Dodgy building or completely fine?

[WD40solvesall]

Hi all,
I just need a few ideas/advice if you can.
Attached is the (seemly) bizarre action a previous builder has done to our home (was like this when we moved in). They have created a box over the sewage pipe and applied the roofing felt over that....you can see what it should look like by looking at my neighbours roof across the way. Is this something that's often done, or someone cutting corners?
The reason this has become an issue is that a damp spot has started to emerge in our back room. It's location co-insides with an area the box covers, so we have no idea if we have a leak in the felt (looks fine, not sure about the join at the end), if moisture has built up under it (i.e. is it just a pipe behind there, or some building rubbish too), or if the pipe is leaking.
I'm not sure if I should take off the box and finish the flat roof properly, or just try and seal around it, or open it up to investigate then reseal it.
Ultimately I'm curious if this is shoddy or reasonable - not that I can get the builders back in, I have no idea who it was!
Thanks.

 

[Bonni]

Two things

1) Flat roofs in life are guaranteed to leak

and

2) the clips on the grey pipe are screwed through the face of the felt

 

[WD40solvesall]

Hi, sorry, not very clear - that's not the drain pipe I'm talking about. The box that pipe is attached too is a wooden box that's been felted over. The sewage pipe is inside the felted over box. This is why I thought it was quite strange. Hopefully this photo will help make more sense, this is the end of the box where they've met the pipes.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It's a fudge but not that uncommon. Saved them shifting the drain under the ground. You're paying the price. You can try to stop it leaking or you can re-fudge it and you may or may not be unsuccessful long term. But unless you're prepared to shift the drain runs around assuming that's even practical you have little choice. The point Bonnie was making was relevant, at the very east the felt has been penetrated with screws from the pipe clips.

 

[datarebal]

Some times its not feasible to run SVP where one would want them for various reasons.
forming a box and weathering it can be a very simple solution to a tricky issue.. I am sure any felters here would agree.
True the felts been compromised by screwing through the felt.
Also there is no real flashing into the brickwork.
also there is an overflow pipe above that isn't sealed to the brickwork and appears to have been dripping and running along the underside of the pipe. Maybe into the cavity causing a damp patch ?
Cut the top off the box and form a removable lid.

 

[Notch7]

Nothing wrong principle with what they have done, but executed badly.

The soil pipe prevented the lead flashing from being done, so the box has allowed it to happen higher up, although its missing the lead cut into the wall.

Finishing against a vertical soil pipe is wrong, it should be detailed correctly.

It could be redone correctly without moving all the pipework.

 

[WD40solvesall]

Thanks everyone. I've got some flashing. I'll try patching it up and see how it goes. I imagine I'll be only delaying the inevitable - an expensive and lengthy job.
Is there anywhere other than Checkatrade that I can look to for a good tradesman? There's a bit of a questionmark over the quality of the last job I paid for recently, that was through Checkatrade, so I'm a bit wary.

 

[Notch7]

Thanks everyone. I've got some flashing. I'll try patching it up and see how it goes. I imagine I'll be only delaying the inevitable - an expensive and lengthy job.
Is there anywhere other than Checkatrade that I can look to for a good tradesman? There's a bit of a questionmark over the quality of the last job I paid for recently, that was through Checkatrade, so I'm a bit wary.

Have a drive around locally, if you see a decent extension going up, speak to the builder. Pro builders use quality subbies as they weed out the rubbish ones.

Or call into a roofing suppliers thats local, ask at the counter.