Basically the photos tell the story of roof painting in The Gap, which is where we’ve been based for over 3 decades.
We’ve tended to this roof a couple of times over the last three years but when a new leak developed the owner enquired about a full restoration. He spends a lot of time working overseas and wanted one less thing to worry about on the homefront,
Work commenced early January on this roof painting in The Gap.
Tile replacement & Cleaning
Before anything happens
Cleaning in progress
The roof was thoroughly checked for damaged tiles before any cleaning took place.
We use high volume water blasters (on reduced pressure) with large floating rotary heads. This gives an even finish getting rid of dirt and oxidized paint without damaging the tiles. Precautions are taken beforehand to ensure contaminated waste water doesn’t enter water tanks or the street drainage system generally.
Pointing the Ridges
Repointing ridge capping prevents water ingress
Flexible pointing on ridges
The caps were originally pointed using a mortar mix which over time cracked and broke away causing leaks.
We use a flexible pointing compound that can adapt to extreme temperatures and sligght movements over time, so its much more durable than the old mortar (sand and cement) mix.
The next step in the process is the application of an acrylic sealer. This is a clear coat which you’ll note from the photo below, glistens in the sun.
Sealing the Roof
The sealer glistens in the sunlight providing a suitable topcoat “key”
No prize for guessing which part of the roof has been sealed.
You can always tell a roof that hasn’t been sealed when you try to clean it some years down the track … the paint comes off …that’s probably most peoples’ experience of being “done over” by dodgy operators. You don’t know until it’s too late.
The sealer, being lighter than paint, tends to float around in the air, so best not done on a windy day. We do take precautions, such as using shields (that’s whats on the upper part of the roof in the “sealing” photo.) We also use brushes around the barge (edge) tiles and under skillion roofs (such as that depicted below at the house front entrance).
Brushes & Airless Spraying
Now it’s time for roof painting in The Gap.
Mission accomplished rear
front entrance
The car next to house couldn’t be moved, so we covered it with drop sheets and used brushes to cut in above it.
Bird’s eye view
Street view…looking good on Google
If you want some roof painting in The Gap, why not give us a call on 3300 6100
The Parish Committee of this north side Greek Orthodox Church had concerns that the iconography (pictured) under the Church domes was deteriorating due to the intense heat, particularly in the main dome. They investigated the possibility of more air circulation by redesigning the glass panels which were fully enclosed.
Iconography inside main dome …note the windows
Church before restoration
Redesigning the twenty four glass panels to provide airflow was never going to be the cheapest option, especially given the building design would require scaffolding on the tiled roof.
The pressed metal roof has absolutely no insulation. The Committee was keen to have the domes painted in a lighter colour before the approaching summer took a further toll on the quality of the artwork.
We suggested they seriously consider a quality Insulation paint and supplied them with the relevant technical data for NXT Coolzone. This remarkable heat reflecting roof coating utilizing revolutionary Thermal Protection Technology, was developed by Nutech to keep buildings cooler in hot weather.
(Tests indicate roofs coated in NXT are up to 30 degrees C cooler, which translates to an inside drop in temperature of 10 degrees C. Nutech guarantee for this product extends to twelve years.)
We opted to use a large articulated boom in lieu of roof scaffolding. These large booms require skilled operators to ensure no contact is made with the building, as this could prove disastrous. With an outreach in excess of twenty metres at almost twenty metres up it’s critical to effectively manage the movement when slewing sideways to avoid accidental contact with the roof, and particularly the metal domes.
Large booms used for access to domes
Our personnel have had years of experience operating this equipment and we are pleased to report no adverse outcomes. They are also accredited for Safe Work at Heights and use safety equipment which is regularly inspected to comply with the relevant Australian Standards. Our Public Liability Insurance, in the amount of $20,000,000 covers this type of work without height limitation.
Templates on windows prevent overspray
We cut out cardboard templates for the windows to prevent overspray, applied a metal primer and two liberal coats of NXT Coolzone.
The terracotta tiled roof was cleaned & repointed
The terracotta tiled roof was cleaned and re-pointed plus new valley seal installed to address leaks inside the Church.
Lichen growth and in need of a re-point
Colour change in progress
Where once there was White this has been changed to Terracotta and vice versa.
The benefits of NXT Coolzone extend to the darker colour too. Gone are the days when you had to stick with light colours to derive the benefits.
The Committee is extremely pleased with the results and the rate of deterioration of the artwork has slowed dramatically.
Finished product…looking good
Colours accentuated by looming storm
Looking to have something similar done to your local Church or perhaps a Commercial Building?
Call us on 3300 6100 or 0418 733 068
We do a lot of rusty iron roof restoration, often involving replacement of sheets,but sometimes all that’s needed is a bit of TLC.
The roof pictured below, although an eyesore, was found to be in reasonable condition, so we set about preparing it for painting.
This old roof is ok with just superficial rust to make good
Cleaning & Rust Conversion
We firstly disconnected the down pipes to ensure no chemicals or waste water entered the tank. It’s also important to ensure no waste water enters the general drainage system. This is done by damming up the street gutters and pumping the waste back to a suitable area on the property.
In this instance we treated the roof with a chemical mixture which converted the rust to something approaching bare metal.
This was followed by fixing new fasteners where required, then water blasting to provide a solid key for paint to adhere to the surface.
Etch Priming
No rusty iron roof restoration should be attempted without the application of a decent etch primer. Here we used a quality acrylic primer.
Rust conversion, water blasted & etch primed
Whereas the first photo was taken looking up the roof from the water tank, this one was taken looking down towards the tank.
Topcoats Applied
Finally with two coats of ten year warranted acrylic coating our rusty iron roof restoration is complete.
Looking more like a new colorbond roof
So, whether you’re selling or just wanting to improve appearances…why not give us a call.
We’re good at high pressure cleaning… not high pressure selling – like some in the industry.
Remember if you don’t have insulation installed you can take a short cut by speaking to us about affordable NuTech NXT Coolzone. This product makes a remarkable difference to the inside temperature during the hot summer months.
Yes were based in The Gap and have painted lots of roofs in the The Gap and surrounding suburbs. Occasionally we venture as far North as Bribie Island and half way to the Gold Coast in the South plus Beaudesert in the South West.
Call 3300 6100 or speak to Kevin direct on his mobile 0418 733 068 for a obligation free quote.
As members of the Master Painters Association the past twenty years, we’ve been involved in some large scale commercial roof restoration as well as domestic and residential dwellings.
Due to our work at heights experience we often get the more difficult tasks requiring access equipment or rope access.
Recently we assisted in restoring approximately 12,000 square metres of colorbond roof as well as the helipad at a major south side hospital.
Putting things in perspective
This sprawling building within the hospital complex is approximately 7,500m and shows various stages of completion. The cream colour has recently been water blasted with our heavy duty equipment, the white depicts a quality metal etch primer and the ocean blue, the first of two top coats.
This photo was taken from the vantage point of the helipad, which has a perforated floor requiring application by roller. This was done following thorough cleaning using a biodegradable detergent in combination with hot blasting to negate the effects of spilt fuel on the deck. The photo below shows the chemical application.
This sprawling home in the leafy suburb of Chelmer had some Waterworks housewashing in late January 2015.
Originally we cleaned the roof of the client’s mum, who still lives in Ashgrove.
It was colorbond with a 45 degree pitch. She was impressed, so she recommended us to her daughter.
We had been to the Chemer residence some years ago to clean the upper roof, but this time it was overdue for all the roofs, housewashing, garages and adjoining walkway as well as the perimeter rendered brick walls.
The first couple of snaps give an idea of the condition of the garage roof, one of which shows a good before and after contrast in the same photograph.
The owner was delighted with the result and wants us back next time…in fact that happened recently in March 2017.
If you’re keen to know more about colorbond roof cleaning, just click this link: https://www.waterworks.com.au/roof-building-shopping-centre/
Would you believe, that as recently as May 2015 we were housewashing for a former Department of Transport Property Manager (now retired and living in Bardon) who was familiar with our work some twenty years previously. He refuses to go elsewhere, insisting we’re the best thing since sliced bread.
These are just two of several examples of satisfied clients returning year in year out for housewashing.
Even with new clients (more often than not on a recommendation of an existing client) we’re grilled on the following: –
- whether their gardens will survive the exercise
- what we do to protect the electrical wiring
- can we avoid water ingress through windows
- how will we manage to ensure the paint is not blown away
- can we avoid damaging the tiles on the roof (the last person broke some but didn’t tell us)
Often it’s because of some bad experience they’ve had previously. If you wish to find out more on this topic please click: https://www.waterworks.com.au/services/home-exterior-cleans/
Suburban Housewashing is just one of the things we’ve excelled at for over 30 years…we still have clientele dating back to when we first commenced in 1986. Three generations of our family are now involved.
If your home is in need of housewashing by someone who takes care to achieve the optimal result without creating problems such as those itemized above…then call us now on (07) 3300 6100.
Late June (2014) the Jackson Road Shopping Village roofs had some cosmetic surgery. The photo below, taken from the Tavern (at the Northern End) shows in excess of 5000 square metres of roof cleaning colorbond after the clean up.
One of the shopkeepers told us that the last time this was done they used one small machine that “took forever”. He couldn’t believe the overall transformation on this occasion. We always try to optimize the results …when all is said and done, that’s how we get invited back the next time and it’s probably why we’ve been around for over three decades. Incidentally, since this article was written in 2014, we’ve been invited back to do it again in 2016. Two years is just about enough for a large shopping centre’s colorbond roof, especially the lighter colours, with multiple cooking exhaust flues belching out pollutants combined with heavy traffic pollution as well.
So if you’re in the market, make sure you’re comparing apples with apples… do your homework …ask around and look for things like this on competitors’ websites.
Roof cleaning colorbond …It ain’t Rocket Science! …well not for us anyway.
Phone: 3300 6100
Guide Dogs Queensland engaged us for some roof cleaning commercial, throughout the Bald Hills complex in advance of a Graduation Ceremony attended by dignitaries including the Governor and Premier early in May 2014.
Just as moss grows on the south side of tree trunks, mould and lichen growth flourishes on roofs and particularly, light-coloured, colorbond roofs. Both our own personnel and the GDQ staff were naturally concerned for the welfare of the animals, given the requirement to use chemicals to produce an optimal result, despite plans to heavily dilute. Working together the Dogs were moved out of harms way. This took some doing given the odd shape of the training buildings and the large number of vehicles that also required moving on more than one occasion. Our gratitude goes to the GDQ trainers who took this disruption to their routine in their stride.
Most of the roofs are pitched at 45 degrees which doesn’t leave much margin for error on a slippery surface when all you have is a pair of Volleys on your feet (ropes & harnesses aside). Colorbond roofs become oxidized over time and can be restored by repainting. If you’re savvy you can kill two birds…using quality insulation paint. Dial 3300 6100 for a free quote.
We use and recommend Nutech Coolzone NXT*. Before this relatively new product became available, you had the choice of White or Pastel shades ….but you can now choose darker, more modern colours …Charcoal if you wish….and they really do reduce the temperature inside your home…and the product comes with a twelve year guarantee. What are you waiting for…SUMMER? * Refer to the Nutech website www.nutechpaints.com.au
If you’re not ready for a repaint but have some roof cleaning commercial project contemplated, pick up the phone and call (07) 3300 6100.
This Trendy St Lucia Shopping Centre recently underwent a Waterworks roof-building-shopping-centre makeover, made the more difficult due to restricted working hours (Council requirement) and an abundance of pedestrian traffic. Still the pictures below tell the story and it has certainly made a huge difference …
Detailed SWMS & Risk Assessments go to print before commencement on projects like this and all our equipment is regularly inspected and tagged to comply with the relevant Australian Standards.
We’re proud of our incident free Safety Record over the past 29 years and our avowed aim is to maintain the status quo.
Finally, the bin area and undercover car park were cleaned up using hot water blasting in conjunction with chemicals.
The new owners of this popular Red Hill Cafe called in shop fitters to refurbish the inside and were in two minds as to whether to replace or restore the umbrella/sails which were looking a tad shabby.
When they discovered the cost of replacement they sought the cheaper option and were delighted with the result. The task was performed from ladders and the bough of a tree, to keep the costs to a bare minimum.
Over the years we’ve carried out building clean – churches, sealed and painted houses of worship and restored roofs including but not limited to, a Taoist Temple , Anglican Church, Uniting Church, Greek Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Cathedral and a Catholic Church, which is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment, including re-roofing and repainting in the new year.
Building Cleaning Brisbane Church
Church before restoration
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