Roof problems

bjorn_toby_wilde

Wherryman said:

I'm guessing that the tiles are the originals so that makes them about 65 years old, they look like Marley Modern concrete which have an expected lifespan in excess of 60 years, so they are getting a bit long in the tooth but that being said my roof is the same age and the tiles are a very similar style, I would expect to get at least another 20 years life out of mine.

Personally I would be asking some of the neighbours if they can recommend a roofer/builder so you can get some more quotes just to get all the broken tiles replaced and the tiles on the eves sorted out.

It’s a shame that your underfelt is in such poor condition but that doesn’t mean you have to have a new roof, our previous house had a 120 year old slate roof and no underfelt, the only time the roof ever leaked was when a slate fell off.

You’re right, it doesn’t mean the OP has to have a new roof, but there do seem to be quite a few problems with it. Those tiles will probably be good for quite a few years yet, but maybe what’s underneath is not so good. A few small leaks and trapped moisture can do a lot of damage.

I took the decision to have a new roof myself because water from the two or three cracked tiles high up had run down the felt, rotted the battens in several areas and the old tarred felt underneath had dried out and cracked in several places.  It was also a good opportunity to get rid of a surplus chimney from a long gone boiler.

Our roofer suggested that we’d be constantly chasing problems with the roof if we just patched it up. When I saw the state of the battens and felt as they came off I’m glad we did. Plus, we don’t have a roof that looks like a patchwork quilt of new and old tiles.  The new tiles are a smooth rather than sanded finish and that’s meant no moss either so personally I’m glad I bit the bullet and did it.

It’s not exactly in the moneysaving ethos to have a new one but it does mean it’ll be many years before you have to worry about it again.

Britannia12345

Yeah I think we're going to bite the bullet and rip it all off and renew. It might last another few years with patching but I don't know if I'll want the hassle of going through all this again in another few years. 

WIAWSNB

Britannia12345 said:

Yeah I think we're going to bite the bullet and rip it all off and renew. It might last another few years with patching but I don't know if I'll want the hassle of going through all this again in another few years. 

In which case, get at least three quotes in total.

Ask of a local Fb page, and then vet the responses. Check out their recent work - visit the homes. 

Ask anyone in the 'hood you know is having building work down - there must surely be a few. 

Please keep us updated

Swipe

Britannia12345 said:

Yeah I think we're going to bite the bullet and rip it all off and renew. It might last another few years with patching but I don't know if I'll want the hassle of going through all this again in another few years. 

Probably a wise decision. I did the same after cowboys attempting to do odd repairs. Since 2010, if you are having more than 25% of your roof re-covered you will need to notify building control before work begins. They will want to check that your loft insulation levels are up to scratch and then will sign it off once complete. My application cost about £160 I think. Without a completion certificate, you will get issues if you ever come to sell. 

Britannia12345

Omg something else. No-one's mentioned building controls to me! 

Swipe

Britannia12345 said:

Omg something else. No-one's mentioned building controls to me! 

No surprise there. Even the roofers doing the work on my roof last year didn't even know about it (their boss who did the quote did, however) and the lads questioned why someone was coming out to check on their work. It was certainly a shock to me when I came to sell my last house and I didn't have the completion certificate the solicitor was asking for after replacing the roof in 2011. Luckily, I had a cash buyer who didn't care. 

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/building-regulations-work-to-an-existing-roof

bjorn_toby_wilde

Swipe said:

Britannia12345 said:

Omg something else. No-one's mentioned building controls to me! 

No surprise there. Even the roofers doing the work on my roof last year didn't even know about it (their boss who did the quote did, however) and the lads questioned why someone was coming out to check on their work. It was certainly a shock to me when I came to sell my last house and I didn't have the completion certificate the solicitor was asking for after replacing the roof in 2011. Luckily, I had a cash buyer who didn't care. 

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/building-regulations-work-to-an-existing-roof

I had no idea either. Looks like a call to BC on Monday!

Thank you.

stuart45

Roofers can self certify if they are part of the scheme.

bjorn_toby_wilde

stuart45 said:

Roofers can self certify if they are part of the scheme.

Thanks Stuart

I’ll give mine a call

Ectophile

I wonder if the problem is a lack of overlap between the tiles, not anything wrong with the tiles themselves.  It's all too easy for cowboy builders to skimp on tiles when building the house.  And don't assume the big housebuilding companies aren't cowboys.

Everything is fine until you get a big storm with the wind blowing in the wrong direction.  It can blow the rain up under the tiles and into the loft.

Shortly after I moved in, I ended up having my roof stripped and re-laid.  All the existing tiles were re-used, along with a couple of extra palettes of reclaimed ones.