Roof Spread

lukegeorge · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:59 pm Post Subject: Roof Spread

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a house that has internal cracking. The current owners believed it was subsidence so instructed an engineer (via their insurance company) to look at the property but he believes it is due to roof spread (they weren't insured for the repair of this).

His report says "...the bond between the internal and external wall has remained intact and this has caused stresses to develop in the internal walls leading to fractures at points of relative waekness." and "The dama ge which has occurred is minor at present and it is possible that simple cosmetic repair will suffice. However, if further cracking then occurs it may be necessary to take more effective remedial action. Such remedial works in this case may involve the instalation of additional vertical supports at suitable locations within the roof space, which would not be severely disruptive or prohibitively expensive to carry out."

The report seems to suggest it's not much of a problem but I'm concerned. Anyone got experience or knowledge of this sort of issue that could help me allay my concerns. For instance could this be a DIY repair or would I be better paying someone to repair this, if so what would be the approximate costs of repair?

Thanks in advance.

foxhole · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:07 pm Post Subject:

Difficult to comment without seeing problem , but seems to be saying additional roof support is all thats required which is a fairly simple job.

lukegeorge · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:30 pm Post Subject:

Thanks for that.

Any idea how much this would cost? I know it's difficult to say without seeing it but am I talking 10's, 100's or 1000's?

Nige F · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:31 pm Post Subject:

£100`s and a decent chippy who knows how a roof is cut+ pitched so they can fit the extra supports

Not some Paslode Pirate that stacks a few trusses on site for a "well known national Builder "

.My house now has a bend in it`s single storey back wall where the lime mortar let the wall bend over the years as the roof spread a bit. The surveyor laughed at it

and said not to worry. ( Surveyor was me

)

^woody^ · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:31 pm Post Subject:

A pitched roof will continue to spread until it becomes a flat roof

Its a case of restraining the rafters at eaves level, or installing new purlins or struts to prevent the rafters moving downwards

How easy, or costly it will be depends on the layout

The cracking from roof spread is generally horizontal at about window head height

lukegeorge · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 8:16 am Post Subject:

Thanks for your help.

It's a hipped roof by the way.