Led Flashing responsibility

[katieval83]

Hi guys have seen similar posts but hope you can help. I live in a terraced house and my chimney (which serves only my house) straddles my neighbors roof.

She is saying that my chimney is leaking into her loft space (mine is dry with no signs of damp) I had my led flashing done when we had a new roof a couple of years ago her side just has cement.

What I need to know is could a leak in her loft be caused by something else? (She says the water is coming down directly under neath where my chimney sits on her roof)

Also who is responsible for the flashing on each side of the chimney? We had our side done and the side that sits on our roof from our other neighbors chimney. Solicitor can't find anything in the deeds which refer to roof and chimney repairs. have offered to split costs and so far I haven't heard anything back but don't think she was keen! Is it a case of my chimney my problem or part her problem as it sits on her property? I must add that these are new neighbors, this problem didnt show up on her survey and I have spoke to the previous owners who said there was no problem when they left on January. She says it must have happened in the last couple of weeks when we had bad weather.

Thanks

 

[catlad]

When I re-slate a terrace house I put new lead flashings to both chimneys relevant to keeping the house that I am working on waterproof, that normally means replacing leadwork to a portion of the neighbours chimney what I don't do is go on the neighbours side of the roof and start replacing the lead on there side.

 

[KenGMac]

katieval83, Hi

Unfortunately not an uncommon shall we say "dispute"

Several things to consider.

1/. Has your neighbour have a new or old roof, what is the covering? slate, tile, concrete tiles?

2/. Her side of the communal chimney is a cement flashing, notorious for leaking, what happens is that over time the cement shrinks, cracks form and water in the form of rain is admitted into the loft space.

3/. Given that there is not indication of dampness within your loft space you could consider asking your neighbour to prove that the dampness in her property is being caused by your Lead Flashing, in effect "prove it" prove that the leak is actually emanating from your side of the roof.

4/. OK my real life job is as an insurance Surveyor a couple of things here.

A/. Ask your neighbour to make an insurance claim, let her insurer make the call as to where the water is getting in, She will have to provide a date for the so called "Storm event" that has occasioned the leak.

B/. As soon as I see a cement fillet flashing that is directly associated with an Insurance claim that claim will be Rejected, cement is not a long term fix to withstand the vagaries of a British, never mind a Scottish Winter.

Suggest you request that your neighbour makes an insurance claim, and has a "Surveyor" submit a report that states that the rain water entering Her property is coming from your property

Until you have sight of both reports above you will take no action, because your property has no indication of rain water ingress.

 

[Alastairreid]

B/. As soon as I see a cement fillet flashing that is directly associated with an Insurance claim that claim will be Rejected, cement is not a long term fix to withstand the vagaries of a British, never mind a Scottish Winter. .

Fillets have been used for centuries Ken! i have done work on most of the ancient castles and monuments in Scotland which are under the auspices of the national trust....most have cement/lime fillets.

Are you a loss adjuster?

 

[KenGMac]

alastairreid, Hi.

For my sins, yes I work as a Loss Adjuster / Claims verifier / Et All, and have been doing so for a considerable time now.

Problem is that most, probably not all [before someone jumps on me to say their claim for rain pen Via a cement fillet was accepted] tend, I stress the word TEND, to adopt the attitude that any cement fillet is suspect and as such when one is encountered the claim will be declined, to be clear this is not a personal opinion this is an edict handed down from the Insurer of the Property.

Obviously, if there is a roof that you are inspecting that is lets say forty or more years old, Ex-Local Authority, slate covered, plus associated Moss Infestation with dozens of other roofs in the same street that have been Re-Tiled, it is difficult to convince any insurer that a cement fillet has over time failed and admitted rain water into the Loft space.

in a previous life I spent many, many years in and around Edinburgh, working for, to start with MPBW on hundreds of listed Government owned property where there were miles and miles of cement filleted roof to parapet or chimney flashings.

What we have here is an insurance centric dictate

Cheers.

Ken

 

[Alastairreid]

Thanks Ken.

I come into contact with loss adjusters on an almost daily basis, a difficult job imo.