Decramastic & Tile Roof Replacement

Why Replace Rather Than Repair?

Older tile roofing systems — decramastic, pressed metal tile, concrete tile, and terracotta tile — have defined lifespans. Once a system is at or past end-of-life, repair becomes uneconomical: you are spending money to extend a failing system rather than addressing the underlying problem.

Conversion to long-run profiled metal roofing (commonly known as corrugated iron or long-run steel) is typically the most cost-effective path. You get a new system with a significantly longer expected lifespan, lower long-term maintenance requirements, and in most cases a lighter roof load on the building structure.

Decramastic & Pressed Metal Tile

Decramastic tiles are pressed steel tiles coated in stone chip granules. They were widely used in New Zealand from the 1960s through to the 1990s and remain common in Auckland suburbs built during that period. Their lifespan is finite — often in the range of 30 to 50 years, depending on installation and maintenance. When the stone chip coating deteriorates, the steel beneath is exposed and rusts. At that point, individual tile replacement becomes increasingly difficult to source, and repair is rarely economical.

Signs your decramastic roof may be due for replacement:

• Rust staining on tiles or in gutters
• Stone chip granules accumulating in spouting
• Tiles cracking, lifting, or breaking under foot traffic
• Recurring leaks that repairs have not resolved
• Moss and lichen that returns quickly after treatment

Concrete & Terracotta Tile

Concrete and terracotta tile roofs are structurally heavy — a typical tiled roof on an Auckland home can weigh in the order of 40 to 60 tonnes, significantly more than a profiled metal roof of equivalent area. When these systems reach end-of-life, conversion to long-run metal is worth serious consideration: it removes substantial dead load from the building structure, eliminates the need for periodic recoating, and provides a system that is straightforward to maintain.

Individual concrete tiles also become harder to source as systems age out of production — making like-for-like repair increasingly impractical.

Why Long-Run Profiled Metal?

• Significantly lighter than tile — reduces structural load on the building
• Longer expected lifespan with correct maintenance
• No recoating, repainting, or stone chip replacement required
• Clean, modern profile suited to most Auckland residential and commercial buildings
• Easier to inspect, clean, and repair
• Lower long-term maintenance cost
• Can be installed solar-ready — tell us at consultation if solar is on your horizon

What’s Included

• Site assessment and written quote before any work begins
• Building consent assessment — consent requirements vary by project and are confirmed at consultation
• Safe removal and disposal of existing tile system
• Substrate inspection and repair (separately costed and approved)
• LBP-supervised installation of long-run profiled metal roofing to NZ Building Code (E2/AS1, B2) and Roofing Code of Practice
• Post-installation inspection and sign-off
• Record of Work (RoW) issued to homeowner — as required under Building Act 2004 s.88. Included in CCC documentation where consent applies.
• Producer Statement PS3 issued at handover — confirming NZ Building Code compliance; available for CCC applications
• Written warranty documentation (terms confirmed per project before commencement)
• Post-project photo documentation

The Process