I manage a freehold property and a 99-year leasehold tenant on an upstairs flat has a leak in the corner of her bedroom.
I went up on the roof and it definitely needs urgent attention. The felt has bubbled up in a few places and lead flashing loose at several of the edges.
In particular it looks like either the bitumen between the felt sheets has eroded, or it wasn't originally laid well enough and there were gaps through which water has seeped.
The tenant bought in a builder who has quoted £1300 to repair it and a 10 year guarantee. Basically, he wants to cut out the felt where it's bubbled up and looks damaged and then paint over the entire roof whole thing in "fibreglass resin" which he says will act as good as felt and keep the roof sound. He describes it as opaque grey in colour.
No-one ever walks on this roof.
He claims it's sort of soft and is UV resistant and so can withstand changes in temperature for many many years (unlike the bitumen used on felt, he claims).
The alternative is getting a roofer to pick up all the felt and re-lay the entire thing with multiple felt layers, which will cost £4500.
It's easiest for me to accept the "fibreglass repair" (for which the tenant will be paying half, as there's a downstairs AST flat that we will pay for) as the tenant has found this guy and he's given a guarantee so any future problems I can just let them argue it out!
I'm doubtful of the claims of this fibreglass resin magic? Is it possible that this stuff will keep the roof sound for 10-15 years?[/b]
I went up on the roof and it definitely needs urgent attention. The felt has bubbled up in a few places and lead flashing loose at several of the edges.
In particular it looks like either the bitumen between the felt sheets has eroded, or it wasn't originally laid well enough and there were gaps through which water has seeped.
The tenant bought in a builder who has quoted £1300 to repair it and a 10 year guarantee. Basically, he wants to cut out the felt where it's bubbled up and looks damaged and then paint over the entire roof whole thing in "fibreglass resin" which he says will act as good as felt and keep the roof sound. He describes it as opaque grey in colour.
No-one ever walks on this roof.
He claims it's sort of soft and is UV resistant and so can withstand changes in temperature for many many years (unlike the bitumen used on felt, he claims).
The alternative is getting a roofer to pick up all the felt and re-lay the entire thing with multiple felt layers, which will cost £4500.
It's easiest for me to accept the "fibreglass repair" (for which the tenant will be paying half, as there's a downstairs AST flat that we will pay for) as the tenant has found this guy and he's given a guarantee so any future problems I can just let them argue it out!
I'm doubtful of the claims of this fibreglass resin magic? Is it possible that this stuff will keep the roof sound for 10-15 years?[/b]
