A lasting roof over our head

A house in Selangor using clean colourbond SPECTRUM series.

By Sharen Kaur - Published in NST Property, September 14, 2018

WHEN buying a house in a new housing project, one of the most pertinent questions that purchasers fail to ask the developer is the roof, the structure forming the upper covering of your home.

A roof provides shelter and protection from animals, burglars and weather, notably rain, heat, sunlight and wind.

House buyers often ask questions for things they can see like the ceiling, flooring, tiles, paint, windows, doors, furnishing and finishing but one thing they miss out on often is the roof.

Roofs are an easy part of your home to forget about until or unless something goes wrong.

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Do you know that getting information about the roof that is going to protect your family and yourself is very important?

Things like climate, extreme weather, and maintenance can affect the lifespan of your roof so you need to know how long the roof will last and what roofing materials have been used.

There have been cases where the roof would start to leak after the defects liability period is over. And when that happens, developers are most likely not going to entertain you!

A defects liability period is a set period of time after a construction project has been completed during which a contractor has the right to return to the site to remedy defects. A typical defects liability period lasts for 12 months.

So, when the roof starts to leak after 12 months, you have no choice but to call your own contractor and fix the problem and it is going to be very expensive. It will cost a lot when the roof has to be totally replaced.

On how long will it take to install a new roof? This depends on the shape of your home, and what type of new roof you’re having installed. A new roof can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

NS BlueScope Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei country manager Pongsak Padungkarn said it is important that you ask the developer who the roofing specialist is and how long have they been established to proof whether they are experienced and trustworthy.

A row of houses in Kuching using clean colourbond off white.

“You need to know the roofing materials the developer is putting over your head, and whether it can sustain all weather conditions. It must be high quality roofing.

“If there is strong wind, you don’t want your roof flying off or it come crashing down on you. The next time you buy a property, ask the developer questions about the roof.

“Even if you buy a house from the secondary market, you need to check the roof. Or perhaps if you have been living there for more than 10 years and you feel you need to change the roofing material, make sure the roofing contractor or specialist replaces it with high quality material.

“A cheap material can cause the roof to erode or start leaking within two to three years due to rain. After this happens they will look for a solution and it will usually cost more,” Pongsak told NST Property.

NS BlueScope’s history dates back to 150 years. In the Malaysian market they have been here for 50 years now.

The company locally manufactures BlueScpoe Zacs® steel utilising advanced mass coating technology from Australia and it is the only coated steel with optimal combination of aluminium-zinc alloy.

As a result, with BlueScope’s proprietary coating technology, it provides more corrosion-resistant and longer-lasting metal roofing to keep the loved one safe.

COLORBOND and ZINCALUME steel are the company’s premium brands of pre-painted and zinc/aluminium alloy coated steel.

A house under construction in Kajang using clean colourbond.

Pongsak said they are widely used in prestigious and iconic commercial buildings, office complexes, and in industrial projects (warehouses and factories) with harsh environments that require superior corrosion resistance.

“Malaysia’s need for roofing is about 800,000 tonnes a year. Malaysia is second to Singapore in terms of steel consumption per capita. I believe there is room for growth in Malaysia for roofing. The industry is more focused on industrial and commercial and these areas are building up in Malaysia.

“There is also demand for our roofing materials for sports stadiums an convention centres. We will set up shops to engage with customers and so they can see what we do,” he said.

Pongsak said the company is looking to double its capacity in Malaysia and bring quality metal roofing closer to consumers by opening up to 100 BlueScope Authorised Dealer (BSAD) retail shops nationwide over the next five years.

These houses in Kuala Lumpur uses clean colourbond. source: bluescope website

“We believe having that platform available in the market will help customers seek their needs. Homeowners will now be able to visit a BSAD retail store and understand more about metal roofing requirements by trained professionals, then have contractors use the best possible materials, product range and colours when it comes to the home roofing system. They will be able to make an informed decision about the long-term benefits of using metal roofing,” he said.

NS BlueScope opened its first BSAD shop in Penang and in Ipoh in July this year.