Roofing

[willingz]

My 1928 roof (clay tiles on boards, no felt) needs attention. Faults are re chimney flashings, eroded mortar at ridges and hips, and about 30 slipped tiles.

A roofer says not economical to deal just with these specifics, and that roof should be stripped and rebuilt using the salvageable tiles as far as possible after felting and battening onto existing boards.

He says Building Control is a "grey area with strip and retile" , but anyway can be ignored as "BC has no teeth". Council say the incorporation of felt is a change of construction and BC definitely do apply.

Question 1. Is it true that BC are toothless, i.e nosanctions if I ignore them and just go ahead ? (Seems unlikely to me.)


My fear of BC is that they will want me to double loft insulation to 250/300mm, which will make it difficult to continue using loft for light storage and to access tanks, as I won't be able to see where to walk. Now I can, and there are boarded walkways.

Question 2. Can Council force me to increase insulation, if only by refusing allow the re-roof if I don't ?

Answers and any comments will be gratefully received.

 

[mikric]

Listen to your roofer at your risk !
Is there a reason why he dos not want anyone looking at his work ???
If you get pulled up for it, BC can take it as far as court if they choose for a breach, remember councils have an in house legal team of solicitors to call on so costs are minimal to take court action.
BC should be happy if you improve your thermal elements where ever practical, sometimes there is no chance to upgrade to current regs so they should be flexible on this.
As I say the decision is yours, but due to current financial climate and they see scaffolding I imagine they will stop and investigate, where as in better times it was not worth the hassle.

 

[noseall]

Question 2. Can Council force me to increase insulation, if only by refusing allow the re-roof if I don't ?

Answers and any comments will be gratefully received.

A re-roof falls under the 25% umbrella whereby if you are renovating more than 24% of a buildings' thermally accountable structure then reg's will apply.

This does not automatically mean beefing up the insulation at the ceiling level but this would be the most practical solution.

 

[willingz]

Listen to your roofer at your risk !
sometimes there is no chance to upgrade to current regs so they should be flexible on this.

Thanks.

I'm now even less inclined to take roofer's advice.

But it's starting to look as though I may have to attend only to specific problems, because I suspect that my inconvenience (re access and storage) will not be felt a good reason for not upgrading insulation.

However I'll try talking to Council again Do you have any tips as to best approach ?

 

[willingz]

Question This does not automatically mean beefing up the insulation at the ceiling level but this would be the most practical solution.

Thanks.

I take your point, but other ways of improving insulation will add a lot of cost to an already very expensive re-roof.