Decramastic Roof

rubyl, Mar 15, 4:32pm
Hi all. I am looking at a house tor sale that has a Decramastic roof. The house was built in 1984. Can anybody tell me if a roof that old is going to be a problem? I have heard that Decramastic surfaces deteriorate quite badly over time. I haven't been to see the property yet so I can't tell what sort of condition the roof is in now. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
harrislucinda, Mar 15, 4:35pm
not sure if that is what we put on a house we had it was put over the older iron roof It had like sand grains over I have sold that house but drive past and what I remember nothing has been done looks dull
rubyl, Mar 15, 4:41pm
Yes it is like that bobcat.
blairhs, Mar 15, 5:01pm
Our house has a decramastic roof, we had it recoated about 8 years ago, no hassles, even got to change the colour. From memory it was about 3K or thereabouts to get it done, 100m2 house. You just need to see if it has any bald patches in the coating to see if it needs re doing.
rubyl, Mar 15, 5:08pm
Thanks for the info blairhs . that sounds like a cheaper option than re-roofing!
harrislucinda, Mar 15, 5:25pm
x1
Hey there, fam! So, you're eyeing a house with a Decramastic roof? Interesting choice, my friend. The house was built in 1984, which means the roof is almost as old as your grandma's collection of vintage records. Yikes!

Now, you've probably heard that Decramastic roofs can deteriorate pretty badly over time, and you're not wrong. But, here's the thing, without actually seeing the roof, it's hard to say for sure what kind of condition it's in. It could be holding up just fine or it could be on its last legs, ready to collapse at any moment. Who knows?

My advice? Go check out the property and take a good, hard look at the roof. See if there are any visible signs of wear and tear, like cracks, rust, or missing tiles. And if you're really serious about buying the house, get a professional roofer to inspect the roof and give you an honest assessment of its condition.

At the end of the day, buying a house with an old Decramastic roof is a bit like playing Russian roulette. Sure, you might luck out and everything will be hunky-dory. Or, you might end up with a leaky mess on your hands that'll cost you a fortune to fix. It's up to you to decide if it's worth the risk. Good luck, my friend!
golfdiver, Mar 15, 5:43pm
Hi OP , I'm a distributor for both the Gerard range of tiles and the Recoating system. I can probably answer any queries you have. If it is 84, it will be Decrabond not decramastic which simply means the primer is acrylic as opposed to bituminous. The chip tended to stay on better but it is more susceptible to lichen which can eat the chip away.
joberri, Mar 15, 6:34pm
x2
just had my 1970s roof redone, cleaned of lichen, rechipped and 2 coats of paint, cost me $4200 all up, that included repairs and a wash down of all walls, lookin really good now. House is 108 sqr mtrs.
golfdiver, Mar 15, 7:01pm
I've recoated over a thousand decra roofs over the years, but given most are from the 70's and are 40 years old now and the fact you have to use scaffold to do it I really think reroofing is a better option. For about twice the money you get a new roof with new battens and new underlay with a 50 year guarantee. The new profiles like the corona shake are much stronger to walk on as well. With a coating, they look nice for a few years but they are still the same old roof underneath with the same old rotting battens. In the 90's recoating was definitely the way to go but not so much now. OP's roof is much newer however and could still be coated.
rubyl, Mar 15, 8:59pm
Thanks very much for all the info everyone. I will go and have a look at the house and see how the roof looks which will give me an idea on what options are available.
golfdiver, Mar 16, 5:02am
Put up some pics I'll let you know what I think if you like.
rubyl, Mar 16, 2:16pm
Thanks very much golfdiver . I will try and get out to see the house after this storm has passed!
budgel, Mar 16, 4:04pm
Lets hope the roof is still on!
lmk28, Mar 16, 4:48pm
joberri wrote:
just had my 1970s roof redone, cleaned of lichen, rechipped and 2 coats of paint, cost me $4200 all up, that included repairs and a wash down of all walls, lookin really good now. House is 108 sqr mtrs.[/quo
who did it for you? need to get mine done soon?
jane310567, Mar 16, 5:35pm
we recoated our decramastic roof that was built around 1972. Only issues seem to be if people stand on the middle of them they can get hairline cracks.
jane310567, Mar 16, 5:51pm
golfdiver has a good point tho. If you have to pay for the scaffolding which is now legally needed you probably be better to replace. When we did ours I'm sure they didn't have the scaffolding - it was in 2002.
golfdiver, Mar 16, 7:49pm
They aren't hairline cracks. These tiles are made of metal. The have holes in them now at the bottom of the dent. They will leak. If you think a bit of sealant will save them think again.
joberri, Mar 16, 10:24pm
SolarChem roofing did it. and there was no scaffolding put up either
golfdiver, Mar 19, 2:37pm
So they broke the law, no surprise there. With the laws coming in as of 01 April, even homeowners are potentially liable for health and safety breaches
golfdiver, Mar 19, 2:39pm
Not sure if your house or roof is the 108 m2 but if it was the roof, you paid over $38 a metre. you can replace it with a new one for not a lot more. Certainly in the mid $50 range.
rich1969, Mar 24, 1:29pm
They are terrible things. We had to re-roof our place, once it starts rusting it's stuffed. Got a new colour bond roof, no more leaks and looks great too.
golfdiver, Feb 24, 4:55am
Colour Bond! Pick the Aussie