Slate roof - repair or re-roof, please help me decide!

ThisIsWeird

HaircutHel said:

@ThisIsWeird that’s reassuring, thank you. See my earlier posts for leak - think we crossed posts. 

Yes we did!
With the heavy rain we've been having recently, coupled with some brisk winds, it's very possible that the sheet of running water coming off your roof is being blown behind the guttering and past your rotting bargeboard. 
Has your 'repair' roofer confirmed this?
New 'boards with - perhaps - deep-flow guttering (because climate conditions ain't going to get better soon) would seem like a better use of some of that money. 
If buyers see crisp, solid-condition 'boards and guttering, they should be reassured.
Choose a style that suits what I presume is a pretty house, tho':-)

What did your roofer say needed doing to sort the leak?

HaircutHel

He has quoted for the following:

Remove 2 courses of slates to the rear bedroom and investigate damp patches on ceiling.

 After investigation reinstate slates but with a greater overhang (Possibly having to add a new

course) on the fascia so water falls into the gutter and doesn’t run down the fascia Remove

Old Timber Fascia and supply and install new black UPVC Fascia and re install guttering.

i should say, the £2k also includes replacing the fascia on the gable end, which does not have correct overhang. 

HaircutHel

And yes it is quite pretty, just a bit of a money pit!

FreeBear

Photos got posted whilst I was typing up my response.

I'd agree with TiW that the roof looks to be fine. The only area that does concern me is along the chimney - It needs some lead flashing to stop any ingress of water. That said, there might be a hidden soaker under the slates and hidden by that fillet of mortar. Would need an expert eye close up to confirm.

ThisIsWeird

HaircutHel said:

He has quoted for the following:

Remove 2 courses of slates to the rear bedroom and investigate damp patches on ceiling.

 After investigation reinstate slates but with a greater overhang (Possibly having to add a new

course) on the fascia so water falls into the gutter and doesn’t run down the fascia Remove

Old Timber Fascia and supply and install new black UPVC Fascia and re install guttering.

i should say, the £2k also includes replacing the fascia on the gable end, which does not have correct overhang. 

That sounds pretty darned good to me.

But obviously we can only go by what we are told.

This fellow comes recommended, and with a good repute? If so, I know what I would do.

It doesn't make sense to recover a whole roof before it really needs doing.

Please keep us updated with how it goes + photos of house with new black fascia :-)

HaircutHel

@FreeBear thank you for your comment. It does seem crazy to swap the slate for something not as long lasting. The quotes I’ve had are for Spanish slate but I am not going to know what quality they use. One of the roofers who looked at slate and concrete says the weight difference isn’t huge (38kg/m2 compared with 41 for concrete). They can self-certify, but it would still make me nervous! And he didn’t suggest consulting an engineer. 

With the chimney, I have a chimney sweep chap who is going to replace the pots (currently rain can get in under the c-shaped bits). He said the mortar round the bottom is fine, but all the roofer quotes said it needed lead. I have no idea what a soaker is but will google it. Maybe I need to do that as a specific job too. 

stuart45

The quality of Spanish slate varies a lot depending on which quarry it comes from. There's so many in Spain, which is why some people are ending up with roofs with a short lifespan. The best quality Spanish is good.

FreeBear

HaircutHel said: With the chimney, I have a chimney sweep chap who is going to replace the pots (currently rain can get in under the c-shaped bits). He said the mortar round the bottom is fine, but all the roofer quotes said it needed lead. I have no idea what a soaker is but will google it. Maybe I need to do that as a specific job too. 

This little image should help to explain what a soaker is..

Your roofer should be familiar with the term, and how to fit one if required. Had a cement fillet on my chimney, and had to replace it after finding water dripping through a bedroom ceiling during some heavy rain. From the ground, it looked fine...

On the subject of chimneys, it looks like there is a crack in the flaunching (the lump of mortar holding the pots in place). Hopefully, your sweep will make repair if it is needed. As for the flashing, I'd leave that for the roofer to do, especially if any slates need to be lifted.

stuart45

This diagram might show the job soakers do on slates. They sit on top of every slate at the abutments and are covered by the next slate so are hidden. A cover flashing goes over the top and is chased into the wall. 
If you have single lap tiles, as in FreeBear's pic, you can't use normal soakers, so a secret gutter is used.

ThisIsWeird

What would be on this original, and I'll likely-untouched, 100-year old roof, tho'? Probably just a cement fillet?