what is the pitch of my roof

[Ivor Windybottom]

That's why I DIY everything. Takes me for bloody ever but I know it's been done with care.

This was once a DIY forum, the clue's in the name! Mostly moaning about trades nowadays though.

 

[Old tool guy]

Excuse me for asking what i think is obvious … maybe it’s different over here … why do you care what the slope is? As long as the builder is following the plans, what you should be concerned about is quality. As others have pointed out, it doesn't look good, maybe the mason had a liquid lunch when he started back to work.

 

[endecotp]

why do you care what the slope is?

Most roof tiles have a minimum pitch, below which they are not waterproof, may not interlock properly, etc.

 

[robinbanks]

what do you mean by out of kilter?

Freddy means the vertical lines of mortar between bricks line up nicely until you get to 3 courses above the window, then they go all over the place. They also lack pointing- but both these factors could be adequately explained by the top part of the wall being covered with a decorative render

When you say the bricks are 75mm, do you mean they're a 65mm brick with a 10mm bed, or are they actually 75mm bricks and the 10mm for beds has been omitted from the calcs? 12 courses of 85mm gets you more or less to the rise you need for the angle you want. Show us the plans the builder is building to

But the string it not the angle as the starting point is 2 bricks lower. So not sure the purpose of the string.

I'm guessing the angled string line wasn't there when the wall was being built?

I wouldn't put much stay by the angle of the string as pictured, as it could have slipped up or been moved out of the way at the lower end.

It doesn't have a single pitch, as it's a lumpy bumpy random shape.

Rather than cutting individual bricks to achieve a slope it's easier to just build out a wall in some higgledepiggledy way and then run a cutoff saw up it in a one-er afterwards to set the slope

I just get involved at every step because I have trust issues

As they prove their competence, I recommend you step down the intensity of such - it's the number one thing that causes problems. They probably don't follow you into the house and check you've turned the kettle on right when you make them a brew

Being curious isn't a problem,and you'll get a lot out of asking questions but probably less so out of telling them what to do based on discussions like this; you also need to answer our questions/provide info we ask for but again, be careful not to become a conduit between your appointed tradesman and a hundred internet armchair warriors who could do it better (some of whom will have never picked up a trowel in their life).

No trade will appreciate the collective "wisdom" of the Forum ICouldDoItBetter Committee over their shoulder, nitpicking by proxy

 

[noseall]

I also saw some YouTube videos where the roof rafters are put up first before the triangle part of the brickwork is built up.

Most builders will build a part gable, then complete the finer angled bits when either a dummy rafter is pitched up or the complete roof. A decent bricky or builder would be aware that noggings may need to poke through the gable, if the roof is having say a barge overhang etc.

 

[noseall]

Rather than cutting individual bricks to achieve a slope it's easier to just build out a wall in some higgledepiggledy way and then run a cutoff saw up it in a one-er afterwards to set the slope

Easier?

Lol. Never seen that done. I've seen a few bricks flipped off for those that have attempted it though. Bonkers.

Maybe on a tiled valley.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Are people not looking at the photo?

There are bricks that are entirely beyond the string, and gaps of fresh air below it. It's crap.

No idea why the pointing's missing either, filling it in after will be vastly weaker than doing it right in the first place. It's basic brickwork stuff, there should be a bit too much mortar, which you then tool off. There may be the of tiny bit of a perp that needs gobbing up while pointing, but it all gets done at the same time. There are lengths of bed joint that aren't there. Most perp joints must be mostly empty. I'm an utterly amateur DIY brickie but I'd give up if my work looked like that.

 

[Kam1984]

Are people not looking at the photo?

There are bricks that are entirely beyond the string, and gaps of fresh air below it. It's crap.

No idea why the pointing's missing either, filling it in after will be vastly weaker than doing it right in the first place. It's basic brickwork stuff, there should be a bit too much mortar, which you then tool off. There may be the of tiny bit of a perp that needs gobbing up while pointing, but it all gets done at the same time. There are lengths of bed joint that aren't there. Most perp joints must be mostly empty. I'm an utterly amateur DIY brickie but I'd give up if my work looked like that.

Yes, and this is why i panicked that evening and came here.

but i've sent videos and photos to other builders and various people now - the message is clear. Brickwork is usually done after rafters have been put in at the required angle. these brickies got ahead of themselves and did this. the roofer side will now fit the wall plates, and start placing the rafters - any gaps you mention will be filled then as is normal for other builders to do. i'm not entirely sure if they than cut triangles or what. I just stress myself out needing to know every detail.

As for the pointing - maybe for these bricks he did it this way. a guy did this brickwork alone. whereas everything that was done before was done by a team of four and was done the other way you mentioned where it was overfilled and then a guy went around pointing it.

and yes, the string makes no sense. but we have moved passed that. the rise is 975mm, which gives 16 degrees. the rise should be 1040mm for 17 degrees, something they are still adamant will be achieved by the rafters. I'll wait and see.

 

[Old tool guy]

Most roof tiles have a minimum pitch, below which they are not waterproof, may not interlock properly, etc.

He’s freaking out over 16* vs 17*. Both of those are less than 4:12 (18*) so over here that would require a double layer of underlayment for tiles.

If i had a customer like that on my job, i would refund his money and move on to the next one. But as others have pointed out, the mason is out of sequence, which leads to the question: who is managing the project? Why wasn’t the roof framing completed first, which would have set the slope and given the masons something to build to. And what professional project manager would allow the mortar to set on the mish-mash upper bricks? Looks like Ray Charles did that work.

 

[mrrusty]

I wonder who the Principal Designer is. Might be interesting when BC need the principal designer's sign-off before they'll issue a completion certificate....... We haven't had many threads yet on this topic, but I'm expecting we'll see a good few in the future...

 

[endecotp]

If i had a customer like that on my job, i would refund his money and move on to the next one.

Welcome to the forum. Why don’t you post your business name, so that potential customers know about this great policy of yours?

 

[Old tool guy]

Welcome to the forum. Why don’t you post your business name, so that potential customers know about this great policy of yours?

I’m on the other side of the pond so there’s little chance any potential customers would see it. And i’m retired, now have lots of time to give sage advice to others.

Many contractors forget that it’s ok to say no to a customer. If you sense any red flags during the site & proposal visit, just decline the job. You never lose money on jobs you don’t take.

 

[robinbanks]

I just stress myself out needing to know every detail.

You don't need to know every detail. You go through every day not knowing every detail of what you've spent thousands on; you haven't called ip Hanson to ask them what exact cement/aggregates ratio your concrete blocks are, for example.

It will definitely stress you out though; something to work on letting go of, otherwise building projects will shorten your life considerably!

Upload your plans (suitably redacted) - I want to see if there is a clear reason the brickwork on the upper part of the wall is uglier than a hatful of arseholes

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

And i’m retired, now have lots of time to give sage advice to others.

Perhaps you could actually give some then.

 

[Kam1984]

You don't need to know every detail. You go through every day not knowing every detail of what you've spent thousands on; you haven't called ip Hanson to ask them what exact cement/aggregates ratio your concrete blocks are, for example.

It will definitely stress you out though; something to work on letting go of, otherwise building projects will shorten your life considerably!

Upload your plans (suitably redacted) - I want to see if there is a clear reason the brickwork on the upper part of the wall is uglier than a hatful of arseholes

I've watched too much grand design and think it applies to my 3m extension lol.

My cousin reminded me today that being so involved is what ensures i get everything I ask for. And quality upgrades such as the best insulation, beams flush to ceilings, two tall feature windows on either side of the media wall

So I didn't do much planning. I had a conservatory where this structure stands. I didn't need planning permission so I basically said to a couple of building teams - "hey, build me an extension in it's place". Most things I had planned beforehand. Others I learned and made up, such as placement and height of windows.

My house has cladding on it. I think the bricky team has assumed I will do that on the brickwork.
Now since it's been made my wife has decided she would probably prefer the whole thing rendered just as the garage is which sticks out on the other side. I guess that's a waste of brickwork but it is what it is.