Narrow gap between houses

[oldbutnotdead]

A little problem- all started when I got up on the roof to investigate leaking valley and has escalated from there- chimneys rotted, cracked cement fillets, no fall on valley, all sorts of fun.
Background- there is a 100mm (4 inches, no I haven't missed a zero off the end) gap between my end wall and neighbours end wall, detached terraced describes the layout. This gap has been rendered over (quite well) at the front of the houses, is open at the rear and has been covered at the roof with bits of slate and a load of concrete (or maybe lime mortar, not sure but it is quite hard). Some of this has fallen apart, some I've had to cut away as part of dismantling a failed chimney. Neighbours roof pitch is the same as mine but about 300mm higher. Except at my chimney, which is higher than neighbours roof (or it was and will be again)
Problem- I don't want to leave this gap open to the elements. What's going to be the best way to cover it?
Pics later tonight
Oh yes, my first post here but not my first look at the site, it has popped up on many Google queries and supplied a few answers in the past so ta to all.

 

[catlad]

I would think about getting a roll of lead and slate the lead in between courses.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

I would think about getting a roll of lead and slate the lead in between courses.

Lead is on my shopping list- need some Code 3 to make some soakers & probably a nice big chunk of Code 4 to flash the thing properly.
Sorry to sound ignorant, but could you expand on that a bit- ideally I don't want to make any rigid fixings to next doors wall (since the existing cement blob has failed several times at the join).
Pics attached

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PS Just been looking at Marley's specs for using Eternit fibre slates (which are on that roof)- nothing in them resembles anything I've found on the roof so far. I can see me stripping the whole lot and relaying in the summer (ha) at this rate!

 

[catlad]

I have looked at your pic's and normally when there is a discrepancy like that lead can be a good solution. If I was going that way I would start at the bottom of the roof taking the slates of both roofs and fit a piece of lead in between and then proceed up the roof.

 

[catlad]

It could get expensive using lead, a cheaper alternative is ubiflex.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

I have looked at your pic's and normally when there is a discrepancy like that lead can be a good solution. If I was going that way I would start at the bottom of the roof taking the slates of both roofs and fit a piece of lead in between and then proceed up the roof.

Would that be over the top of that rotted lump of cement? Didn't think I'd get away with bridging that gap with lead unsupported, don't really want to touch next doors roof if I can avoid it- natural slate and very old, they're replacing it in April so that would be the ideal time to do that scheme.

It isn't very clear on those pics but my roof has a huge cement fillet on it (which is holding 2 or so courses of brick parapet together). The chunk of cement I've cut away was bridging to the chimney stack, looking at getting some scaffold in to strip the rest of it, not really happy messing on up a ladder with a 9" angle grinder and big lumps of mortar.

Looking at Ubiflex earlier, it isn't much cheaper than lead. Or am I looking at the wrong suppliers?

 

[catlad]

I do not have any alternatives for you do not want to touch your neighbours roof , ubiflex is about 30% cheaper. Why not wait till your neighbour strips his roof and then make a weatherproof seal. I would not use a 9" grinder of a cat ladder.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

I do not have any alternatives for you do not want to touch your neighbours roof , ubiflex is about 30% cheaper. Why not wait till your neighbour strips his roof and then make a weatherproof seal. I would not use a 9" grinder of a cat ladder.

Cheers chap, I'll check again on Ubiflex prices.
Longterm (April then) that's a very good idea. Meantime though I still need to repair my roof where the mortar fillets have failed (wet bricks in the loft when it rains) and I'd like to use the opportunity to do as good a preliminary job as possible. Once I get my side of the roof tidy, some DPM and gaffa tape or Flashband should keep the elements out till April!

While I'm redoing my parapet wall, would it be a good idea to put cavity trays in? If I didn't have to rebuild the wall and chimney anyway I wouldn't bother but while I'm at it it looks like a good idea, plus it'll save me some effort cover flashing the roof. And is it safe to put cavity trays in the back wall of the chimney (so they go into the gap)- I will be using the chimney when I eventually finish the rebuild.....

 

[HalifaxRoofer]

I'm glad you're doing that and not me!

Lead or Ubiflex definitely sounds like the best solution so far. There's other lead subsitutes available too which may be a bit cheaper than Ubiflex as that's the market leader.
Bit of a strange setup really looking at the photos!

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Wouldnt it be better if you removed all the cement fillet up the side, continue your brick wall up to the underside of neighbours tiles, re-tile up to new wall with soakers, fit lead flashing to the upstand, overlapping the top then re-adjust neighbours tiles so they have a slight over hang.
Neighbour might contribute as at present it looks a mess.
Your going to need a scaffold to work of, even if its a tower.

 

[catlad]

Cavity trays sound a good idea.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

I'm glad you're doing that and not me!

Lead or Ubiflex definitely sounds like the best solution so far. There's other lead subsitutes available too which may be a bit cheaper than Ubiflex as that's the market leader.
Bit of a strange setup really looking at the photos!

Yes, its all a bit odd. My house has twin apex roof (so very little loft space), heights of apexes are different, internal room heights are different as if the front and back were built at different times. But the staircase goes through the 'dividing wall'. V odd.
Also a pain that there's that wee gap between me and next door- massive advantage re acoustic separation but PITA in that I can't do any maintenance on that wall (or external thermal cladding...)
And the whole place is being a bit more of a challenge than I expected- once I get to the stuff I'm comfy with (floors, ceilings, wiring, plumbing) I might turn it into a blog. But not yet in case Building Control see it...

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Wouldnt it be better if you removed all the cement fillet up the side, continue your brick wall up to the underside of neighbours tiles, re-tile up to new wall with soakers, fit lead flashing to the upstand, overlapping the top then re-adjust neighbours tiles so they have a slight over hang.
Neighbour might contribute as at present it looks a mess.
Your going to need a scaffold to work of, even if its a tower.

Oh that's a thought- so rather than step flashing or chasing in bring the side flash all the way up the (2 or 3 courses) of parapet wall? Yes I like that, think neighbours will be up for that solution (could even use a bonding gutter as the link so their battens don't have to hang out in the void)
And yes I think tower or scaff is going to be the way forward for losing that cement/concrete blob. Shame the original installer has entombed the felt in that fillet, otherwise I'd lift some slates and do it from the inside...