Easy Trim Ridge F plus - installation wrong?
- Thread starter Grust
- Start date
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With an old roof like yours you don't need to use those brackets that are supplied, they are for new builds ( truss roofs) On an old roof like yours I would cut batons into 4" blocks and nail them onto the ridge where the rafters meet, then nail a full length baton across those. That allows the ridge to vent and gives a good secure fixing point for the dry ridge kit.
If anyone's still interested in this saga, I guessed that no ridge batten had been fitted. I also learnt from guys on here that the unions are useful because it prevents too much water getting on the roll-out and the felt membrane, neither of which were really designed to remain soaked for too long.
I approached the builder about these matters and he asked the sub-contracted roofers to respond. They said that the space available was too small to take the battens (even one just 25mm thick apparently) but the ridge tiles were all securely fixed.
I went into the roof space and found long s/s screws sticking through the felt immediately alongside the ridge board in 3 places. So that means that 6 tiles were not securely fixed in place both ends. The other screws that did find the ridge board may only just have found the edge and as the board is quite thin, maybe 30mm or so, a lot of those would fail the BS standard.
On top of this the recent very wet weather caused a slate to break in half (apparently hammered by a slate above which was vibrating in the gale force winds), and two leaks in the lead flashings on a chimney stack. I called the builder back and he brought with him another roofer from a different company who examined the ridge.
He said that the old reclaimed angular tiles on a slate roof were not compatible with a dry ridge system. No two tiles were alike and they wouldn't often line up neatly and both the unions and the clips would be very hard to fit properly. Now why couldn't the first roofer have told me that? This experienced roofer also advised abandoning dry ridge; the breathable membrane provided enough ventilation and, if fitted properly, mortared tiles were the best solution here.
So to sum up, the 3 loose dry ridge fittings have been re-done, the broken slate replaced and the leadwork sealed. I've been advised to replace the tiles with overlap ones which should be bedded on mortar. I think the builder should pay for the change because he, and his roofer, should have warned me that dry ridge wouldn't work too well on an old slate roof, especially with the ancient reclaimed tiles he chose for me. Any views on this?... Hello, is anyone still there?
I approached the builder about these matters and he asked the sub-contracted roofers to respond. They said that the space available was too small to take the battens (even one just 25mm thick apparently) but the ridge tiles were all securely fixed.
I went into the roof space and found long s/s screws sticking through the felt immediately alongside the ridge board in 3 places. So that means that 6 tiles were not securely fixed in place both ends. The other screws that did find the ridge board may only just have found the edge and as the board is quite thin, maybe 30mm or so, a lot of those would fail the BS standard.
On top of this the recent very wet weather caused a slate to break in half (apparently hammered by a slate above which was vibrating in the gale force winds), and two leaks in the lead flashings on a chimney stack. I called the builder back and he brought with him another roofer from a different company who examined the ridge.
He said that the old reclaimed angular tiles on a slate roof were not compatible with a dry ridge system. No two tiles were alike and they wouldn't often line up neatly and both the unions and the clips would be very hard to fit properly. Now why couldn't the first roofer have told me that? This experienced roofer also advised abandoning dry ridge; the breathable membrane provided enough ventilation and, if fitted properly, mortared tiles were the best solution here.
So to sum up, the 3 loose dry ridge fittings have been re-done, the broken slate replaced and the leadwork sealed. I've been advised to replace the tiles with overlap ones which should be bedded on mortar. I think the builder should pay for the change because he, and his roofer, should have warned me that dry ridge wouldn't work too well on an old slate roof, especially with the ancient reclaimed tiles he chose for me. Any views on this?... Hello, is anyone still there?
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