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Roofing

Leaking roof - does suggested fix sound ok

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.22 PM

There is a leak in the main roof of my terraced property. It's not major, but during heavy rain water can obviously get through and has caused a stain on the ceiling below. The leak seems to be in the vicinity of the chimney breast. The roof was redone about 5-6 years ago by the previous property owner but unfortunately that company no longer exists so I can't go back to them. A builder has been out to look from the inside and has suggested that there is a hole in the membrane due to the battens being bent to try and match the deflection in the rafters and says that the battens should be cut to reduce tension instead. The suggested fix is to remove and replace nearby battens and install a new section of membrane. The current quote doesn't suggest replacing any leadwork, but presumably if they got up there and there was a problem on that front they would do that too. I just wanted to know if this sounds like a reasonable approach/fix? Given that the roof is new, a part of me is a bit unsure about them cutting battens and membranes (sounds like essentially patching and cutting into what is a fairly new membrane). But if it wasn't done well in the first place perhaps there is no other option. They haven't looked from the outside of the roof yet (and scaffold is the big cost with the overall quote anyway) - is looking from the loft enough to give you a good idea of what the problem is?

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5 Answers

ADR Property Maintenance

Rating: 5 out of 5
Boston
Basically I would get an other couple of people to look at it ,while sometimes you can see what is happening from inside the loft putting a ladder up on the outside is always a good idea, as its a fairly new roof I would be more concerned about how the water is getting under the new roof tiles as they should not have weathered enough yet to be allowing water ingress onto the membrane. something has failed on the roof itself,whether that be lead work,tiles ridges or the cement pointing/haunching on the chimney its self. One other point is if you cut the lathes whats going to hold your tiles in place ? Good luck Alex
Answered13 May 2019
6

Michael Cookson Roofing

Rating: 5 out of 5
Sunderland
get 3 quotes... requesting written quotes and getting any written guarantee in writing should root any fly by nights devil is in the detail on roofs, if the battens are wrong then so probably is the chimney flashings etc... So 3 WRTITTEN QUOTES with any guarantee IN WRITING should get you results...
Answered14 May 2019
0

Anonymous user

I agree with both, 1.the membrane shouldn't be relied on to stop water getting through the roof. 2. Get at least 3 quotes from recommended roofers and make sure you get a consensus of opinion. If you get 3 different answers, get a building surveyor to look at it...
Answered15 May 2019
0

D. McCarthy Roofing

Rating: 5 out of 5
Eastbourne
To be honest my first port of call would be to check the lead work around the stack as no mention was madd of thi being renewed when the house was reroofed
Answered31 May 2019
0

Anonymous user

On viewing the property I would go up give a full roof inspection chimney stack inspection lead inspection and ridge tile inspection Then I will go into loft and check in Turnell membrane rafters beams batons et cetera Then we would give a my opinion And what needs to be done to fix leak to solve the problem
Answered31 May 2019
0