Before you start
This check is designed to be done without climbing onto the roof. Please do not go up there. Most roofing injuries in homes happen to owners checking their own roofs, and old tiles, fibro and wet steel are all treacherous.
You will need binoculars, a torch, a phone camera and, for the roof space, sturdy shoes and a dust mask.
Step 1: Know what you are looking at
Find out, roughly, how old the roof is and what it is made of: steel, concrete tile, terracotta, slate or asbestos cement. Council records, the original sale contract or a previous building inspection report may help. Many Newcastle houses have more than one roof type, for example tiles on the main house and steel on a later back extension.
If you suspect asbestos cement, do not touch it, drill it or break pieces off. Treat it as asbestos until tested.
Step 2: Walk around the outside
Using binoculars, look at each face of the roof in turn.
On steel roofs:
- rust streaks running down from laps or around screws
- red rust at sheet ends near the gutter
- lifted sheet edges, missing screws or screws backing out
- dents and damaged paint after hail
- flashings pulled away from walls
On tile roofs:
- cracked, broken or slipped tiles
- ridge and hip caps that look uneven or have gaps underneath
- crumbling or missing mortar along ridges
- heavy moss, lichen or dark staining
- tiles that look pale and chalky compared with others
On any roof:
- a sagging ridge line or wavy roof plane
- gutters that sag, overflow or have plants growing in them
- downpipes disconnected or rusted through
- dark streaks on walls below gutters
Photograph anything you notice.
Step 3: Check ceilings and walls inside
Walk through every room, including wardrobes and the laundry, and look up.
- brown or yellow stains on ceilings
- bubbling or peeling paint
- sagging plasterboard
- mould spots in corners
- damp smells in upstairs rooms
Note which rooms and where. Stains near external walls often mean gutter or flashing problems; stains in the middle of rooms point to roof surface leaks.
Step 4: Look in the roof space, if safe
With a torch, from the manhole or kneeling on joists:
- daylight through the roof covering
- water stains on rafters, battens or the back of the roof sheets
- rust flakes on the insulation under a steel roof
- wet, compressed or mouldy insulation
- battens that look dark, soft or broken
- signs of pests or termites
Do not walk on the ceiling between joists, and do not disturb old insulation or materials that could contain asbestos.
Step 5: Check the gutters from the ground
Look at what comes out of downpipes in rain and what collects at the bottom. Tile granules, chunks of mortar and rust flakes all tell you the roof is shedding material.
Step 6: Put it together
Use this rough guide:
| What you found | Likely direction |
|---|---|
| One or two leaks with an obvious source | Repair |
| Ridge bedding cracked, tiles mostly sound | Repair: rebed and repoint |
| Rust at a few laps or screws | Repair or partial replacement |
| Rust through sheets on several faces | Replacement |
| Tiles crumbling, many cracked, heavy erosion | Replacement or tile to metal conversion |
| Rotten battens visible in the roof space | Likely replacement |
| Leaks keep appearing in new places | Likely replacement |
| Weathered asbestos cement roof | Plan for licensed removal and replacement |
Step 7: Get it inspected
Your notes and photos are useful, but they are not a diagnosis. Book an inspection with a roofer, show them what you found, and ask for a written report with photos. For a replacement decision, getting two or three opinions is sensible. Our guide to what a proper roof inspection covers explains what to expect.
Newcastle-specific things to factor in
- Distance from the surf. Steel roofs close to the beaches can rust out well before inland roofs of the same age.
- Building era. Interwar and post-war houses often have original battens, no sarking and roofs that have been patched many times.
- Ground movement. In mine subsidence areas and on reactive clay, distorted ridge lines and cracked bedding may come from movement, not age.
- Trees. Leafy streets mean blocked valleys and damp, mossy roofs.
What next
If your check points toward repair, roof repairs explains the options. If it points toward replacement, read signs you need a roof replacement and check the 2026 cost guide to start planning.