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Hi everyone
I had a new dining room extension done in summer. It was designed by architect at a pitch of 12.5, and specified using Marley Mendip tiles and special velux for low pitch roof.
The roof was designed at 12.5 degrees because the kitchen had already been extended out to 4.3m when I bought the house, and to create the dining room knock through, the only options were low pitch or flat roof.
I had many issues with the builder, including waiting until the old ( hipped) roof was removed to order the Marley Mendips. Unsurprisingly , he couldn't source them at such short notice and purchased some alternatives that he assured me were suitable for the pitch.
The work finished in August and was leaking above the kitchen window, bifold doors, and apex by mid October. It failed building control inspection in the same week because of the leaks , and many other issues including inadequate flashing and exposed OSB and felt at the eaves. Builder iniitaly refused to accept findings but came back and added some silicone to lead flashing.
This did not work and the leaks got worse. Building control failed it again in December and added to the report that the tiles were wrong and the velux not per specification on drawings.
The builder argued with the architect , the building inspector and myself that we were wrong, and insisted that all it needed was a new fascia and some more lead work. He repeatedly failed to show up for when he said he would. By January when he still had not accepted the findings on the report , I told him that I would be getting someone else to do the repairs. He blocked me after this. I asked for his indemnity insurance but he said that it was my fault I didnt let him finish the job so insurance not relevant in this case and he has let his insurance lapse anyway. All he has is public liability - so I'm screwed really in terms of getting any recourse from him.
My issue now is how to proceed. I know that I need to sue him and thats a sort of side issue really to the leaking roof and upset I feel about it all. I have had an independent report carried out by a local building firm a few weeks ago who identified all sorts of issues outside of the roof, including brickwork that is not plum, wrong brick used at the DPC - all sorts. I also had 2 roofers out to look at it and none of them could find a single part of the roof that achieved the required 12.5 degrees. At best it is 12 at the velux area, and a shocking 5.1 at the eaves.
The first roofer said it needs stripped, completely rebuild and he would use 3 inch firrings to create an adequate fall. The second said he would use 'fillets' ( which I'm assuming is the same thing. The builder who did the report never mentioned raising the pitch, only that the correct tiles need to be used, but also correct size facia, new leadwork, and proper velux.
Please tell me - what would you do in this case? how would you fix the pitch? I'm sorry its been so long and if i havent explained it all properly. I feel so let down by it all and that the builders took total advantage. Aside from things like drinking on site, the way they spoke to me as a woman should have had me running for the hills from day one. I regret eve going near them and will now likely have to find thousands to correct what he has done.
I had a new dining room extension done in summer. It was designed by architect at a pitch of 12.5, and specified using Marley Mendip tiles and special velux for low pitch roof.
The roof was designed at 12.5 degrees because the kitchen had already been extended out to 4.3m when I bought the house, and to create the dining room knock through, the only options were low pitch or flat roof.
I had many issues with the builder, including waiting until the old ( hipped) roof was removed to order the Marley Mendips. Unsurprisingly , he couldn't source them at such short notice and purchased some alternatives that he assured me were suitable for the pitch.
The work finished in August and was leaking above the kitchen window, bifold doors, and apex by mid October. It failed building control inspection in the same week because of the leaks , and many other issues including inadequate flashing and exposed OSB and felt at the eaves. Builder iniitaly refused to accept findings but came back and added some silicone to lead flashing.
This did not work and the leaks got worse. Building control failed it again in December and added to the report that the tiles were wrong and the velux not per specification on drawings.
The builder argued with the architect , the building inspector and myself that we were wrong, and insisted that all it needed was a new fascia and some more lead work. He repeatedly failed to show up for when he said he would. By January when he still had not accepted the findings on the report , I told him that I would be getting someone else to do the repairs. He blocked me after this. I asked for his indemnity insurance but he said that it was my fault I didnt let him finish the job so insurance not relevant in this case and he has let his insurance lapse anyway. All he has is public liability - so I'm screwed really in terms of getting any recourse from him.
My issue now is how to proceed. I know that I need to sue him and thats a sort of side issue really to the leaking roof and upset I feel about it all. I have had an independent report carried out by a local building firm a few weeks ago who identified all sorts of issues outside of the roof, including brickwork that is not plum, wrong brick used at the DPC - all sorts. I also had 2 roofers out to look at it and none of them could find a single part of the roof that achieved the required 12.5 degrees. At best it is 12 at the velux area, and a shocking 5.1 at the eaves.
The first roofer said it needs stripped, completely rebuild and he would use 3 inch firrings to create an adequate fall. The second said he would use 'fillets' ( which I'm assuming is the same thing. The builder who did the report never mentioned raising the pitch, only that the correct tiles need to be used, but also correct size facia, new leadwork, and proper velux.
Please tell me - what would you do in this case? how would you fix the pitch? I'm sorry its been so long and if i havent explained it all properly. I feel so let down by it all and that the builders took total advantage. Aside from things like drinking on site, the way they spoke to me as a woman should have had me running for the hills from day one. I regret eve going near them and will now likely have to find thousands to correct what he has done.
