What the sea does to St Heliers roofs
A seaside suburb from the start
A land company bought St Heliers Bay for housing in November 1881, when the bay was usually reached by boat. It became a commuter suburb after Tāmaki Drive opened in 1932.
Wind and tide over the road
In January 2018 a high tide and severe winds sent sea water over Tāmaki Drive after dark, and the road was closed overnight. Spray like that reaches roofs and fixings well back from the beach.
The hidden spots rust first
BRANZ testing on an Auckland building within 500 m of the harbour found sheltered spots collected about 3 to 8 times more salt than exposed ones. Soffits, gutter undersides and roof overhangs are where to look.
Character streets and later units
The Unitary Plan's special character overlay covers early housing around St Heliers Bay and other parts of the suburb. The 1980s also brought substantial infill here, mostly units and flats.
NZ Steel's COLORSTEEL categories on the east coast
| Distance from the coast | What NZ Steel says | |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | 500 m to 5 km | Little or no salt deposits, an occasional smell of salt |
| Severe | 100 to 500 m | Light salt deposits; includes harbour foreshores |
| Very Severe | 25 to 100 m | Heavy salt deposits, near breaking surf |
| Extremely Severe | 0 to 25 m | Constant salt spray; MAXAM isn't recommended here |
How to use that table
NZ Steel calls its chart a guide only: wind, the lie of the land and the building's design can change the right product. For anything within 100 metres of a saltwater body, it asks you to contact COLORSTEEL to confirm the warranty. Have your roofer do that for your exact address before ordering.
Inside 500 m of the coast you're in exposure zone D under NZS 3604, where structural fixings (other than nails and screws) must be grade 304 stainless steel or better. More on the products in COLORSTEEL.
The jobs that come up most in St Heliers
Rusting fixings, flashings and spouting. Corrosion often starts at cut edges, screw heads and the parts rain never reaches. Catching it early can mean a repair rather than new sheets. See roof repairs in Auckland and spouting in Auckland.
Choosing steel for a re-roof. Distance from the water decides the product and the warranty, so get it settled in writing in the quote. Re-roofing in Auckland covers consent and the character rules.
What we'd do on the St Heliers waterfront
We'd hose down the soffits, gutter undersides and any roof area under an overhang regularly, because rain never washes them. NZ Steel's maintenance guide asks for those unwashed areas to be cleaned every 3 months in its Severe category and every month closer in. For a new roof, we'd only accept a quote that names the COLORSTEEL product, the category it's warranted for at your address, and stainless fixings.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.