The housing stock
What we are usually working with
Melkbos is a mix of original 1960s and 70s single-storey beach cottages and a newer generation of architect-designed sea-facing homes. The old cottages were built for holidays, not for permanent living, which is why so many of them are now being stripped back to the shell, opened up and re-roofed rather than patched.
The local catch
Salt, sand and the south-easter, all at once
Melkbos sits directly in the wind and takes salt-laden air off the Atlantic year-round. Standard-grade external fixings rust within a season or two, mild steel lintels bleed through plaster, and any roof detail that relies on sealant instead of flashing will fail. We specify stainless or hot-dip galvanised for anything living outside, increase cover to reinforcement, and detail roofs for wind uplift as a matter of course.
In Melkbosstrand
Nothing on this list is unique to Melkbosstrand, but the mix is. These are the jobs that actually come up on this patch.
- Stripping and re-roofing original beach cottages
- Opening up closed-off living areas towards the sea
- Replacing corroded windows and doors with coastal-grade systems
- Adding stack doors and covered decks that work in the wind
- Full turnkey beach-house renovations
Most relevant here
Also building nearby
Next step
Eddie will come out, walk it with you and tell you honestly what it takes. No charge for the first visit.