Need some advice - Roof Leaking

HappyIdiotTalk

Hi All,

Got up this morning to the sound of water dripping into the bedroom. Went up into the loft conversion, moved the board wall out of the way and looked into the remaining roof space to find a nice fast drip in two places coming in through a couple of small holes in the liner between the beams. I've also got water coming down the side of the chimey stack which is only a meter away...

This is all on top of another drip in the other corner of the root to the left. So thats one drip in the left of the roof at the back, two to the right at the back, and another coming down the chimey.

We already knew about these. My wifes father has offerred to try and fix it for us, and has been waiting for a decent day to go up onto the roof through the window in the loft conversion. To be honest this was a year ago, but we've not pushed him because the drips until now were very slow and only came in when it rained exceptionally heavily. Which it did last night, all night.

I think something needs to be done now (especially as baby no.2 is due exactly one week today!), but the problem is I'm not sure what. OK wifes father could go up there to have a look, but he's not a roofer, and he's also 67 years old. He's as fit as a butchers dog and strong, but even so I'm not comfortable with the area of him up there, if anything happened...

So I'm thinking professional roofer. But A) I cant afford it, and even if we got one in. What should we have done? Should the whole roof be replaced, r just the drips sorted out? If it were just one drip I might be inclined to think it was just a regular repair needed. But the fact I have three of four of them.... gives me real concerns... I'm wonder if there are any above the roof conversion we dont know about, or maybe some on the other side of the house at the front.

We've only been here two years and spent all our saving on getting other things done, we had to have new carpets throughout. And although we spotted the central heating, we didn't notice that only two rooms in the house had radiators! This spending combined with wife being out of work with new baby drained away all our savings.

What really p***es me off is that they previous owners must have known about it because we found basins under both drips! OK they may have shafted us at the time, but if they'd come clean and told us the day they'd handed us the keys we could have used our savings and done something about it. I wouldn't have been happy, but at least I'd know the house was secure.

So anyway, can anyone offer any advice on what to do? I'm not DIY minded in anyway shape or form so have no idea how bad this is. I'm really worrying and thinking its the end of the world, that its going to cost thousands... Is that realistic? Or can drips be fixed fairly easily?

Or does anyone know any good and honest roofing people in the Halesowen or Birmingham area?

TIA,

Colin

crox

I'm no expert by any means, but shouldn't the survey of picked these things up when you buying the property?

*zippy*

Have you called your insurance company?

Why not try posting this on the in my home home forum they are good with the DIY questions.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=39

Hope it works out for you

HappyIdiotTalk

*zippy* wrote:

Have you called your insurance company?

Why not try posting this on the in my home home forum they are good with the DIY questions.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=39

Hope it works out for you

Ahh thanks Zippy, I thought there might be a better place to post, but the forum is very large and I dont know my way around it yet. Thanks.

crox wrote:

I'm no expert by any means, but shouldn't the survey of picked these things up when you buying the property?

Yeah you'd have thought so wouldn't you. Perhaps its because we only went for the basic survey. I think theres some damp in the cellar and downstairs loo too, they missed that as well. Makes me wonder what they surveyed, or even if they went into the house. Maybe it was one of those outside one's where they stand on the pavement, look at the house, stroke their chins and say "wellll, yeahhhhh, looks alright!".

kessik

Hi
Our company deals with buildings insurance claims work. If your roof has been leaking for a year and from more than one place it sounds like it is down to wear and tear which unfortunately isn't normally covered by buildings insurance. Claiming is also not usually a fast process especially if a loss adjuster's visit is called for.
We are based in Southampton (fairly expensive area) and use the same roofer all the time. He charges about £60 to replace a tile - this might be all that is needed but until you call a roofer out you won't know.
Not very comforting but I hope this is some help.

kessik

lynzpower

A basic survey is not designed to pick up structural problems AT ALL. it is designed to only say to the mortgage lender, yes this is worth what the buyer wants us to lend on it. Sorry to be the bearer, but thisisnt your surveyors fault.

I know tihs is not a financial priority at the moment, but where you can Id see if I could put some money aside and have a full structural survey and then you will know what you are delaing with.