Homebuyers Survey - Roof Problems

Glover1862

I've had a homebuyers survey done and all looks ok apart from giving the lowest rating to the roof, doesn't look like major work to me and I'm hoping a roofer could at do some patching work. The house was built in 1940's and in Kettering. Any idea what that work should cost, just a rough idea?

From the report:

Roof Covering:-
Condition Rating 3.

The roof is a Mansard/Dutch style roof which is covered with tiles laid over lining on a timber frame.
Some defects were noted including several displaced/damaged tiles and cracking to the ridge mortar bedding/pointing. From within the roof space daylight could be
seen close to the chimney breast suggesting that the felt is also damaged in this area.

Metal flashings close the junctions between roof surfaces and adjacent walls/windows. The flashings are lifted in places and will require repair.


There is a general unevenness to the roof surfaces which is probably due to displacement of roof timbers over a number of years. This is not an unusual defect in a roof of this age and it is unlikely to progress significantly.

Roof Structure:-
Condition Rating 2.

The felt lining under the roof coverings is damaged in places. There is a risk of penetrating dampness and repairs are now necessary. It may be that the only way to carry out the repairs effectively is for the roof to be stripped and a new lining
installed.



Insufficient insulation is provided within the roof void. You should ensure that insulation is provided here to current standards and does not interfere with ventilation.

kinger101

Fixing the old tile isn't that expensive. Easily under £100. Rebedding ridge tiles is going to be a more expensive job, and it can be difficult to find someone willing to do it. Plenty of people happy to repoint them, but it will just fall out again in six months. It might be a £300 to £600 on a three bed semi. A lot more if scaffolding needs to go up.

The felt layer is only secondary waterproofing to channel anything that gets past the tiles into the guttering. If only sections need replacing, only a small section of the tiles need to be removed.

Roof insulation is available free from British Gas.

Casa1862

thanks for the reply, getting quite a lot of conflicting info from only a few tiles and a sub £500 repair to whole roof has to be replaced costing thousands. I think its times to get some actual quotes.

kinger101

Casa1862 wrote: »

thanks for the reply, getting quite a lot of conflicting info from only a few tiles and a sub £500 repair to whole roof has to be replaced costing thousands. I think its times to get some actual quotes.

TBH, I got a similar range of opinions from actual roofers. My quotes ranged from £100 to £4,000. I'd call half a dozen or so, because some of them will decide they don't want the job and never get back to you.

Davesnave

kinger101 wrote: »

The felt layer is only secondary waterproofing to channel anything that gets past the tiles into the guttering. If only sections need replacing, only a small section of the tiles need to be removed.

Roof insulation is available free from British Gas.

The felt layer is likely to be pretty brittle and unreliable on a 1940s house, so once people start fiddling with sections, further damage is more than likely IMO.

British Gas pulled its free insulation offer some months ago.

Kynthia

Many 1930s houses don't even have a felt lining. If tge roof is in good condition then it isn't a necessity, so I'd only pay to have it replaced if you were already having work done on that section of the roof. I wouldn't pay to have the whole roof stripped just to replace the felt.

Cakeguts

The only thing that I want to say is that a general unevenness to the roof might be what the surveyor suggests but it could also mean that sometime in the past water has got into the roof beams causing them to sag. So you are probably looking at a new roof sometime in the future. Do you want to buy a house where you already know that you are probably going to have to replace the whole roof?

I am always on alert now when I see a sag in a roof. Many years ago we bought a property with a very uneven roof and it went through in a big hole before we could start building works on the house.

What I would suggest is that you shouldn't be surprised if you have to replace the roof on this house. How does the price of a house probably needing major roof works compare to one in the same area that has a roof in good condition?

Davesnave

Kynthia wrote: »

Many 1930s houses don't even have a felt lining. If tge roof is in good condition then it isn't a necessity, so I'd only pay to have it replaced if you were already having work done on that section of the roof. I wouldn't pay to have the whole roof stripped just to replace the felt.

What you say is true, but as someone who uses their loft, I'd not let a house remain like that, any more than I'd use a 1930s gas stove. The dust would be a problem for me.

Roofs are so fundamental, some of us prefer to focus on them first in any scheme of renovation.

Glover1862

The surveyor mentions unevenness but suggests it shouldn't get worse so I'm happy with that. There is no damp issue so for now I'll just go for a patch up and only replace if there isn't any other option. There is no major sag at all. Every roof will eventualy need replacing, but the price of the house is right and I think trying to renegotiate on a 75 year old property because it needs maintenance or replacement is unfair so won't be doing that.

The felt probably does need replacing but it is mainly a secondary defence, if I can make it adequate using the tiles and flashing that will do for now.

I'm surprised quite a few have suggested replacement when roofs are so expensive, and may be serviceable, if you had 10k car, you wouldn't scrap it, you'd try and fix it, even if you only got a few years more use from it.

Davesnave

Glover1862 wrote: »

.

The felt probably does need replacing but it is mainly a secondary defence, if I can make it adequate using the tiles and flashing that will do for now.

I'm surprised quite a few have suggested replacement when roofs are so expensive, and may be serviceable, if you had 10k car, you wouldn't scrap it, you'd try and fix it, even if you only got a few years more use from it.

To avoid confusion, I warned against half measures beyond the odd tile replacement/re-bedding and a bit of lead work.

When I bought my house, there was a kink in the roof which I knew wasn't a major issue, so I left things alone for 6 years. Nothing terrible happened. I wasn't ready to start renovations.

Now I'm replacing the batttens and membrane, but keeping the tiles, which will be fine for another 50 years. As I'm doing this with a friend, who can straighten the roof at the same time, it'll save awkward questions when I eventually come to sell. Total cost, about £3.5 k....and much sweating.

If I were you, I'd live with the house for a while, as I did, and then list things which need doing in priority order. The roof might figure early on, or it might not.

£10k car? I have never paid more than £2k!

kinger101

Glover1862 wrote: »

I'm surprised quite a few have suggested replacement when roofs are so expensive, and may be serviceable, if you had 10k car, you wouldn't scrap it, you'd try and fix it, even if you only got a few years more use from it.

It depends on what the fix is. It isn't you doing it, and it will get to the stage where attempting to fix will be opening a can of worms. If the fix becomes a scaffolding job, you might at well get a more through overhaul done (which might just be new battens, felt and reusing the old tiles as Dave suggests).