leaking roof/chimneys

[Christhescott]

Hi folks, we had some very heavy rain just before christmas and my flat has developed some leaks. I will get a slater to have a look in the new year but I wondered if anyone could advise me on what the problem is likely to be in the mean time?

leak 1
//www.diynot.com/network/Christhescott/albums/14689/54438

Leak 1 the water is pooling on the plasterboard above the window and dripping down. No signs of wetness in the loft above here. The steel beam and timber where the water is pooling look like they have been getting wet like this for years. the area has had lathe stripped and plasterboarded so im certain the previous owner knew about it

leak 2
//www.diynot.com/network/Christhescott/albums/14689/54439

Leak 2 the water is dripping at three places in the rooms adjacent to the gable end, where there is an alcove between the chimney breasts, hope that makes sense. The gable end above here is wet to the touch and the sarking boards have a wet patch roughly at the corner of the chimney, also the end roof joist is wet but not rotten.

Thanks for any advice, I realise the photos arent the best but best I could do.

 

[palaceray]

From those pictures it is hard to tell, but in picture 2 it looks like the damp rafter and board is being caused by water soaking through the cemrnt fillet or any cracks in the fillet.

On the first leak i would suspect that is from the lead flahing or fillet around the stack.

All abutments on a slate roof should be finished with lead soakers and flashings not fillets and your parapet wall should have a coping stone on top of it so the water would drip clear of the wall.

 

[Alastairreid]

As stated the the skews probably need attention.

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=172408

Pointing to clubstones and area above window lintel.

I dont understand what the steel could be for.

 

[Alastairreid]

All abutments on a slate roof should be finished with lead soakers and flashings not fillets and your parapet wall should have a coping stone on top of it so the water would drip clear of the wall.

Different specifications up here.

[Fillets and skews should be in cement or secret lead-lined.]

http://users.colloquium.co.uk/~glasgowwest/Techguidance.htm

Stirling castle.

Untitled

• Alastairreid
• 3 Apr 2011
• 2

[/quote]

 

[joe-90]

Is that your house Alastair?

 

[Alastairreid]

Aye Joe, it belongs to us all.

 

[Christhescott]

Ok thanks for the replies.

I forgot to mention this in my first post but when I bought the flat the property report mentioned signs of damp on the gable wall (below leak 2) I discussed this with the previous owner and he got someone to have a look who said the chimney cap was incorrectly fitted, it was dished downwards so water was running in, this was supposed to have been put right at the time. I'm wondering if the other chimney maybe has the same problem with the chimney caps? There was no damp in this room though so it wasnt checked, there is also a shrub growing out of the chimney.

Can anyone tell me if there is a limit to how high slaters will work with ladders before they need to use scaffold? I ask because my flat is on a town high street and getting scaffold set up will be a pain but at the back it is possible to climb out my window onto a lean to roof from there I could put a roof ladder up.

thanks.

 

[Christhescott]

As stated the the skews probably need attention.

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=172408

Pointing to clubstones and area above window lintel.

I dont understand what the steel could be for.

The steel beam just seems to be a lintel of some sort, maybe to suppost the extra weight of chimney breast, im not sure though.