pitches:
- Gable roof – two sloping sides come together at a ridge, effectively creating a triangular extension at the top.
- Skillion roof – one single flat surface that slopes to one side. The pitch of these often depends on the developer as some prefer them flatter and others steeper.
- Hip and Valey – slopes on every side, meaning there are generally three or four equal-length sides that come together at the top to form a ridge. They’re strong, sturdy, durable, and the most common by a long shot.
Supplier spotlight on Colorbond
Once the roof frame is on, we turn to the strongest, most secure, and energy-smart steel for your roof. COLORBOND® steel is not only 100% recyclable and therefore ticks our sustainability goals, but it’s also tried and tested in Australian conditions. Manufactured in Australia, to Australian standards, with 5x layers of protection—okay, we’ll stop bragging now … after a few more notable points.
Coated steel roof cover
This baby was designed to take over from corrugated roofing, which was prone to rust. Here’s what you can expect from COLORBOND®:
- Longevity – lasting up to 70 years and comes with a 25-year warranty.
- Durability – can withstand all common weather conditions, including rain, wind, snow, and hail and undergoes rigorous testing for corrosion and durability.
- Range – there are 22 colours to choose from (can even colour match your gutters)
- Approved – They meet Australian Standard AS1397 and are made of the highest quality grade steel.
- Protective – There are five layers of protection for corrosion and chip resistance.
- Resistant – COLORBOND® is naturally termite-resistant and low maintenance.
- Energy efficient – it’s lightweight and solar reflective, providing exceptional thermal insulation to help keep your air-con bills down.
- Enviro-friendly – it’s made from recycled materials and can be 100% recycled.
- Weight – COLORBOND® weights a lot less than tile roofs and can be up to 90% lighter, making it faster and easier to handle.
Let’s talk about gutters (stay with us on this one)
They’re not the most riveting product, but gutters are important (and worth their weight in gold come winter, IYKYK). We like to pair your COLORBOND® roofing with COLORBOND® gutters and facia, so each element is just as hardy and magazine worthy. These will be measured and installed at the same time as your roof sheeting.
Now things are speeding up, and the walls and ceilings are next. Let’s see how the home’s interior starts coming to life … we have a feeling there are more reasons to celebrate coming up.
