Damn leaky roof

Joined
29 Jul 2015
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
Hi
I've been having trouble for few years with the join between mine & my neighbours roof, eventually landlady admits liability, agents get in contractor, roof still leaking...
Now I'm not a roofer (neither was he I don't think) but I think that grey stuff should be underneath the tiles not on top...
DSC_0267.JPG DSC_0250.JPG
 
Sponsored Links
Typical landlords. Bad ones I shoudl say.

The bad ones are sooo busy doing their own thing, at just finding a good roofer is a too much hard work! :/

Do print the picture and show her. Sometimes you just have to stop the sillyness, before it becomes a Laurel and Hardy scenario.
 
Aaarrrgghhhh my reply disappeared!
She lives in dubai, not seen the house in years.
Letting agents are rude.
They insist I let contractor back in, he was a tad inappropriate* a couple of times, don't want him in my home.
We're now at the point of me taking her to court. :-/
 
Sponsored Links
Oh she's not my landlady, she owns next door. She's paid 3k for the 'repair' and because I won't sign her silly piece of paper she's refusing to pay for the damage it has caused inside...
Her piece of paper stated that the roof is fixed, so no I'm not going to sign it! Nor will I let her contractor in my home to check. I've taken down a partition wall front & back to get to the void, I'd really like to get that fixed so I can decorate & finish my kids bedrooms.
She refuses to gain access her side...
It's all a headache I could do without.
 
Is she one of thos %#^@&£#% landlords that try to 'make' the neighbours move out by being a $¥€%# whenever you speak to her? Hummm

I guess the on'y time she'll react is if her tenants get annoyed with your letters.

Looking at the bad work and the damage it has/will cause makes your small claims court case that much easier; if she doesn't attend to fight her case. Then it's automatically ruled in your favour; your child's health is at risk, so you might be allowed to gain access via the courts.

One step at a time right?
 
Last edited:
1.The existing join between the roofs is not the best way of making such a join. "Joining Gutters" are the best practice.

2. The loft pic shows a lack of underfelt below the join, & lack of batten support.

3. The party wall should run up to just below the join - this is a privacy and fire risk issue.

4. At the base of the chimney stack you have lead apron flashing - there should also be a lead saddle flashing from the apron over the first half round tile. Its possible that the leak(s) is from that position - but its irrelevant in that whats there should all be stripped off and a Joining Gutter of some kind be installed. Repairs wont work.
A pic of the stack would help.

5. Make up a list or chronology of the history of this business: from the very beggining - conversations, leaks, permissions, paper and email trail, and names and addresses of all interested parties.

6. Take your list to a solicitor for a heads up. Small claims will be the place to go for any proceedings. Until then, have no more contact of any kind with the other side.
 
You should not need to let anybody in your property accept for and initial inspection
to establish were the leak is. One of the property's has been re-roofed with a different tile and thats were the problems lies. Roofs are fixed from the outside not the inside. These letting agents will not have a professional
roofer on call because it will dent there profits to much so they will send there general handyman to
try and sort it out.
 
I think some kind of joining gutter has been used, but not in the right place. It looks to me as though it has been put on over tiles rather than under.

There is no felt under my tiles, roof is original, 1890s, next door has had new roof at some point & whether it was never done properly in the first place or just wear & tear, water's coming in.

There is no party wall, I agree there should be, there is one with my other neighbour.

Had new flashing round chimney few years ago, rained a couple of days later, leaked. Didn't make slightest difference, except to my pocket.

Somewhere I have emails printed out, will gather everything together.
I've refused any contact with the letting agents for months as the manager was very rude & patronising & basically just an a#*e.
It was fixed from the outside but leaks on the inside & because there is no loft access next door, they can only get to it from my side. I agree, initial inspection, then they should've made their own access through their side side. They know I have to empty my kids cupboards/dens, take down the plasterboard & crawl through to get to it...

I've spoken to my insurance company, I have legal cover. I have to write to her giving her 14 days to respond with suitable proposals or it'll be court with no further warning. It's been looked at by family friend with letters after his name, building control council guy, contacted roofer today who is willing to look & give me a price in writing to repair properly. Once I have these things in my hand I can start the ball rolling.
 
7. are you saying that there is a joining gutter below the half round tiles?

8. neither roof has tile from the 1890's? Whats the situation with the roof at the back of the house?

9. the indications are that the roof is leaking at the join not from the roof plane(s).

10. a pic of the stack would still help?

11. your insurance company are the last people you should have been in contact with at this stage, nor will the others you mention be of much use until you get a legal opinion - to repeat myself: no ball will start rolling until you go and get a (free?) heads up with a solicitor.

12. You would be unwise to enlist HMR&C's into the mix until you have hopefully been paid out - they take first whack of any funds, and what could have been completed in say months might go on for years.
 
Hiya
Yes there is something between the tiles & the half round tiles, the grey stuff. Isn't that what's supposed to be between the battens & tiles?

That is the back. Front is pretty much the same.
It's been dripping/ running down the walls of both bedrooms, front & back for at least 2 years. I can only get to the inside at the front, by crawling through the eaves? in the attic room, to the void between the 2 houses where some kind of fire wall should be.
I'm assuming the front & back are identical.
I just assumed mine were original as they look it.

What is the roof plane? The inside pic shows my tiles on left, neighbours on right, the edge of her tiles are dripping wet. Visible drip on the blue.

Will make sure I take pic of stack for you.

Spoke to insurance company to check my legal expenses. I am covered. They advised me to write to her, giving her 2 weeks to come up with suitable proposals, or court.

I'm still waiting for the letter from surveyor mate... And the roofer hasn't appeared this weekend either. Great!
Appreciate you taking the time to help. :)
 
Had the roofer known his trade, he would have gone with this product...

image.jpg
 
The "grey stuff" i presume is the sand and cement mortar bedding-in the half round tiles. Its an irrelevancy in the scheme of things.

The "roof plane" is the large area of your roof covered with tiles as distinct from the join - the other side's clever solicitor could claim that its leaking from your roof plane and appearing in some mysterious way on their side of the join.


Why not post a pic of the front roofs? Dont assume anything - post pics or describe.

FWIW: I've suggested to you what to do so its no use me repeating it. Except to add that whatever you mean by the agent's "inappropriate" behaviour should also be explained to any solicitor.

It might be in your interest to fix a simple bolt on your side of your loft hatch.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top