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A problem with a flat roof
Amsler123
Posts: 8 Forumite
Hi everyone - my first post, so please be gentle with me!
Some years ago we had an extension built on the back of our house, and the builders finished the new (and existing) flat roof with GRP (fiberglass resin). This type of roof is very strong, and very waterproof, but can expand and contract over the course of the day, and make bangs and crackles. There are loads of complaints about the noise from GRP roofs on the internet, and if we had read these first, we would never have agreed to have it put down. Anyway, after a couple of years of noise (which is mainly in the summer months when the sun warms to roof first thing in the morning, and it then cools in the evening), we decided to have it fixed, and paid another firm to strip off the old GRP, and the boards to which it was stuck down, and replace it with new stuff. This cost £5k, and whilst it was a bit quieter than the original roof, it was still noisy.
Last September, whilst having a patio put down, I asked the patio guys (who also do a lot of roofing work) what the solution was for a perfectly quiet roof. They had their top roofing man inspect it from top to bottom, and quoted £7,850 to replace the GRP once again, guaranteeing (and I have this in writing from them signed and dated) that "We will guarantee no knocking noise from roof".
On that understanding, I paid for them to replace the roof once again. And once again it is still noisy. I've had them back twice. The first time they replaced all the flashings - still noisy, and the second they stuck roofing felt on top of the GRP, to try and insulate it from the heat, which causes the expansion, which causes the noise. Sadly that didn't work either. I have made recordings of the noise, and they accept it is still noisy.So I now want them to strip off all the GRP and the boards it's stuck to, and replace it with a traditional felted roof, which I know will be quiet. But they are no longer talking to me.
I have thought of getting a quote from another firm of roofers for the proposed work (I'd guess it'll come to about £4k), and then opening a claim against the firm who guaranteed silence in the Small Claims Court (SCC) for that amount. But I fear I can only claim in the SCC for money I am actually owed, and not for potential money I need to put my roof right. It's obviously not worth spending £thousands on a full court case, so I would welcome thoughts from you guys on what I might do to remedy this problem.
Some years ago we had an extension built on the back of our house, and the builders finished the new (and existing) flat roof with GRP (fiberglass resin). This type of roof is very strong, and very waterproof, but can expand and contract over the course of the day, and make bangs and crackles. There are loads of complaints about the noise from GRP roofs on the internet, and if we had read these first, we would never have agreed to have it put down. Anyway, after a couple of years of noise (which is mainly in the summer months when the sun warms to roof first thing in the morning, and it then cools in the evening), we decided to have it fixed, and paid another firm to strip off the old GRP, and the boards to which it was stuck down, and replace it with new stuff. This cost £5k, and whilst it was a bit quieter than the original roof, it was still noisy.
Last September, whilst having a patio put down, I asked the patio guys (who also do a lot of roofing work) what the solution was for a perfectly quiet roof. They had their top roofing man inspect it from top to bottom, and quoted £7,850 to replace the GRP once again, guaranteeing (and I have this in writing from them signed and dated) that "We will guarantee no knocking noise from roof".
On that understanding, I paid for them to replace the roof once again. And once again it is still noisy. I've had them back twice. The first time they replaced all the flashings - still noisy, and the second they stuck roofing felt on top of the GRP, to try and insulate it from the heat, which causes the expansion, which causes the noise. Sadly that didn't work either. I have made recordings of the noise, and they accept it is still noisy.So I now want them to strip off all the GRP and the boards it's stuck to, and replace it with a traditional felted roof, which I know will be quiet. But they are no longer talking to me.
I have thought of getting a quote from another firm of roofers for the proposed work (I'd guess it'll come to about £4k), and then opening a claim against the firm who guaranteed silence in the Small Claims Court (SCC) for that amount. But I fear I can only claim in the SCC for money I am actually owed, and not for potential money I need to put my roof right. It's obviously not worth spending £thousands on a full court case, so I would welcome thoughts from you guys on what I might do to remedy this problem.
0
Comments
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That new to me, never knew they were so noisey.. i would of put refective material on it to keep it cool., might work?“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
― George Bernard Shaw0 -
Or insulating the underneath the roof properly they probably have inadequate insulation0
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