Brisbane’s heritage-listed cathedral restored to former glory

1 May 2018

When Certified Roofing was engaged to remodel the roof of Brisbane’s iconic St Stephen’s Cathedral, they knew Stramit’s quality products wouldn’t let them down when it came to restoring the heritage-listed building.

The new cathedral roof features Stramit Speed Deck Ultra® Concealed Fixed Decking in Jasper®

As one of Brisbane city’s grand Gothic revival buildings, the restoration had to adhere to the Queensland Government’s Conservation Management Plan, which ensures the heritage values of a structure are meticulously conserved and managed.

Certified Roofing Director Mick Bentham said Stramit’s Speed Deck Ultra^® fit the bill when it came to remodelling the 2,000m²,  60-degree pitch roof.

“We had to choose a roofing material that was of the highest quality and could stand up to many more years of harsh Queensland weather,” Mick recalls.

‘’It also needed to blend seamlessly with the historic architecture of the building rather than overtake it.”

According to Mick, it was an easy material choice to make given Stramit’s Speed Deck Ultra^® offers excellent durability and its fastenings are protected beneath the decking – perfect for this particular commercial roofing application.

“I’ve always been fond of the sleek look of Speed Deck Ultra^® and the strength of its internal clips. The backing of a quality name was also important,” explains Mick.

“The sheets are also light to handle and the profile has a large water-carrying capacity and weather-tightness.”

Mick says the project was not without challenges, but describes the evolution of the cathedral roof as fascinating.

“There’s little information on the roof’s past, but we know it was originally slate then replaced with galvanised metal sheets,” he says.

“We used 0.48mm BMT COLORBOND^® in Jasper^® because it was the closest match to the old roof colour and perfectly suited the traditional architecture of the building.”

Mick says the St. Stephen’s community loved the end result.

“Indeed, it was surprising for many that we were able to retain the traditional look of the cathedral using advanced modern materials,” he says.