Whirlybird installation and repair in Sydney

A whirlybird is a wind-driven roof vent: it spins in the breeze and draws hot, damp air out of the roof space. Fitted properly it helps keep the roof space cooler and drier. Fitted badly, or left to rust, it becomes a leak and a rattle. We install new whirlybirds, repair or replace noisy and seized ones, and re-seal the ones that have started letting water in.

1300 169 810 Request a quote

Open 24/7 · free inspection and written quote

Sound familiar?

Signs you need this

A whirlybird that squeals, rattles or has stopped turning
Water stains on the ceiling directly under a roof vent
A hot, stuffy roof space and upstairs rooms in summer
Condensation, mould or a musty smell in the roof space
Rust around the base or collar of an existing vent

Seeing one of these? It rarely fixes itself, and the earlier we look, the smaller the job usually is.

Free quote

Tell us about the roof

No obligation. We look, tell you what we find, and quote a fixed price before anything starts.

Water coming in right now? Skip the form and call 1300 169 810. We answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The work

What’s included

New whirlybird supply and installation on tile and metal roofs
Replacing noisy, wobbling or seized whirlybirds
Re-flashing and re-sealing a whirlybird that leaks at the base
Removing an unwanted whirlybird and making the roof watertight
Checking the roof space for the condensation or heat problem behind the request

What a whirlybird does, and what it doesn't

A whirlybird has no motor. Wind turns the vanes, and the spinning head pulls air up and out of the roof space, while fresh air comes in through the eaves or gaps under the roof. On a hot day that moves some of the trapped heat out, and through winter it helps carry away the moisture that otherwise condenses on the underside of a metal roof.

It isn't air conditioning, and one vent on a large roof does little. How many you need depends on the size of the roof space and whether air can get in at the eaves to replace what goes out. We look at the roof space first and tell you if ventilation is likely to help, or if the real problem is missing sarking or insulation, which we cover on flashings, valleys and sarking.

Leaking, noisy or seized whirlybirds

Most whirlybird problems are at the base, not the head. The flashing or collar that seals the vent to the roof perishes, rusts or was never sealed properly, and water runs down the shaft into the ceiling. That's a re-flash and re-seal, done the same way as any other roof penetration, and it's one of the more common causes of a roof leak under a vent.

A whirlybird that squeals or wobbles usually has a worn bearing. Once the head is out of balance it wears faster and can work the base loose, so it's better replaced than ignored. If you no longer want it at all, we remove it and patch the roof so it's watertight.

Whirlybirds on Inner West roofs

On metal roofs, which are common on Inner West renovations and warehouse conversions, the whirlybird sits in a flashing shaped to the sheet profile and sealed to it. On terracotta and concrete tile, a tile is replaced with a vent base that matches the profile, so water still sheds over it. Either way the vent has to be sealed to the roof, not just screwed down, which is where rushed installs fail. If the sheets or tiles around it are already failing, we'll say so and quote the metal roof repair or tile roof repair alongside it.

Our yard is in Rosebery, and we install and repair whirlybirds across the Inner West, the CBD and Greater Sydney. The inspection and the written, fixed-price quote are free.

Our work

What this looks like on the roof

Photos from our own jobs: the roofs as we found them and as we left them, not stock imagery.

Cost

What this costs, honestly

Anyone who quotes you a firm price over the phone is guessing. Four things move the number, and we can only weigh them from the roof, which is why we look first, then quote a fixed price before any work starts. The inspection and the quote are free.

How much of the roof is involved
Three cracked tiles and a re-point is a morning. A whole ridge line, or a valley that's rusted through end to end, is not.
What it's made of
Terracotta, concrete tile, slate and Colorbond all behave differently and cost differently to work on. Matching an old terracotta profile costs more than replacing a modern concrete tile.
How hard it is to get to
A single-storey bungalow with a driveway is straightforward. A three-storey terrace with no street frontage, shared valleys and no room to stage from means scaffolding and time.
What's underneath
This is the one that moves the number most. If water has been getting in for a while, the battens, rafters or fascia may have gone. We can't see that until we're up there, which is exactly why we look before we quote.

Questions

Common questions

Is the quote free, and is there any obligation?

Yes and no, in that order. We'll come out, get on the roof, and give you a written quote at no cost. There's no obligation to go ahead, and we won't chase you.

Are you really available 24/7?

Yes. Not an answering service. The phone gets answered. If water is coming through your ceiling at 2am, that's exactly when you need a roofer, and we'll get someone out to make it safe. The permanent repair happens once the weather clears and we can see properly.

My ceiling is stained but the roof looks fine. What's going on?

That's the normal case, not the odd one. Water almost never comes through directly above the stain. It enters somewhere higher up, runs along a batten, a rafter or the sarking, and drops at the first low point it reaches. That can easily be several metres from the actual hole. It's why patching the obvious spot so often fails, and why we trace the entry point properly before quoting anything.

Do you do commercial and strata work?

Yes, both. A good deal of our work is converted warehouses, large-span metal roofs and box gutters around Alexandria, Marrickville and St Peters, plus strata buildings across the Inner West and the CBD. We're used to working with strata managers and around tenants.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes, fully licensed and insured, for both domestic and commercial work.

Which areas do you cover?

The Inner West is home. Our yard is in Rosebery, so most Inner West jobs are a short drive. We also work across the Sydney CBD and out through Parramatta and Auburn. If you're not sure whether you're in range, call and ask; the answer is usually yes.

Do whirlybirds actually work?

They move hot, damp air out of the roof space whenever there's a breeze, which helps most on metal roofs and in roof spaces that trap heat or condensation. They work best with air able to come in at the eaves, and one vent on a large roof does little. We'll tell you after looking whether ventilation is likely to help.

Why is my whirlybird leaking?

Almost always the seal at the base: the flashing or collar has perished, rusted or was never sealed to the roof properly, so water runs down the shaft into the ceiling. We re-flash and re-seal it, or replace the whole unit if the head is also worn.

Can you remove a whirlybird I don't want?

Yes. We take it out and make the roof watertight again, with a matching tile or a patched and sealed sheet on a metal roof.

Roof or gutter trouble? Talk to us today.

We answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call now, or request a quote and we'll get back to you.