Leaky roof!

LillieFlower

Can anyone help me with some advice please?

We've got a leaky roof caused by the felt under the roof tiles not being overlapped properly (the house was built in 1976). Where the water is coming in there is a gap of only a couple of inches, but the felt around the hole is starting to get a bit brittle. There's hardly any water getting in and we just leave a couple of buckets up there for when it rains, and the water evaporates quickly so we never have to empty them.

We've been given an estimate of £600-700 (:eek:) to get this fixed - taking three rows of tiles off, laying some more felt, putting tiles back on (2 days work).

So what I need to know is:
1) How long can we put off getting the work done (we have some savings but they weren't meant to be for a 'rainy day'!)?
2) Is there any way of botching it so we don't need to have the hassle of taking tiles off etc?
3) Does £600-£700 sound about right if we do need to get it done?

Any help would be appreciated - I really don't want to have to spend the money if I don't have to!!!

LF

mattymoo

I just paid £700 for 2 days work by a roofer (and assistant). That involved taking up 3 rows of slates, removing half a conservatory roof, rebuilding a box gutter and lining with lead, plus repointing the wall below that had been damaged by water ingress.

In comparison, I would say the £700 you've been quoted seems to be on the high side. I would have thought it was a one day job.

knowloads

I think it depends on where you are. £700 is about right for two guys, 2 days including bits, membrane and wood laths. The felt in many 70's houses is about ready to be replaced with modern membrane. 2" overlay was common where it should be 8-10" to save a few yards.

Do it now, as more water, more damage, but beware, if one bit has gone, more may follow. PM me if you a are in N/west for a second opinion.:beer:

27col

Faulty roofing felt is not what causes a leak. The original leak must be due to faulty roof tiles. The felt is a secondary barrier. In your case this has failed as well. If the situation is that the roof has faulty tiles, then it would make sense to get the job done properly. The problem is not going to get better own its own, only worse.
Your comments about botching it, make it sound as if you prefer to have a few quid in the bank, rather than the warm satisfaction that goes with knowing that the roof over your head is a secure one. I cannot comment about the price quoted. But in any event it would be a good idea to get another quote or two.

LillieFlower

Thanks for the advice everyone. Does anyone know a roofer/builder in Glos (preferably a MoneySaver!) who might be able to take a look at it and quote me for the work?

If I'm going to consider having it done it would be nice to get an honest opinion on the job costs!

LillieFlower

27col wrote: »

Faulty roofing felt is not what causes a leak. The original leak must be due to faulty roof tiles.

The guy that quoted me to put extra felt up there has already been up on the roof and charged me £70 to fill in any gaps. He said that the tiles are in good nick and aren't too worn, and filled in anything that he could see needed it.

Which now makes me wonder how we can see daylight through the gap in the felt...!

LillieFlower

27col wrote: »

Your comments about botching it, make it sound as if you prefer to have a few quid in the bank, rather than the warm satisfaction that goes with knowing that the roof over your head is a secure one.

Yes we do have some savings, but we have other work on the house to do this summer, and also need to purchase flood defences after we flooded a couple of years ago, then had a wet summer last year (don't want to take any more chances!).

The projects that are in the pipeline will take up all the spare cash so there isn't really any around for doing a 'proper job' on the roof. Of course if there's no other option we'll just have to do it and hope that we get a very, very dry summer! :eek:

27col

If, as you say, you can see daylight through the gap in the felt. Then how can the roofer say that the tiles are in good condition. As I said previously, the tiles are the first line of defence, and the felt is a back up barrier. If you can see daylight then it follows that neither the tiles or the felt are in good condition. At least in the area where you can see daylight. The choice is yours obviously, but I would have thought that weather-proofing from both rain and flood would have to be a No.1 priority on anyone's budget.