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Daylight Visible Around Gas Flue - Is This Usual?

Tim1965
Tim1965 Posts: 36 Forumite
Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts Photogenic
 HELLO!😋

My 85 year old uncle lives in a terrace.  Around 18 months or so ago, his next door neighbours decided to have a loft extension with the dormer cheek resting on the party wall.

Uncle agreed to sign the Party Wall Agreement and duly did so and so the work commenced.  The loft was built.

Today, while in his attic, I glanced up at the end of the roof at his side of the Party Wall.  On the other side of the Party Wall is the roof of the adjoining neighbour's dormer.

I was shocked to see prickles of daylight showing through the roofing felt in the attic next to his gas flue.  Upon further inspection, it appears that next door's builder has surrounded uncle's gas flue with insulation wrapped around it at the top and where it exits his roof, between the insulation and the roofing felt there was DAYLIGHT SHOWING!

I have attached copy of a photograph to give some idea...😵

At the moment, there is no water ingress.  However, in view of what I have just seen, I don't get a very easy feeling about this.

I am lead to believe that uncle's neighbours have had a lot of issues with their loft since it was built, can someone please advise or give opinion?  I would be very grateful.

Cheers Tim.😁

Comments

  • Jonesya
    Jonesya Posts: 1,823 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 9 July 2020 at 5:12PM
    Well no it doesn't look right, normally flue pipes are terminated into a vent which is set into the ridge or the tiles, or into a fitting designed to pass through the roof while maintaining the water-tightness.

    I'd been looking at the roof outside, to see what the flue is terminated into and whether it has been changed, disturbed or damaged by the recent works.

    To be fair, at this stage without further information you don't know whether it is the neighbours work but it needs some further investigation.
  • Tim1965
    Tim1965 Posts: 36 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts Photogenic
    edited 9 July 2020 at 5:33PM
    Thank you for replying Jonesya

    I popped outside and looked through the binoculars.  I looked for signs of tufts of insulation sticking out, but it looks sound as a pound on the outside.  

    The aluminium gas flue goes into a large elongated oblong flue/roof tile which should be situated directly above it along the roof.

    I just compared a picture of the inside of the roof prior to the loft extension and it looks very much the same from the inside of the loft as it did before.

    It's just how the heck am I able to see daylight through the roofing felt?😳

    As I say, no water ingress as yet, the builders did have to re-position the flue on one occasion because they dislodged it and moved it backwards! 

    I had to request that they moved it back into the correct position.🙄

    I am not quite sure as to the next step to take...

    thanks, Tim.👍

  • greatcrested
    greatcrested Posts: 5,925 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Was his Party Wall surveyor satisfied with the work when it was complete?
  • Tim1965
    Tim1965 Posts: 36 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts Photogenic
    edited 10 October 2021 at 3:17PM
    Sorry in taking so long in replying, yes by what I can gather. :)

    There has been no water or weather ingress at all and there does appear to be a proper roof tile flue completely in place covering the aluminium flue opening.
  • Has your uncle had the gas boiler serviced in the last 18 months ? a part of the gas safety/service visit is checking the flue pipe in the loft and external termination.

    Sounds like there is a ridge flue terminal outside, may be different thou.

    Really needs a gas tech to visit and check it out, just to be sure.

    Its quiet an old flue type, is it actually in use ? 


    Choose Stabila ! 
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 17,470 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper PPI Party Pooper
    As !!!!!! Strawbridge said in "Escape to the Chateau", you should not be able to see the sky through your roof.  The people who did the neighbour's extension need to come back and seal around the flue properly.  It should be quite a simple job, but their responsibility.
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 17,470 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper PPI Party Pooper
    Ridiculous.  I've just noticed that Mr Strawbridge's first name has been replace by !!!!  It's not my fault he is always called by the diminutive version of Richard!!!!!!!
  • Tim1965
    Tim1965 Posts: 36 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts Photogenic
    edited 10 October 2021 at 5:19PM
    Hi TELLIT01and Another_Level😁

    No, in answer to your question, the gas flue is not is use, but my Uncle will get his gas engineer up aloft!  In addition, his boiler is serviced every year.

    😁
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