Will demolishing leaky old freestanding garage help or hurt property value?

Oakeshott

theoretica said:

Oakeshott said:

I need to clean it and put bitumen or flashbanding on the overlaps. I just don’t know how! 

Do check if it is asbestos first - cleaning asbestos cement should have special precautions.

Yes, I would play it safe and assume it is asbestos and use a mask/wet the roof. 

DRP

I’d keep it for now, unless it is desperately leaky or unsafe. Might be useful storage during your renovations. 

GDB2222

Oakeshott said:

FaceHead said:

If demolished, when would you do with the space? I'd keep it until I'm ready to replace it, probably by slapping some flashbanding or similar over the leaky roof spots. 

I’d probably just make it into additional patio space, although I am tempted to do a stop gap repair on it. I just don’t know how to go about it. It’s awkward to work on because one side butts up on the neighbour’s house and the roof wouldn’t be safe to climb on. 

I need to clean it and put bitumen or flashbanding on the overlaps. I just don’t know how! 

Here’s a pic… 

Is that a gap big enough to get your hand into, next to the door?!

The roof looks like you could seal the leaky joints with flashing or sealant. It should support your weight if you spread the load with a couple of planks. Are the timbers under the corrugated sheeting sound? 

Section62

Oakeshott said:

I need to clean it and put bitumen or flashbanding on the overlaps. I just don’t know how! 

Don't try cleaning it, at least not before getting confirmation there's no asbestos content.  The probability is that the roofing does contain asbestos.

Where are the leaks?  Can you post pictures of the roof showing the inside, particularly in the areas where the leakage is.

Generally corrugated AC doesn't leak - unless it has cracked - you'd normally expect leakage to be around the edges of the roof (not the overlaps), and a prime candidate would be where the roof butts up to the neighbour's building.  Leaks anywhere other than around the edge of the roof will be harder to fix.

Oakeshott

GDB2222 said:

Oakeshott said:

FaceHead said:

If demolished, when would you do with the space? I'd keep it until I'm ready to replace it, probably by slapping some flashbanding or similar over the leaky roof spots. 

I’d probably just make it into additional patio space, although I am tempted to do a stop gap repair on it. I just don’t know how to go about it. It’s awkward to work on because one side butts up on the neighbour’s house and the roof wouldn’t be safe to climb on. 

I need to clean it and put bitumen or flashbanding on the overlaps. I just don’t know how! 

Here’s a pic… 

Is that a gap big enough to get your hand into, next to the door?!

The roof looks like you could seal the leaky joints with flashing or sealant. It should support your weight if you spread the load with a couple of planks. Are the timbers under the corrugated sheeting sound? 

The roof is supported by metal beams, which seem sound although they do have some surface rust. 

The gap the other side isn’t big enough to get even a hand into because it’s leaning slightly into next door, and there wasn’t much space to begin with. 

Oakeshott

Section62 said:

Oakeshott said:

I need to clean it and put bitumen or flashbanding on the overlaps. I just don’t know how! 

Don't try cleaning it, at least not before getting confirmation there's no asbestos content.  The probability is that the roofing does contain asbestos.

Where are the leaks?  Can you post pictures of the roof showing the inside, particularly in the areas where the leakage is.

Generally corrugated AC doesn't leak - unless it has cracked - you'd normally expect leakage to be around the edges of the roof (not the overlaps), and a prime candidate would be where the roof butts up to the neighbour's building.  Leaks anywhere other than around the edge of the roof will be harder to fix.

Thanks. Would it make much difference though even if it is asbestos. I was under the impression you can still do minor repair work on it with the right precautions? 

I would post pics but I don’t have any. It’s leaking on too many places to pinpoint, although it seems most of them are at the overlaps where the bitumen has cracked. I was hoping going over all the overlaps from on top with a new sealant coat would do it. 

Woolsery

Oakeshott said:

FaceHead said:

If demolished, when would you do with the space? I'd keep it until I'm ready to replace it, probably by slapping some flashbanding or similar over the leaky roof spots. 

 It’s awkward to work on because one side butts up on the neighbour’s house and the roof wouldn’t be safe to climb on. 

I need to clean it and put bitumen or flashbanding on the overlaps. I just don’t know how!

Unless you are exceptionally heavy I'd think working off a couple of scaffold boards would be safe, but I haven't seen inside of course.

A  polymer sealant squirted into the joints would be the way I'd go with minimal contact. It might hold things for a year or two.

Mistral001

Corrugated iron comes in some very long lengths and you might get sheets to span the whole length of the garage.  If the garage is too long for simple corrugated iron sheets, then consider getting some plastic coated profiled steel sheets.  They come in some very long lengths.