Dampness at top of chimney breast

[5125andrew]

We have a roof leak in the top floor bedroom of our house. The room is in the eaves and the top of the chimney breast is damp on the inside walls. We had a builder come round to investigate, he is apparently going to send us a quote.

He said it was the flashing around the chimney stack and a gulley between two roof angles that needs replacing. Can anybody give an indication of how much work might be involved in this. Also, is it a job that can be done without erecting saffolding. If scaffolding is needed, how much is this likely to add to the cost?

thanks

 

[oilman]

You'll have to wait for the quote, we can't see your house, and you have told us nothing about it other than it has a damp patch. However, it is almost certain it will need scaffolding or a tower, but we still can't see.

 

[joe-90]

Having the valley re-leaded isn't going to cure the damp at the top of your chimney breast. He's looking for work (a much bigger job)

If the flashing has failed you'll get water running down the brickwork inside the room. It will be wet rather than damp. Damp usually means water on the inside of the chimney making its way through the brick via capillary action.

I'd suggest that you look at the flaunching around the chimney pot and one other thing that is a frequent problem is whether your boiler is vented up the chimney. If so, the water vapour condenses on the cold brick and makes the wall damp inside the house.



joe

 

[5125andrew]

He came back with a quote of £280 + VAT and said it will take a day. It's not the valley he said needs replacing but zinc under the edges of the tiles next to the chimney. Do this sound right? the quote sounds reasonable to me and I'm presuming he won't put up scaffolding for this price.

 

[joe-90]

He's making £50 per hour.

I just hope that it fixes it. Leaks have a way of not getting fixed too easily.





joe

 

[5125andrew]

He's making £50 per hour.

I just hope that it fixes it. Leaks have a way of not getting fixed too easily.





joe

Is that over the odds? I don't know what the going rate is!

 

[joe-90]

A fraction high, but just make sure he guarantees that it will be fixed.


joe

 

[5125andrew]

I am now £280+VAT poorer but so far the leak seems to have been mended. He replaced a few tiles and replaced soakers with lead ones, the old ones were appatrently zinc and only every third tile. I have no idea what any of this means but at least the leak seems to have gone!

 

[Freddie]

I am now £280+VAT poorer but so far the leak seems to have been mended. He replaced a few tiles and replaced soakers with lead ones, the old ones were appatrently zinc and only every third tile. I have no idea what any of this means but at least the leak seems to have gone!

So now you can sleep and in a weeks time you will have forgotton all about it

 

[Nige F]

just out of interest...what part of the UK I used to make all sorts of lead flashings.that`s what us old school plumbers did..got about that much£ a week was a scaffold used.That was a long time ago tho`.

 

[greengrass]

Hope your still reading replies anyway no not a rip-off price a fair price.

Yes if the front aprons gone on the stack you bet the side soakers have gone too. they are angled pieces of zinc/lead that lay agains the stack with a tile laid over this forms like a mini gutter between the tiles and the stack so closing the gap. The uprights angle of the soaker against the stack is covered by either a cement fillet or a side stepped flashing. this is done on each side of the stack. The gulley between two roof sections is termed a 'Valley' some are in lead some in zinc and some in 'Valley' Tiles.
Personally as an ex roofer [retired] I would have charged around £325-£350 + scaffolding and using lead for the flashing which out lasts zinc.

I'm poor because I was too cheap using the best materials [lead] which from when I started in 1960 my workmanship is still sound today. I know because it's where I recently moved from and I did every job as though it was on my own house.

 

[Nige F]

greengrass, I respect your views and attitude, but I still feel that a few soakers replaced is not a lot of work....Now I`m Sussex born +bred and maybe I`m biased , but I knows them roofers in the county I`ve still got all the lead kit.in fact I`ve got one to do in the spring. The only way to survive in Sussex is to spend less than a Yorkshireman and don`t drink, smoke or go out...no, I`m not joking

 

[5125andrew]

We live in Sevenoaks in Kent. He didn't use scaffolding.

 

[Nige F]

You`re close enough to London.......so I guess that`s about right He is the fool taking the risk without scaffold I`d rather be poor and alive than the richest roofer/plumber in the cemetary