Repair roof ridge or replace it with a klobber?

pieroabcd

Hi,
My roof seems to be leaking where it joins the neighbour's roof.
One of the roofers proposed me to remove the ridge, check the rules below, put the ridge back on and fix it where are the cracks.

Another roofer told me that the ridge is an old method that does not work as well as a klobber, so he proposed me to replace it with a klobber . I asked him if it's possible to gave both klobber and ridge but he said no.

Which of the two is better and longer lasting? Ridge or klobber?

Thanks 

FreeBear

pieroabcd said: Which of the two is better and longer lasting? Ridge or klobber?

Klober is a dry ridge system - Typical lifespan is around 50 years if installed correctly.

Traditional ridges are bedded down on mortar, and if done properly, will last 100+ years.

Personally, I prefer the look of ridge tiles on a bed of mortar, particularly on older properties. Modern plastic fittings just don't look right in my mind.

Kiran

Agreed, dry verge systems have their place, I have them on my house, but they have been used because roofing has been deskilled. Wet verges require decent end cuts, proper mixing of mortar etc. When I moved in one of the ridged on my house had flashband rips over every joint on the ridge tile 🤦‍♂️. It probably took longer to do that than it would have to bed the ridge tiles on with a decent mix.

So, whilst it is a other way of doing it, it's not the only way and you should pick a method that will suit your house.

pieroabcd

Thanks very much!

pieroabcd

The roofer has come back with a quote that among other things proposes to put the ridge back in place (after repairing the cracks) with a dry fix ridge hip. According to him the cement always fails over time.

I hope that I haven't misunderstood what the roofer means with "ridge tiles". If it's not the cylinder than he definitely need to explain better.

Do you think that it's a good idea?

pieroabcd

"re install the ridge tiles but using a dry ridge fixing kit (dry ridge kits are totally cement free and zero maintenance)"

FreeBear

pieroabcd said: The roofer has come back with a quote that among other things proposes to put the ridge back in place (after repairing the cracks) with a dry fix ridge hip. According to him the cement always fails over time.

My ridge tiles were solidly bedded on cement for 95 years without any cracks or loose tiles. If done properly, there is no reason why it shouldn't last 100+ years.

Dry ridge fixings are generally guaranteed for 15 or 20 years depending on manufacturer (Klober is only 10 year). Lifespan is often given as 20-30 years IF installed correctly.

pieroabcd

This is what the roofer found under the roof tiles: a big nothing.
 

There was even a big hole in the membrane further down, where I noticed the most visible damp.
 

Kiran

The felt should butt all the way up to the wall, but if the flashing is dressed onto the roof tiles correctly they it shouldn't matter that the felt is missing as it should run down the vertical tile cladding, onto the lead flashing and onto the tiles and down the roof.

stuart45

The felt should really be turned up the wall at abutments. Nowadays with single lap tiles a secret gutter or abutment soaker is used as an extra barrier to moisture. Wherever the roof tiles meet an abutment such as a chimney or wall is a weak spot on the roof, and you need to get the details right. Flashings dressed over the profiles of single lap tiles can allow moisture from wind driven rain through, especially when they lift slightly in time due to thermal movement.

pieroabcd

Over the years the rain has definitely fallen through. It's clearly visible on some parts of the wall at the ground floor (even though it's not much). Probably upstairs it's much worse, but that wall is hidden by the built in wardrobe that sooner or later I'll have to move.

What I wonder is why on earth they did such a poor job when they did the loft conversions, 13 years ago (not 50).