Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
  • My roof is falling to bits. Buy now or pay later?
  • GrunkaLunka
    Free Member

    Moved in to a mid terrace 1890’s house last year. Have been doing loads of refurb work and are reaching the end of the savings. We’ve spotted a minor damp patch showing through the new decorating in the top of the bedroom wall so got a roofer round hoping for a quick and cheap repair, but he’s flagged up:

    front of house – felt rotten at eaves. Needs replacing across width of house (had expected).

    Flashings also knackered at either side of roof, front and back (had suspected but hoped could put off).

    Chimney pots lose and chimney stack in desperate need of re-pointing. I watched him lift one pot off, and had a peek from the top of his ladder and am in total agreement with him about the pointing (had really not wanted to think about this just yet).

    I’d been aware that the chimney was a bit of a risk when we purchased. One of the breasts has been taken out at first floor level with some rather old-school gusto, and is supported at loft level on gallows brackets fixed to the party wall and posts off a joist. I really do not want to think about sorting that yet. (Other than the poor state of the pointing it’s dead true, and there’s no sign of cracking or collapse).

    He’s given what seems like a pretty good quote – 1250 to strip the lower tiles at the front and replace the old felt with new membrane, re-point all of he old biscuit tile flashings along with a few dodgy ridge tiles, and to cap of the chimney and install vents.

    I’m 90% sure I’m going to go for it and do it in one hit. Anyone care to reassure me that I’d be daft not to?

    The complication is that we’re about to push the button on a full new kitchen inc. re-wire and re-plaster (and funnily enough a re-roof of the kitchen lean-to). That’s a fixed price with the builder, but money is going to be pretty tight to also do the roof as well.

    davosaurusrex
    Full Member

    Always do the roof first, makes most sense.

    properbikeco
    Free Member

    as above, a functioning roof is kinda important

    only way i’d delay it is if you know it will last a couple more years and you can afford to fix it and are planning to stay in the house for a while

    reason is any decent survey will flag up this issue if you sell and offer accordingly

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    Junkyard
    Free Member

    you need a waterproof house more than a nice kitchen

    squirrelking
    Free Member

    Roof first without a shadow of a doubt.

    sharkbait
    Free Member

    Yep, do it all now. If you don’t the following scenario is not out of the question:
    Chimney pot gets blown off during a winter gale, landing on neighbours car or worse.
    On its way down it smashes a few slates but you don’t see that until the water starts coming in. By this time the ceiling is damaged as is the wall decoration.
    As it’s winter you struggle to find a roofer who can fix it within 2 weeks and the insurance company refuse to pay for some of the consequential damage as you had a duty of care to maintain the property in a reasonable fashion – and you didn’t.

    Get it sorted and feel smug when the winter comes. As others have said, you really should have done this before anything cosmetic.

    parkesie
    Free Member

    Deffo get it done. 1st job on our new house is flashing and windows before we deccorate a thing.

    GrunkaLunka
    Free Member

    Cheers guys for confirming my thoughts, though Junkyard has obviously never met my wife. This won’t end up being one or the other, it’ll just mean less beer money and no new bike!

    cvilla
    Full Member

    …and make sure the whole roof is fully (add more than you think) insulated. but make sure you allow for the roof void to be adequately ventilated.
    As you will be re-roofing the new roof should be up to or better than building regulations, just make sure the roofer/builder knows this, plus you will have a new roof for future sales as mentioned above and a warmer house.
    The roof felt/breathable membrane at the eaves, i.e. where it is visible and suffers from UV solar issues, use a different felt, one that does not deteriorate in the sun! (there has been a post about this somewhere before).

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    You could just cross your fingers & hope for the best…

    GrunkaLunka
    Free Member

    Cheers cvilla.

    Who was that chap who can control the weather?!

    spooky_b329
    Full Member

    I can speak from experience…when you’ve book a few days off work and have a flat pack kitchen stacked in the hallway, plasterboard to put on the ceiling and walls, and then find water dripping from the roof during a brief shower on the first day, is slightly more than mildly irritating.

    I got very lucky and collared some guys working further up the street and they got it sorted the next day with some new flashing and torch on felt, but it does put a major spanner in the works!

    busydog
    Free Member

    Always do the roof first, makes most sense

    ^^ this, as several others have posted

    GrunkaLunka
    Free Member

    Roofer’s on-board. That’s a weight off my mind!

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Second opinion before pulling the trigger, surely?

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

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