Roof needs new batton and felt - is this serious or not?

littlemiss19

Hi everyone,
We have just received a quote for £4.2k  + VAT to replace the batton and felt on a roof (3bed Victorian terrace) as the 'felt is very brittle and in a couple of years leaks could start'. We are in Bristol. Just trying to understand is this a serious issue or a fair quote? The quote is for scaffolding, replace felt with breathable membrane, replace batton, relay old tiles, and fix new ridges using dry ridge system. 

Thanks,
Littlemiss

Mickey666

Doesn't sound outrageous to me.  My roof had no membrane at all and I DIYed the work myself, including all new battens and a few repairs but it still cost me around £1500 for the scaffolding (larger than a Victorian terrace though). 

However, it doesn't sound to me as if the work is particularly urgent if "in a couple of years leaks COULD start".  As I said, my roof had no membrane at all but it only leaked in a few places where tiles had slipped.

Depending on your plans and finances, regular inspection of the attic space will be the money-saving option, ie wait until there is a real problem to fix.

couriervanman

littlemiss19 said:

Hi everyone,
We have just received a quote for £4.2k  + VAT to replace the batton and felt on a roof (3bed Victorian terrace) as the 'felt is very brittle and in a couple of years leaks could start'. We are in Bristol. Just trying to understand is this a serious issue or a fair quote? The quote is for scaffolding, replace felt with breathable membrane, replace batton, relay old tiles, and fix new ridges using dry ridge system. 

Thanks,
Littlemiss

As long as no damage just leave it.....the problem starts when you start walking over it and it cracks

FreeBear

Mickey666 said: However, it doesn't sound to me as if the work is particularly urgent if "in a couple of years leaks COULD start".  As I said, my roof had no membrane at all but it only leaked in a few places where tiles had slipped.

No membrane under my tiles either, and only the occasional leak due to slipped tiles (easily fixed).

OP - Do be aware than as you are re-roofing more than 25% (and yes, stripping & reusing the original tiles count as "re-roofing"), Building Regulations kick in. You should ensure that the contractor gets Building Control involved from the outset and you receive the necessary paperwork certifying compliance. Failure to do so could (will ?) cause problems and additional expense when you come to sell. It also leaves you open to enforcement action by the local council (unlikely, but still possible).

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/47/roof/3

theonlywayisup

The question I would ask, is why did you have the quote in the first place.  You wouldn't get a quote because you had brittle membrane.  So what came first....?

littlemiss19

theonlywayisup said:

The question I would ask, is why did you have the quote in the first place.  You wouldn't get a quote because you had brittle membrane.  So what came first....?

Hi everyone, 

Thanks for your responses. We got the quote after receiving a homebuyers survey that stated the roof was about to collapse. Obviously, this was worrying, so we got a roofing contractor round to have a look and thankfully the roof is not about to collapse at all. However, he said that it would need a new batton and the felt was brittle and provided us with a quote for this work. So, we are wondering if we should try to negotiate off the asking price.  Therefore, if we find out if batton and felt are an issue we may have a case for negotiation. 

Thanks,

Littlemiss. 

Grenage

Home buyer reports are notorious for rear-covering.  'May need new roof at some point' etc.

The roof leaks or it does not leak, there are many houses out there without a membrane.  More ventilation - not a terrible thing.  If the wood isn't wet or rotting then the wood is likely fine too.

Homer_home

Ah it's nice to see the building control lover couldn't resist mentioning it

Op - I would leave it for now if the roof is not leaking and the tiles are sound , it's a lot of money to fix a problem which currently doesn't exist 

Have you got two other quotes from roofers without telling them what the survey said (you show a roofer the survey and he will happily agree with it and quote you to fix it as he wants the work!)

gamston

if you do have the roof job done think about any other jobs needed up in the loft, extra insulation, boarding out/part boarding loft, its a lot easier to do with the roof off or even just get the bits up there to do jobs later, they can take the stuff up on the outside of house

Jeepers_Creepers

littlemiss19 said:

theonlywayisup said:

The question I would ask, is why did you have the quote in the first place.  You wouldn't get a quote because you had brittle membrane.  So what came first....?

Hi everyone, 

Thanks for your responses. We got the quote after receiving a homebuyers survey that stated the roof was about to collapse. Obviously, this was worrying, so we got a roofing contractor round to have a look and thankfully the roof is not about to collapse at all. However, he said that it would need a new batton and the felt was brittle and provided us with a quote for this work. So, we are wondering if we should try to negotiate off the asking price.  Therefore, if we find out if batton and felt are an issue we may have a case for negotiation. 

Thanks,

Littlemiss. 

If the HB's report was that dramatic, then - yes - you could try and use it to negotiate a discount off the asking price. How much will depend on the value of the house, and whether this sort of thing was taken into account in the price in the first place.

The seller might be as alarmed as you and be willing to move, or they might not. Is there 'pressure' on this sale/purchase due to the end of stamp duty relief etc - that might focus their minds? In any event, it would be extremely unlikely you'd get anywhere close to the full amount off, tho'.

As to whether it actually needs doing, it's hard for us to judge from this side, but - as said above - if the tiles are all in place and if the roof is not letting in water, the answer is generally 'no'. Chances are you'll be able to hold off doing this job for a good number of years.

Is there any chance at all you'd be considering a loft conversion, a dormer, a change in roof covering anything like that in the future? If so, definitely hold off for now...

fezster

If you call a roofer to look at a roof, chances are they will recommend something which needs doing. Especially if said roof is very old. That doesn't mean that it's a) leaking, or b) likely to be leaking anytime soon.

Whether it can be used as a negotiation point - you can try? However, the sellers may turn around and say the roof is absolutely fine and they've never had problems with it.