Hawthorn made bricks before it filled with houses. Many of the old quarries are parks now, and the streets around them make up postcode 3122, six kilometres east of the CBD in the City of Boroondara. Metro Wide Roofing covers Hawthorn for metal roofing, gutter replacement, repointing, roof washing, gutter cleaning, roof restoration, and driveway and paving work. Phone 0466 477 008. You get a call back the same business day and a visit in person within the week.
- Postcode 3122
- City of Boroondara
- About 6 km east of the CBD
Grace Park villas and single-fronted cottages
The 1880s land boom built two kinds of street. On estates such as Grace Park, subdivided in 1884 and sold into the early twentieth century, tree-lined streets hold Victorian and Edwardian houses of some size. On the low-lying subdivisions, working-class families lived in single-fronted cottages. Local bricks known as pinks, blacks and browns went into the patterned facades of many houses. Cottages of that period commonly have corrugated iron roofs, while the larger Edwardian homes tend to have terracotta tiles.
A narrow cottage brings its own roofing questions. Its gutters often run along a side boundary with little room to work, the roof may sit within arm's reach of the house next door, and there is rarely a driveway at all. Old iron can look sound from the street and still be rusted at the laps and around the fasteners. The villas have different trouble spots: long ridges, chimneys, and valleys that fill with leaves from the street trees. Two houses a block apart in Hawthorn may need entirely different work.
Services we provide in Hawthorn
Colorbond and metal roofing
Worn corrugated iron on a cottage can be replaced with new Colorbond or Zincalume. While the old sheets are off, sarking, insulation and ventilation can be added, which cottages of that age often went without.
Gutter replacement
Side gutters on narrow blocks are hard to reach and easy to forget. We replace them in Zincalume or Colorbond, with OGEE, half-round or quad to suit an old facade, plus fascia cover over tired timber and new downpipes.
Roof repointing
Edwardian villas around Grace Park usually carry terracotta, with capping bedded in old mortar. We re-bed whatever has come loose along ridges and hips and finish it in flexible pointing. Iron-roofed cottages have no ridge mortar to renew.
Roof washing
Painted iron needs a soft approach, so metal roofs get a lower-pressure treatment. Terracotta and concrete tiles are pressure cleaned under control. Both methods lift grime, lichen and organic growth.
Gutter cleaning
Street trees feed the gutters of villas and cottages alike. Expect a commercial vacuum, hand clearing in the corners, water flushed down every downpipe, and a photo report. Both single and two-storey houses are covered.
Roof restoration
Restoration suits iron and tile alike. Once failed tiles or rusted valleys are replaced, the roof is primed and given two coats of Dulux Acratex membrane. Pick a colour that sits well with the brickwork.
Driveway pressure washing, restoration and sealing
Many cottage streets have no driveways, so in Hawthorn this service is often about paved courtyards, side paths and garage aprons. We pressure wash pavers and concrete, fill cracks and seal.
Frequently asked questions
My single-fronted cottage in Hawthorn still has an old iron roof. What are my options?
If the sheets are sound, restoration cleans and recoats them. If rust has gone through at the laps or fasteners, new Colorbond or Zincalume is the better path. We check the sheets, the gutters and the flashings in person before recommending either, and the written quote lists each item.
We have a courtyard and a side path but no driveway. Can those be washed and sealed?
Yes. The same process applies to any concrete, exposed aggregate or paved surface: pressure wash, fill cracks, re-colour or resurface where needed, then a seal that typically gives two to four years of service. Shaded courtyards in Hawthorn tend to turn green and slippery sooner, so they often gain the most.
Will I see proof of the work on a roof I cannot see from the street?
You will. Photos of the finished job are sent to you as standard, and gutter cleans come with a photo report. That matters on narrow blocks where the roof is hidden from the footpath. A 12-month workmanship warranty, in writing, comes with the job as well.
