Bali Roofing Solutions

There are stacks of insurance companies out there just lining up to provide you with peace of mind on your home and contents. But stepping back and deconstructing for a moment, the best cover you can have for your house and contents is surely your roof.

There are many ways to roof your house in Bali, from simple corrugated iron - the shanty town roof of choice worldwide, to thatched alang alang, ironwood shingles (sirap), ceramic roof tiles, colour steel and even a new product to the island, asphalt shingles.

Sirap, or iron wood, is an excellent material to use because it is so durable, and it has the aesthetic quality that Bali needs. It's very practical and will last for around 20 years, whereas alang alang needs changing every 5-10 years on the outside. With a sirap roof you can also line the underside with things like rattan to keep the Asian aesthetic.

Bali Roofing Solutions

Alang alang is great for short-term rental accommodations because it gives a beautiful experience for the holiday-maker to live underneath such a beautiful and traditional material. It is also perfect for use in an outdoor situation for a lounge room or a bale but once you start using it in the bedrooms, where you are going to have air conditioning, it can start to smell.

"People aren't using as much alang alang any more in Bali and we are using more sirap timber shingles because they are longer lasting and are the traditional roofing of much of Indonesia," says Glen Parker, the award winning Bali-based New Zealand architect. "Alang alang tends to turn a rather dull brown after a couple of years and looks a bit ragged, and if you get a particularly heavy rainy season, it smells musty," he warns.

"You get dust and animal droppings, but there are many of us who relish the idea of having the gecko in the roof. It has the aesthetic value of being traditional and interesting to look at. It is beautiful and elegant traditional material but it only lasts about 5-10 years at a time before it needs replacing," says Glen.

Bali Roofing Solutions

Ceramic tiles are a good choice also although they can require a bit of maintenance. They are very durable and economic and come in varieties all the way from the classic village tiles to colour glazed tiles which allow you to choose the colour to suit your surroundings.

Asphalt shingles are new product to Bali that come from the USA, which looks like sirap only it is a slightly lighter colour. The new St. Regis at Nusa Dua has used these on their pitched roofs to great effect and they come with up to a thirty-year guarantee, but in reality can last a lot longer.

"When I first saw the asphalt tiles at the St. Regis I thought they were sirap," says Glen. "They do require specialist installation however, but there is an Australian company who is importing them into Bali and I have suggested using the shingles to a few of my clients. They are durable, resist high winds and are less than half the weight of ceramic tiles. And they look good. I see them providing a durable long lasting roofing solution and reducing the felling of tropical timbers."

The Bali villa is unfortunately starting to lose its pitched ceilings as the villa design starts to become more modern. There is a new age of client looking for clean and pristine lines that make it look more fresh, and there are now lots of covered links between pavilions which need flat roofs. These have traditionally been concrete but now other forms are available including colour bond roofing in many varied hues, but if you choose your colour wisely, light grey or green for instance it can blend in well to your Balinese surroundings.

Whatever you choose to go overhead, just ask yourself this question – Is it Bali? If the answer is Yes, then you're covered.