Shalvey Roofing, Street by Street

Named by the Housing Commission

Shalvey was named by the NSW Housing Commission after Patrick Shalvey, a butcher who had bought grazing land in the district, although some people put the name down to the main road instead. Either way the suburb is a product of the estate building program that reshaped this part of western Sydney from the mid-1960s.

Most of those homes are privately owned now, and the roofs are the original ones.

What sixty years looks like from up there

• Tile surfaces weathered back to exposed aggregate, dark and slow to dry
• Ridge caps loose, with the bedding and pointing long gone
• Valleys rusted, sometimes patched decades ago with sealant that has since cracked
• No sarking under the tiles
• Insulation flattened and discoloured in the roof space where water has been getting in

The decision that matters

A roof like this has exactly two sensible futures, and the gap between what they cost is wide.

If the tiles are still strong, a full restoration — rebed, repoint, new valleys, clean and coat — gives you a sound roof for a fraction of a replacement.

If they are not, the money goes into a new roof in tile or Colorbond, with sarking and insulation installed properly while everything is off. On a house of this era that upgrade alone changes how the place feels in summer.

The only way to tell them apart is to walk the roof and press the tiles. That inspection is free, you get the photographs, and there is no obligation to go ahead. See inspections and reports.

Nearby: Bidwill, Willmot and Blackett. Every suburb we cover.

Call (02) 4705 5200 or start with a free quote.