Old tile roof - beasties getting through!

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3 Apr 2017
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My rural house in Scotland was built in 1956 and the roof appears to be slates nailed directly onto the sarking (hoping that’s the right term!). I can’t tell whether any membrane was used - was that common in the 50’s?

Anyway, around this time last year, I noticed wasps congregating on one area of the roof and a few days later, we had lots of wasps coming into the house. I suspect the wasps came in through a gap in the tiles, although a quick look around up there didn’t reveal any obvious gap. There is no loft - well not an accessible one anyway - under that part of the roof to check as the lift was mostly converted, but fairly sure they’ve been in there building a home. The wasps eventually went after a couple of visits from the pest controller and haven’t come back this year, however I’m thinking that if there is a gap or gaps up there, I should do something about it, not just to avoid a repeat of the wasp situation but also to maintain the roof.

What might be the best course of action? I could get a roofer to lift some slates to check the condition of the roof/ fill a gap in that particular area, but if the membrane (if there is one) is such that insects can move in with ease, I imagine it’ll be in a similar condition elsewhere also. Do people go to the trouble and expense of having large or complete areas of slates removed, a new membrane fitted and then either the slates reused or replaced on a roof of this age?
 
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Did you see where they looked to be getting in and out last time? Can of expanding foam would probably sort that..
 
Wasps like to build their nests out of chewed wood pulp, and there is often a source of damp wood nearby (maybe rot) so check your roof, gutters, chimneys for rain ingress.
 
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Unlikely to be going under the slates, verges, eaves etc possibly.. There will be tar felt under the slates.
 

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