Roof underlay rotting

Taliametris

I was told by the estate agent dealing with the house I am buying that the roof had been entirely replaced following a collapse due to snowfall: this proves to be untrue.

The survey report on the property says that the roof underlay is rotting and will need replacing in the near future. I have utterly no idea what sort of money it will cost to replace. I understand it may be a fairly largescale job, requiring the removing of some roof tiles etc.

The problem for me is that I have been chasing along exchange of contracts and need to agree the details for the purchase, but I do not want to commit to the purchase price if this is going to cost more than I can afford within a year or so of purchase. I know it is virtually impossible for anyone to give me a price unseen, but I don't even know what sort of ballpark I am in - £5000 would be doable, £25,000 would be a big problem for me.

This is a seni detached small 4 bedroomed house which seems to have a simple pitched roof. Can anyone give me any advice in the short term? I have asked local roofers to come and give me an estimate, but I don't want to hold up the sale unnecessarily - there's already a gap between my sale and purchase and I don't want it to get any bigger.

missprice

A whole new roof with struts and tiles and felt and labour won't be far off 5k depending on if it a mansion and how many gables and what type of tile.
So although I don't know cost of felt it should be less than 5k

Hintza

Why is the underlay rotting? Is water getting in? If so the roof needs done properly.

If water is not getting in and the roof/tiles/slates are sound why bother?

blackshirtuk

Every survey i've ever had says something about "roof will need attention"

Could it be just surveyors covering their own backsides?

A.Penny.Saved

The tile underlay helps remove any water that gets past the roof tiles. If there is lots of snow, when it melts some will get through the roof tile gaps and drip onto the underlay felt. It should then drain down the roof to the guttering.

I think that you should find out exactly what the problem is. If it's merely that the underlay felt is broken and perishing then scaffolding will need to be erected, the tiles removed and the felt removed. New felt laid and new wooden battens nailed into place. The tiles then replaced. I would say that it could be done in 2 to 3 days and should not be very expensive. Labour would probably be the biggest part of the bill.

If it's more than just the felt then it could cost significantly more.

My roof needs new underlay because the felt near the eves has all perished. It can be seen in the loft with a good torch. Last year when we had that deep snow, some water wet the plasterboard and walls a little bit.

wallbash

Lots of older houses still have no underlay at all, but as A.Penny.Saved has summed it up well.

Taliametris

Hintza wrote: »

Why is the underlay rotting? Is water getting in? If so the roof needs done properly.

If water is not getting in and the roof/tiles/slates are sound why bother?

Well, the surveyor says the underlay is rotting, but the owner of the property says that they had a very fierce winter with a lot of frost damage, and that's what caused the unevenness of the underlay. The roof isn't leaking at all, and I think it probably *is* the surveyor covering his back.

Thank you for all your help and comments :-)

27col

The roofing felt is probably only deteriorating at the eaves and if this is the case, it can be remedied fairly easily. As has been said millions of houses have no roofing felt. If the tiles/slates are sound then there is no need to worry.
As a self builder people at work often used to show me their survey reports.
I was firmly of the opinion that most of the "so-called" problems highlighted were nothing more than the surveyor covering their backs..