£3,000 to repair pinhole leaks in lead flashing?

[RedTomato]

I have a 1930s semi-detached with a 5-section bay window at the front. At the top front bedroom we noticed a damp patch in the ceiling of the bay window. Ah, water leak.

Had a guy in to inspect it, which we paid £300 for. Went up on a ladder, had a look at it inside and also poked around in our attic.

Sent us some photos of some tiny cracks in the lead, and a photo of a look under the lead flashing.

Photo 1 - general view
Photo 2 - tiny crack
Photo 3 - another tiny crack
Photo 4 - view under the flashing

https://imgur.com/a/oDyVXDN

To repair it they've quoted us another £2800, taking the total bill to over £3,000, which seems rather steep for a couple of small holes and replacing a couple of non-load bearing bits of wood.

List of their works is below. What do you think?

To lift up courses of tiles - exposing the lead and the underlay.
To remove the old cracked lead from the area.
To remove the old rotten timber from the area.
To supply and install new OSB boards to the area.
To supply and install new, treated battens for the fascia.
To supply and install new F300 flat flashing where the bay meets the pitched roof.
To supply and install new fascia trim (drip edges).
To sand it and clean the surface.
To reinforce every joiner with CSM - chopped strand mat - reinforcement between coats.
To embed CSM into the first coat and let it cure.
To sand it and clean it with acetone.
To apply the second coat and let it cure.
To sand it and clean it with acetone.
To apply the top coat (UV sunshine resistant).
To re-lay the original tiles back in place.

 

[Wayners]

fibreglass roof not an option?

Keep the lead and weigh in yourself

 

[RedTomato]

fibreglass roof not an option?

Keep the lead and weigh in yourself

I don't really understand the list of works, but I think CSM might be a painted-on fibreglass roof cover.

 

[^woody^]

You paid £300 to a bloke who would inspect and then quote you for the doing the work he would then recommend?

Do you see an inherent problem with that business model?

 

[datarebal]

As above .
You could comfortably replace all the lead on that bay and have change even with s scaffold ..
There's no point in patching those holes it's probably acid etching which means the lead is now really thin in places. Patch it and you'll patch it again in a year or two.
Concerning , is what shows under the lead. Needs a closer look and treatment i suspect .
Get someone else to look Their quote is to replace in grp i believe so it's to replace the lead. I looks like a neighbour has a felt roof.

 

[robinbanks]

Ah, the premium one pays for living in the bright lights of the biggest city, eh?

I suppose, on the bright side, they turned up and had a look and even gave a quote.. It's a struggle to even get 'em to do that in my recent experience..

 

[Nige F]

Also London is very close to Kent - home of the itinerant roofers.

 

[^woody^]

£300 for an inspection though. That in itself would be a full time job - one a day with Fridays off, and who needs the roofong work?

 

[robinbanks]

Sounds good to me, and clearly people will pay it too!

 

[Odds]

If there's only pinhole leaks in the lead flashing you might consider using Evercryl to plug them up, and clear away the moss, too.
Otherwise it's a lot of money to fix a small problem.

 

[tell80]

OP,
Add a few qualifications: eg moss, what about the bay ceiling, insulation, & pics/vid of work in progress,
& then accept it immediately - its a great deal.

A scaff is needed.
A min. of two workers needed.
You have dry rot. All affected wood will need replacing.
As above, fibreglass & new fascia will be installed - although the quote is a bit confusing on these points?

Whoever the roofers, they did turn up, inspect and give a listed, if a bit confusing, quote.
Discuss the quote, & the dry rot, & its possible spread into the main roof ie variations to the quote.
The contractor typically "owns" all scrap with the removal of trash.

The lead could have been repaired with a couple of soakers and/or maybe a few lead burned patches
but the roof would still have to be stripped.

As above, temporary repairs would probably be useless in a year or so.

Self-employed & firms dont work for wages - they work for profit.

 

[Nige F]

Thus speaks the Dry Rot King of Diynot - good old "tell80" Ask him about tarmac inside houses

 

[A Trowel]

Soakers

 

[Nige F]

I don't really understand the list of works, but I think CSM might be a painted-on fibreglass roof cover.

chopped strand mat

 

[tell80]

A Trowel - more likely A Troll,

Show why a couple of soakers turned over the bottom batten and bossed in over the rips wouldn't cover them?