Re-pointing fixes the outer seal on your ridge capping. Re-bedding rebuilds the mortar that actually holds the caps on. If your ridge caps are firm and only the pointing has cracked, re-pointing is enough. If any caps move, sit out of line, or have gaps underneath, you need re-bedding in those sections, and pointing over the top would only hide the problem for a year or two. Here is how to tell which one your Dandenong roof needs, and how to read the wording on a quote.
What is the difference between re-bedding and re-pointing?
Re-bedding and re-pointing are two layers of the same repair. Re-bedding removes the ridge caps, clears out the old mortar bed and lays a new one so the caps sit firmly. Re-pointing removes cracked pointing along the edges of the caps and replaces it with flexible pointing, which seals the joint and stops water from reaching the bedding.
Picture the ridge cap as a curved tile sitting on a ridge of mortar along the top of your roof. That mortar is the bedding. It carries the weight of the cap and holds it in line. Along both sides, where the cap meets the roof tiles, a thinner strip of material seals the joint. That strip is the pointing.
On most Dandenong roofs built before the 1990s, both layers are cement-based. Cement pointing is rigid. Roofs move slightly with every heat and cold cycle; the rigid pointing cracks, water gets behind it, and over the years, it washes the bedding out from under the cap. That sequence is why the two jobs get confused: failed pointing is often the cause of failed bedding, so by the time someone notices, it could be either.
Modern flexible pointing is a polymer-modified compound that stays slightly elastic, so it moves with the roof instead of cracking. Products used as a fixing must pass the AS 4046.8 test method, and the CSIRO notes that the standard now requires retesting at least every three years. It costs more per bucket than cement, but it is the reason a properly done ridge job now lasts far longer than the original.
The ridge decision sequence
Work through these four checks in order. Some you can do from the ground or a ladder. The movement check needs someone on the roof.
| Check | What you are looking for | If yes | If no |
| 1. Is anything loose or missing? | Caps that rock when pressed, caps that have slipped, missing caps after a storm | Re-bed those sections at minimum. | Go to check 2 |
| 2. Is the ridge line straight? | From the street, a ridge that dips, bulges or has individual caps sitting higher | Bedding has failed or was laid badly, so re-bed. | Go to check 3 |
| 3. Is there mortar in the gutters? | Grey sandy grit in the gutters below the ridges and hips | Bedding is washing out, so ask for close-up photos of the bed. | Go to check 4 |
| 4. Is the pointing cracked or lifting? | Hairline or open cracks, pointing pulling away from the cap edge | Re-point | Ridge is sound, no work needed yet |
The order matters because each check overrides the ones below it. A ridge with cracked pointing and two loose caps does not need “re-pointing with some re-bedding”. It needs those caps re-bedded properly, and then the whole ridge pointed.
How do I know if my roof needs re-bedding?
A roof needs re-bedding when ridge or hip caps move when pressed, sit out of line, have visible gaps or voids underneath, or when mortar grit keeps appearing in the gutters. Cracked pointing on firm, straight caps is a re-pointing job. Movement or missing bedding is a re-bedding job, and pointing over it will not hold.
The movement check is the deciding one, and it is the one most homeowners cannot do themselves. Ask whoever inspects your roof to photograph the ridge up close and to tell you which caps moved. If a quote says the roof needs a full re-bed and the roofer cannot show you any loose caps, gaps or washed-out bedding, ask why.
Worth knowing: Re-pointing over loose caps is the most common shortcut in ridge work, because it looks identical to a proper job from the ground for the first year. Within a couple of winters, the new pointing cracks along the same line, because the cap underneath is still moving.
Dandenong roofs and why the ridge is usually the first thing to go
Much of Dandenong and Dandenong North was built in the post-war decades, with large areas of brick veneer and weatherboard homes going up through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Those roofs are mostly concrete tile, with some terracotta, and almost all were finished with cement bedding and pointing.
At 50 to 70 years old, the original pointing on these roofs has usually cracked right through, and on many of them, the bedding has been patched more than once. Patch jobs are their own problem. Fresh cement over old cement does not bond well, and you often see ridges with three or four different colours of pointing, each from a different repair, none of them holding.
For roofs of this age, a full re-bed and re-point is common, and it is usually combined with a clean and, on concrete tiles, a membrane coating as part of a full roof restoration. On terracotta, the tiles are left uncoated or given a clear sealer, and the ridge work is often the main job.
What should a re-bedding job include?
A proper re-bed is more than fresh mortar. The old bedding should be chipped back completely, not topped up, and the new bed laid to the profile of the cap. The NCC Housing Provisions (Part 7.3) require ridge and hip caps to be fixed, and allow that fixing to be clips, screws or a flexible pointing that complies with AS 2050. Ask your roofer which method they are using. Ridge clips or screws are a sound choice on exposed or windy sites, and flexible pointing on its own should only be used as the fixing if the product is rated for that use.
The installation of weep holes in the pointing at the low points where water can collect is also part of a job done to AS 2050. If a quote does not mention weep holes, ask about them.
Reading the wording on a quote
Quotes for ridge work use a handful of standard phrases. Here is what each one usually means, and the question to ask.
| Quote wording | What it usually means | Question to ask |
| “Re-point all ridges and hips” | Old pointing ground back, flexible pointing applied. No caps lifted | “Did any caps move when you checked them?” |
| “Re-bed as required” or “spot re-bed” | Re-point everything, re-bed only the caps found loose | “Roughly how many caps, and is that included in the price or extra?” |
| “Full re-bed and re-point” | Every cap lifted, all bedding replaced, new pointing throughout | “Can you show me photos of the bedding failure that makes this necessary?” |
| “Re-bed and re-point with mechanical fixing” | As above, plus clips or screws on each cap | “Clips or screws, and is the pointing product rated as a fixing?” |
| “Ridge capping repairs” (no detail) | Could be anything | “Please list which of the above you are pricing” |
The open-ended phrases are the ones to pin down. “Re-bed as required” is reasonable wording, because nobody can know exactly how many caps are loose until the pointing is off. But you should know whether the extra caps are included or charged per cap before work starts.
How much does re-bedding and re-pointing cost in Dandenong?
Re-pointing ridge capping in Melbourne is usually priced per lineal metre of ridge and hip, and costs less than re-bedding because no caps are lifted. A full re-bed and re-point on an average Dandenong house often runs into the low thousands of dollars, with roof height, pitch, ridge length and access driving most of the difference between quotes.
Indicative ranges from Victorian cost guides put combined re-bedding and re-pointing at roughly $40 to $80 per lineal metre for repair work, with whole-house figures commonly quoted between about $1,500 and $6,500 depending on the roof size and how much bedding needs replacing.
The cheaper end of that range is a single-storey roof with short ridges, firm caps and good access. The top end is a two-storey roof, a steep pitch, a complex hip roof with a lot of ridge length, or a roof where every cap needs lifting. Re-pointing alone on a sound ridge comes in well below a full re-bed on the same roof, which is exactly why it is worth knowing which one you need.
Your next step
Stand across the street and look along your ridge lines for dips and raised caps, then check the gutters under the ridges for mortar grit. If you find either, your roof likely needs re-bedding in at least some sections. Call Taylor & Son Roofing on 0402 439 107 for a ridge inspection in Dandenong. We will photograph every section, show you which caps moved, and price re-bedding and re-pointing separately so you can see exactly what you are paying for.