Roofing repairs on next house - just routine maintenance issues?

Bigphil1474

We're buying a nice house, and the surveyor has sent the report through to us. The report had some other issues on which I wasn't too worried about. He has highlighted quite a few 'issues' with the roof but has also said it's in satisfactory condition. I'm semi-knowledgeable and think these are largely routine maintenance bits that just need a roofer to go round and sort out - maybe a day's work and may need scaffing up. The OH has read the report and is thinking we should pull out altogether which is a bit OTT to me. Anyone think different? It's a 1960's semi with 2 storey extension which sticks out the back. I have emailed our roofer a summary but he is better at roofing than responding to emails and messages:-  

"The main roof is of pitched construction sloping from a central ridge to the front and rear walls with a covering of interlocking concrete tiles. There are concrete ridge tiles which are embedded in cement to secure them in place. The front roof slopes has one double glazed skylights.

The gable end roof has what is known as a wet verge. A wet verge is merely a mortar fillet sealing the junction between the roof and the gable end wall. This junction effectively weatherproofs an area which is rather exposed and also prevents insects or vermin from entering the loft space. The is slightly cracked in areas. The cement should be repaired and re-pointed in the short and medium term. In the longer term you may wish to replace the wet verge with a dry UPVC verge system which will require less maintenance in the future.

The mortar bedding to the rear valley is also cracked and displaced. This will require repointing in situ with the bedded gables.

There is a cement boarding under the edge of the roof tiles known as an undercloak. This is likely to be of asbestos cement. This is a safety issue and you should consult a licensed asbestos contractor to remove this should it become damaged, disturbed or when the roof is  replaced/repaired.

The mortar joints between the ridge tiles to the main roof are cracked. This is an indication that the tiles may be poorly fixed to the roof, in addition the area maybe vulnerable to leaks. They should be lifted and re-bedded in new mortar in the medium term to prevent the risk of them falling or leaks occurring.

The main roof has some moss growth. This will eventually damage the roof coverings and block the guttering. The growth should be cleared in the medium term, making sure not to wash it into and block the gutters. The use of pressure washers should be avoided to prevent damage of the roof coverings.

The main roof does not benefit from eaves trays. The use of eaves trays is to support the underlay into the guttering to ensure any water runs into the gutters preventing it from falling behind the fascia which can lead to damp and water ingress. You should monitor the areas below and if damp staining become present, instruct a roofing contractor to install eaves trays.

Otherwise, although slightly weathered, in our opinion, the roof coverings generally appear to be in a satisfactory condition, with no significant defects visible."

EssexExile

I would understand from that survey that there is nothing wrong with the roof.

Albermarle

EssexExile said:

I would understand from that survey that there is nothing wrong with the roof.

Same here, just worth keeping in mind some of the points made, as possible future maintenance jobs.

Dustyevsky

It's totally OTT to consider pulling-out over that report. Are you sure your OH actually likes the property, or is he just risk-averse in most things?

Bigphil1474

Thanks for the responses, much as I thought. To be fair, it's the first house we've bought in nearly 30 years so I think she's just a bit over cautious. Bear in mind our current house cost us £45k back then, and this one is over £300k, it's a big jump for us. Hopefully the roofer will get round to sending a similar response soon.