Dover Heights sits on a ridge running along the ocean cliffs between Vaucluse and North Bondi, in Waverley Council. Many streets look straight out to the Pacific, and almost nothing stands between the houses and the weather coming off the sea.
That exposure sets the maintenance calendar. Wind decides when work can happen; salt decides how often it needs to.
The weather behind the timing
The Bureau of Meteorology’s long-term Sydney record shows about 1,213 mm of rain a year, with March and June the wettest months and September the driest, around 68 mm. Morning humidity drops to about 61 to 62 percent in September and October, the lowest of the year.
Dry spells are when salt builds up fastest on ocean-facing surfaces, because there is no rain to rinse it. Spring, the driest time of year, is also when the salt load is heaviest.
Spring: September to November
Main clean: glass, frames and façades on the ocean side, after the dry months. Gutters cleared before storm season. Solar panels cleaned of salt film. Pick calm mornings: spring nor’easters and southerly changes can stop soft washing and height work by afternoon. More: wind and soft washing on the clifftop.
Summer: December to February
Rinse glass, aluminium and stainless with fresh water every few weeks. Salt that never sits for months does not etch or corrode. Check gutters before afternoon storms. More: salt on glass and aluminium.
Autumn: March to May
Wettest stretch; rain does some rinsing for you. South-facing and sheltered walls may grow algae. Second gutter clean in late autumn.
Winter: June to August
Strong westerlies and southerlies are common. Roof work only on calm, dry days. A good time to plan and quote spring work.
Two housing stocks
Dover Heights has a lot of mid-century brick houses and a growing share of modern rebuilds with render, cladding and large glass. They need different care. More: mid-century brick versus modern rebuilds.
A realistic schedule
Ocean-facing glass: professional clean two to four times a year, rinsing between. Gutters twice a year. Solar panels once or twice a year. House wash every one to two years, more often on the most exposed elevations. Metal fittings rinsed regularly and inspected annually.
The elevations that need the most
East and south faces. These take the onshore wind and the southerly changes, and with them most of the salt. Glass, frames and metal on these faces need the most frequent attention.
Anything sheltered from rain. Under eaves, behind balustrades, the undersides of rails. Rain never rinses these, so salt builds there fastest. They are where tea staining and corrosion start.
The roof. Metal roofs and flashings on the coast corrode faster, especially at overlaps and fixings. Tiled roofs have less growth than in sheltered suburbs but more salt. Gutters collect salt and grit.
Planning around the weather
On an exposed ridge, a booked day may not be a workable day. Build flexibility into any exterior job: a contractor who cancels for wind is protecting your property and your neighbours’. Morning bookings give the best chance of calm conditions. Combine jobs into one calm day where possible, because getting a crew back to an exposed site is the hard part. More: why we cancel for wind.
See also our Dover Heights and North Bondi exposure guide and the Dover Heights service page.
