Roofers in Morphett Vale, Adelaide
Morphett Vale is the big suburb of the outer south, spread either side of Main South Road and the Southern Expressway in the City of Onkaparinga. It grew in stages from the 1960s and the roofs age in bands: the earliest streets near Main South Road are the oldest, the 1990s estates toward Woodcroft the newest.
What usually goes wrong on Morphett Vale roofs
- Concrete tiles from the 1970s and 80s eroded, porous and shedding surface colour
- Ridge and hip mortar cracked across whole streets of the same age
- Storm damage from exposed south-westerly winds on the higher ground toward the expressway
- Rusted valley irons and gutters on homes that have never been re-guttered
- Sagging battens and slipped tiles on 1970s homes built with light timber
Local notes from the roofers
Morphett Vale is large enough that the age of a roof can be guessed from the street name. The earliest streets close to Main South Road were built in the 1960s and early 70s and carry the first generation of concrete tiles, now eroded, porous and cracked at the ridges, on frames built with lighter timber than the eastern suburbs, so battens sag and tiles slip. The 1970s Housing Trust groups nearby have had more owner turnover than maintenance, and gutters and valley irons from the original build are still in place and rusted through. The 1980s and 90s estates toward Woodcroft and the expressway are younger but more exposed on the rise, and the south-westerly fronts coming across the plain and up from the gulf hit them hard; storm callouts for lifted caps and dislodged tiles cluster there. Ridge mortar cracking runs across whole streets built in the same year, which is why rebedding and repointing is often done a street at a time. Newer Colorbond homes mostly need screws checked and flashings resealed. The clay here is reactive but the blocks are flat and access is easy.
Housing and roof types in Morphett Vale
One of Adelaide's largest suburbs, built out from the 1960s to the 1990s: brick veneer family homes under concrete tiles on the older streets, Housing Trust groups from the 1970s, and 1980s to 90s estates under concrete tiles with Colorbond appearing on the newest homes and rebuilds.
