Advice after survey

ftbLondon90

Hi 

I am a first time buyer in the process of purchasing my first flat.

I recently had my level 3 survey done and the inspection of the roof has concerned me. Here is the inserts from the report:

"3.1 Main R 3.1 Main Roof Condition Ra Condition Rating 3

The main roof is of a double pitch to hip and valley configuration. There are clay plain tiles with clay round profile tiles bedded in mortar to the ridge and hips. As viewed from the ground level the tiles and the lead flashing appear to be in acceptable condition. No missing or slipped tiles were noted on the roof.

We have noted deflection/bowing to the main roof.

It would be recommended that the internal structure is further investigated by a competent roofer or a

structural engineer to ensure that the deflection is not a health and safety hazard and should be rectified

where necessary.

There is some moss growth noted to the main roof. we recommend that this be cleaned.

It should be noted that any roof repairs tend to be relatively expensive as due to Health and Safety legislation it will almost always be necessary to erect scaffolding to carry out any necessary repairs.

We would ideally recommend a full roofing inspection by a competent roofer prior to purchase to ascertain the full extent of the repairs required to the roof and an estimation on its life span."



The inspector did go into the loft and that inspection seemed satisfactory:

"The main roof void space is accessed via a hatch off the top landing. There is no retractable ladder for ease of access into the roof void space; the loft floor is not boarded. Insulation is not fitted between the joists. Lighting is fitted but was not working at the time of inspection. An underlay is fitted to the underside of the main roof.

It should be noted that some areas of the roof are unable to be viewed, due to a lack of secure footing. The areas that can be viewed appear to be in satisfactory condition.

Inside the loft the roof was found to be of traditional timber framed construction consisting of rafters

supported on purlins, which span between the external side walls. Where inspected the roof structure was found to be generally sound with only slight deflection on the underside of the original timber rafters which we feel is within tolerable limits. The roof slopes are generally even. Where they are undulating, this is on a small scale and there is no evidence to suggest the distortion will get worse. Most of the structural members are adequately sized. The ceiling joists are adequately connected to the base of the rafters and where they are not, roof spread is not a problem. Any struts and other supports are taken to load bearing walls. The loft was found to be dry with no evidence of leaks. There were no apparent signs of timber rot or degradation to the visible representative constituent timber elements within the main roof void space. The main roof covering benefits from an underlay which is intended to provide a secondary physical barrier against precipitation ingress in the case of a slipped or broken roof tile."

I guess I am just looking for advice or comments. I don't have any experience of this so any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Grizebeck

Nothing to get concerned over

ftbLondon90

They also did say this when talking about the main roof:

"As viewed externally from ground level the main roof slopes appeared to be free of signs of serious

deflection or undulations. The roof covering generally appears in satisfactory and serviceable condition

considering its age and type and should benefit from an extended life subject to implementing typical

maintenance."

So I am hoping that this is nothing to be too concerned about.

FreeBear

If there is a problem with the roof, it will be something that the freeholder should fix.

I'd be more concerned about the lack of insulation in the loft. You'll be losing some 25% of your heat through the ceiling, so putting 300mm of insulation down will have a major impact on your bills. Do it yourself, and it needn't be very expensive.

propertyrental

Check the lease to see who is responsible for a) arranging annd b) paying for any roof repairs.

but basicaly there is little there to be concerned about.

As freebear says, a weekend's DIY (and £50?) will sort the lack of insulation.