Roofing

Our original house had a bright red roof. I have nothing against bright red roofs, but since we were making a large extension if we ever wanted to change the colour, now was the time. As part of our planning application, the council had recommended that we use a non-reflective surface and stipulated that we use a colour that would "contribute towards achieving a built form that is compatible with the character of the 'Precinct', to the satisfaction of the council". Given that the precinct is an array of different building types, styles, eras and colours - this was a rather difficult challenge. In the end we took our inspiration from the beach houses in the area and decided on a white roof that would match a grey house with white trims. White never goes out of fashion and since we hope never to replace the roof in our lifetime, we wanted to get it right!

Being close to the beach and sea breezes, we opted for the more expensive ultra-colorbond roofing (Surfmist) that would be best suited to the conditions and maximise heat reflection. The garage doors and window hoods (not yet installed) would also be surfmist.

We also installed a fixed skylight that would allow natural light to shine on the internal stairwell - the only space in the house that didn't have a window or door to the sunlight (for further details see section on stairwells).

The new surfmist roof

Red roof - before the renovation

There is nothing like having no roof on your house to keep you awake at night!

The Skylight lets in lots of natural light to avoid having a dark stairwell