Roof condition and water entry in Craigieburn VIC

On a house of twenty or thirty years the roof is where the expensive problems start and the roof space is where the evidence survives. Below the ceiling a leak gets painted over. Above it, the staining stays. What we record in Craigieburn is cracked and broken tiles, capping with insufficient grading, gaps at the fascia and eave, vent systems that terminate inside the roof space instead of outside, and insulation pushed out of place by whoever was last up there. Each of those is a water or moisture path, and none of them is visible from the living room.

Cracked and broken tiles are among the most common findings on established roofs.

Capping with negative or insufficient grading holds water instead of shedding it.

A vent terminating in the roof space puts moist air where it does the most harm.

Displaced insulation is both a thermal problem and a sign of previous access.

Staining in the roof space is the honest record of a leak that was painted over below.

More about Craigieburn

Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Craigieburn. Licensed building practitioners.

Guides for Craigieburn owners and buyers

2 March 2026 · 7 min read

The brace that was cut to fit a duct

A structural element, removed by somebody who needed the space.

19 March 2026 · 6 min read

Finding the vapour barrier gap far too late

Recorded at frame stage, weeks after the pour.

1 April 2026 · 5 min read

Uncapped pipes and the blockage nobody expects

Two minutes of work, deferred until it becomes a plumber's callout.

Roof condition and water entry in Craigieburn VIC: common questions

Do you get onto the roof?

Where it is safe and the covering allows, yes. Otherwise we inspect from a ladder and use a drone for the detail, which on a tiled roof usually shows more than walking it would.

Does staining mean an active leak?

Not necessarily. Often it is old damage that was dealt with years ago. What it does is tell you where to ask questions and what to have looked at before you commit.

Is a vent into the roof space really a defect?

Yes. An exhaust that discharges into the roof cavity delivers warm moist air to the coldest surface in the building, and over a few winters that becomes damp and mould in the ceiling.