Roof Plumbing — Northern Suburbs Melbourne

💧Why flashings fail — and what happens when they do

Roof flashings are the thin strips of lead, aluminium or steel that seal the junction between the tile field and a wall, chimney, vent or change of direction. They're installed to stop water from running down behind the tiles at these junctions — and they work until they don't. Older lead flashings on the Victorian and Edwardian homes of Brunswick, Northcote and Coburg have often been in place for 50–80 years. Lead is remarkably durable, but it eventually fatigue-cracks from years of thermal cycling. Aluminium flashings on mid-century homes can corrode. The mastic sealants used to bed flashings dry out and crack within 15–20 years. And builder-grade flashings on newer estates in Craigieburn and Mill Park are frequently installed too short or at the wrong angle. The result in every case is the same: water bypasses the tile plane and enters the structure.

🏔️Valley replacement — one of the most critical jobs

Valleys — the V-shaped trough formed where two roof pitches meet — channel enormous volumes of water during Melbourne's summer downpours. A valley that leaks doesn't just stain a ceiling; it delivers water continuously along the valley line and into the structure at the lowest point. Old lead valley flashings crack across the bottom of the V; aluminium valleys can corrode or lift at the edges; wet-valley (unflashed) designs in older homes accumulate debris and eventually dam and overflow. We replace failed valleys entirely — strip, clean the substrate, install new flashing material bedded correctly, reinstall or replace the tiles either side.

• ✔️Lead valley flashings: most durable long-term — the traditional choice for heritage-sensitive areas
• ✔️Aluminium valley flashings: lighter, faster to install, excellent modern durability
• ✔️Valley guard mesh: wire mesh installed over the valley to prevent leaf and debris accumulation
• ✔️Wet-valley to dry-valley conversion: upgrading unflashed valleys on older homes to a properly flashed system

🍃Valley guard — essential for Melbourne's bushy north

In areas like Eltham, Ivanhoe, Heidelberg and the outer northern treed streets, valleys fill with leaf litter, seed pods and bark that holds moisture against the flashing surface and eventually blocks the valley entirely. A blocked valley in heavy rain will back up water under the tiles on either side. Valley guard — a coarse mesh system installed over the valley — catches debris before it reaches the flashing surface while allowing water to flow freely through. For properties in Eltham's Very High Bushfire Risk Zone, this also reduces the accumulation of dry combustible material in the most vulnerable part of the roof.