The range · Made in Bayswater, Melbourne · Delivery Australia wide

Timber Verandah Rafters for Melbourne Period Homes

Call 03 9720 1996 See the range in the shop (4) See all 14 pictures ↓

Verandah rafters are quoted from your profile, dimensions and quantity. The shop’s four rafter options are enquiry items; confirm the specification and current price with the workshop.

Choose a rafter profile for your quote →

The rafters are what give a verandah roof its shape, and on a period house that shape is the whole point. A bullnose verandah is not a bullnose because of the roofing — it is a bullnose because every rafter under it was cut to a curve. Get the curve wrong and no amount of correct detailing below will fix the silhouette. Heritage & Decorative Timber Products makes four profiles in three depths, at any length and any radius of curve to suit the roll of your roofing.

Timber verandah rafter OLDEGOTHIC - olde gothic profile verandah rafter

In the shop

See the range and ask for a price.

These 4 are made to your own sizes, so each one is quoted rather than priced. They are photographed in the shop — add what you need and send it to us as one quote request with your measurements.

What you get

Australian made — every product, made in our Bayswater workshop since 1984
25 year guarantee — on external LOSP H3 treated pine, above ground
An answer within one business day — we reply to enquiries and quote requests
In stock, or made in 1 to 4 weeks — some of the range is in stock; the rest is made to order
Timber-profile matching — from a photograph, drawing or sample

What rafter profiles do you make?

Four. Bullnose is the tight, near-quarter-circle sweep at the front edge — the classic Victorian terrace roof. Convex is a gentler outward curve carried over the full run. Concave curves the other way, dishing in toward the wall. Olde Gothic is the steeper, more pronounced period profile. Which one is right is a question about the age of the house rather than taste — a Victorian villa, an Edwardian bungalow and a Federation cottage each call for a different curve.

What sizes are standard?

Three standard depths — 90mm, 120mm and 140mm. Common rafters run 1.5m to 3.0m in the 90mm section, and 1.5m to 3.5m in both the 120mm and 140mm sections. Forty-five degree hip rafters are made to suit each of those standard lengths, so a return corner works out properly instead of being cut on site. Other species and sizes are available on request.

Timber verandah rafter - two-storey Gothic Revival house with a full lacework verandah

Are all four profiles priced the same?

No. Bullnose is the profile our standard rafter prices are built on. Convex, Concave and Olde Gothic are quoted per request. That is worth knowing before you compare a price list to a quote: a Gothic rafter is not a bullnose rafter with a different name on it.

How do I specify the curve?

The radius is set by the roofing, not chosen freely — the sheet or the corrugated roll will only bend so far. Tell us the roofing product, the projection of the verandah out from the wall face, and the height difference between the wall plate and the front beam — the beam the verandah posts stand up — and we will set the radius from those. If you are replacing rafters into an existing roof, an original rafter provides the clearest shape reference; otherwise photograph one square-on from the side with a tape measure laid along it and give us the projection. Identify the common and hip rafters separately and note the quantity of each. The curved verandah rafter measuring guide explains how to describe an existing curve. Measurements and a matching template describe the shape; your builder or engineer must confirm the structural section and fixing specification. Confirm finished thickness with the workshop rather than assuming that the selected depth defines the complete section.

What timber are your rafters made from?

Our verandah rafters are made from LOSP treated pine, H3 rated for outdoor use above ground. As external LOSP H3 treated pine used above ground, our rafters carry our 25 year guarantee.

How should rafters be painted?

Apply two thin coats of oil-based primer to all six faces and both cut ends before the rafters are fixed — the exposed tail is the part that weathers, and nobody can reach it afterwards. LOSP treatment carries solvents that an oil-based primer bonds with, so acrylic is not a substitute at that stage. Keep the timber dry, leave it at least 72 hours after delivery to acclimatise, then apply two or three thin topcoats.

Can you match the rafters on an existing verandah?

Yes, and it is the most common rafter job we do. Send one original rafter, or a photograph and the projection, and we will replicate the profile so a repaired or extended run stays true to the original rather than approximating it. Ask about our timber-profile matching service. Australian made, delivered to your home or site. Call 03 9720 1996.

The range