Leaking roof - advice required

[Goochie]

This morning I got up to see a damp patch had appeared on the bedroom wall. I went up into the loft to see a very damp patch on the underside of the roof:



Clearly the water is getting in somewhere, running down the woodwork and then down the wall into the bedroom.

I got the ladder out and whilst it is impossible to really see anything with your head under the eves, I took some photos at arms length. Where the two parts of the roof join, there is a gulley that is lined with a lead like material (house was built in 1932 so it probably is lead).

On the photograph there seems to be a split or some other damage to the lining at exactly the same point that the water can be seen on the inside:



The house is a simple 30's semi with a small "mini-roof" that juts out from the main roof, over the bedroom window.

I'm guessing that getting someone in will involve many £££ so before I do that I thought I'd ask the resident experts how the repair should be done?

Is it possible to patch the faulty area?

I could cheaply rent a cherry picker through work to reach the area so access wouldnt' be a problem, however I dont want to get up there to find I dont really know how it should be fixed.

Any ideas?

[plumAJP]

i see this problem all the time.

I have seen contractors getting some adhesive lead/felt like material and bonding on the top of the lead.

I dont know what the material was but it stcuk to the lead very well and has lastest for 3years and still going strong, stopped the damp problem

[Wacky Racer]

It really needs a new lead valley forming, looks to me from the picture that there are a few small "tears" in it, allowing ingress of rainwater, however to keep down costs you can buy very good quality grey repair tape, backed with black "pitch" in long rolls, which you could run vertically down, on top of the existing "valley", just make sure the lead is dry, clean and dust free....If done correctly should last many years...cost around £10.

Just avoid employing roofing "cowboys" at £100 hr.

Then make sure all the internal timbers are fully dried out, and treat with "cuprinol" or similar.....

[Goochie]

Thanks for the advice - I have found this at ScrewFix:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/25426/Sealants-Adhes...

Which seems to be the tape you mention??

A van mounted access platform that will comfortably reach the area will be £150 for a day

[mrmaggit]

Wacky Racer said:

It really needs a new lead valley forming, looks to me from the picture that there are a few small "tears" in it, allowing ingress of rainwater, however to keep down costs you can buy very good quality grey repair tape, backed with black "pitch" in long rolls, which you could run vertically down, on top of the existing "valley", just make sure the lead is dry, clean and dust free....If done correctly should last many years...cost around £10.

Just avoid employing roofing "cowboys" at £100 hr.

Then make sure all the internal timbers are fully dried out, and treat with "cuprinol" or similar.....

As above, but only repair if you're going to sell the house within a few years, otherwise, spend the money and have it properly repaired with new lead. Don't forget the original gave over 70 years service before failing. All "patch" fixes are temporary stop-gaps to tide over until the fault can be properly repaired.

[Silver993tt]

Goochie said:

Thanks for the advice - I have found this at ScrewFix:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/25426/Sealants-Adhes...

Which seems to be the tape you mention??

A van mounted access platform that will comfortably reach the area will be £150 for a day

I used something very similar after squirrels were using one of my lead gullies to sharpen their teeth/claws.

Roofer quoted £350 to repair. I spent circa £20 for the tape and a tin of liquid bitumen. Took me all of 15-20mins to fix. That was 5 years ago and it still looks perfect today. Don't use a roofer.

[Goochie]

If I were to use a scaffold tower, rather than a cherry picker to get up there, would it be safe to walk/climb on the roof? feet in the gulley ?

I have a nice long ladder but no way of safely making the move from the ladder to the roof!

[mrmaggit]

Goochie said:

If I were to use a scaffold tower, rather than a cherry picker to get up there, would it be safe to walk/climb on the roof? feet in the gulley ?

I have a nice long ladder but no way of safely making the move from the ladder to the roof!

Without looking at the site, I couldn't say, but if you get a tower into the corner, then that would act as a base to access the roof from, and should be OK.

[Paul Drawmer]

Goochie said:

feet in the gulley?

Be very careful not to make more rips in the lead. If it is spread across the gap at all and you walk on it, it may make more holes.

[saleen836]

Rather than spend a couple of hundred of your hard earned on new lead...
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/49205/Building/Roofi...

a lot easier on the pocket and also easier to install.

[blackcab]

Get a contractor in to fix the problem he will have the ladders suitable to do the job, replace the lead and re point wont be as much as you think and will be a proper job that shouldnt fail again.

[diesel head]

I am inclined to suggest that the entire lead valley should be replaced, however if there is other lead on the roof that is a similar age, it may well be in a similar condition. So it may well be worth patching in the short term in order to have all the leadwork replaced in the near future.

[mrmaggit]

To the OP, check what the people in the industry are saying, then the people that aren't.

Only trying to help.

Just my 2p.

[King Herald]

mrmaggit said:

To the OP, check what the people in the industry are saying, then the people that aren't.

Only trying to help.

Just my 2p.

Get a tube of silicon, use it to glue a piece of stiff plastic over the hole.






As you can guess, I'm not 'in the industry'.

[Wings]

mrmaggit said:

To the OP, check what the people in the industry are saying, then the people that aren't.

Only trying to help.

Just my 2p.

There is so, so much that a person in the industry can/will see, that a layperson will not see. For the cost of hiring the scaffolding, which a roofer will have, the OP could get a "proper" long lasting job carried out, at not much more cost by a roofer.

I have recently ended a legal dispute with a neighbour over a botched up DIY job on a party wall lead valley, which the cowboy builder attempted to seal the joints with sillicone, rather than "step and sweat" the lead joints. The repair to the valley, that is what the cowboy builder carried out, has cost as much as the botched up job, but this repair will last well past the end of my life.

[Silver993tt]

King Herald said:

mrmaggit said:

To the OP, check what the people in the industry are saying, then the people that aren't.

Only trying to help.

Just my 2p.

Get a tube of silicon, use it to glue a piece of stiff plastic over the hole.






As you can guess, I'm not 'in the industry'.

yes but simple solutions like that can last for years and save £100's.

4 years ago I had a leak in my garage roof that has a flat roof. I contacted 2 roof 'specialists' who both informed me that replacing the whole covering on the roof was the only real solution (without coming to see the problem). The quotes were well into 4 figures.

I checked the roof myself and found a split in the bitumen. I placed a new piece (about 1m x 30cm under the area that was split, coated it with liquid bitumen and then placed another similar sized piece on top and coated it in the same way. 4 years later, still dry - total cost £25.

This stuff isn't rocket science, try and fix it yourself otherwise you'll be open to having lots of work done at extortionate rates for something you don't need.

If you do end up getting a 'specialist' to do the work, make sure you get a fixed price (with no get out clauses) in writing and also a penalty clause for late delivery of the finished work. If they refuse to do this, go somewhere else. Never hand over any money until the job is complete and you are satisfied with the work, or get it inspected before you pay.

Edited by Silver993tt on Saturday 8th August 22:44

[mrmaggit]

True, but I'm referring (and I take it, the others that have posted) to this specific problem.

The split in the lead appears to be quite large, the lead is in sections, and the haunching below the tiles appears to be quite tall.

In this instance, the best solution would be to replace the lead, given the state of the surrounding area; the best person to do this job would be a roofing contractor, who will have all the necessary equipment. He will also inspect (or at least, should) the state of the hip rafter as well while the lead is off, to make sure the wood will dry out and not rot.

This is NOT a job to shove some mastic in the joint and hope the wood dries out.

[Silver993tt]

mrmaggit said:

True, but I'm referring (and I take it, the others that have posted) to this specific problem.

The split in the lead appears to be quite large, the lead is in sections, and the haunching below the tiles appears to be quite tall.

In this instance, the best solution would be to replace the lead, given the state of the surrounding area; the best person to do this job would be a roofing contractor, who will have all the necessary equipment. He will also inspect (or at least, should) the state of the hip rafter as well while the lead is off, to make sure the wood will dry out and not rot.

This is NOT a job to shove some mastic in the joint and hope the wood dries out.

so how will you know that a 'roofing contractor' will have done a proper job? Will you go up and inspect the work before handing over your money or will you get an independent inspection?

[Wings]

As with employing any tradesperson, one goes by recommendations. Patching up with tape or mastic is okay on a shed etc., but on possibly one’s biggest investment.. one’s home, not really on is it.

Lead work is a specialist trade, and water running down a valley in very wintry conditions will find every possible leak. I also can’t see a lost adjuster paying out on a claim, where mastic or tape has been used to botch up the repair.

[Silver993tt]

Wings said:

As with employing any tradesperson, one goes by recommendations. Patching up with tape or mastic is okay on a shed etc., but on possibly one’s biggest investment.. one’s home, not really on is it.

Lead work is a specialist trade, and water running down a valley in very wintry conditions will find every possible leak. I also can’t see a lost adjuster paying out on a claim, where mastic or tape has been used to botch up the repair.

I've repaired a leaded gulley and also a flat garage roof (see earlier posts) and they have lasted for years saving me a fortune instead of taking advice from 'recommended tradespeople' whos only advice is to replace everything, no matter what. This stuff isn't rocket science, it's very simple. If you have any doubts, you can google the way to do it in 30 mins and save yourself enough to have a holiday somewhere very nice indeed, probably the same kind of place the 'recommended tradesperson' will be going with your money - and I'm talking long haul