Repeating Leaks on Victorian Parapet

[matz]

Rideforever, welcome to world of parapet repairs then I'm in the same boat as you in that I have rental with parapet gutter where the leadwork was replaced 12 mths ago for the previous owner. It was all done wrongly. I have damp stains to the front bedroom ceiling.

I've had one roof inspection cost £75.00 and a subsequent quote. Another roofer got up there with no fee and quoted. I've head a ballpark figure over the phone and finally another inspection with subsequent quote which cost me £100.00. I'm going to go with the last guy even though they are nearly twice the price of someone else and if it helps you, part of my reasoning is that they are members of some lead asscocation of which there are not many members. Established firm, decent premsies, staff came across well, they do alot of prestige work to catherdrals/ stately homes etc.

Have I picked someone good? I think so/ hope so, I am as sure as I feel I can be that I have made the right choice. it must always be better paying more for a good job than keep coming back to it and chucking money at it.

I know if I look hard enough and am lucky enough I will get someone to do the same job £600 cheaper but I'd rather pay more to get it right first time.

I completely acknowldge your difficulties is finding someone good to do roof work! It must be one of the few trades that is hard to quantify.

Try find someone who does an ethical job, trouble is that comes at a high price these days..

 

[rideforever]

Yup.

The root of the problem is that the roof is a complex structure most of it hidden and so it simply isn't easy to diagnose. Add to that a certain preying on the vulnerable and cowboy mentality and its ugly. Plus the changing whether patterns make it difficult to know if a fix has actually been done - but a garden hose takes care of that one.

I had a good chat with the man today, and I certainly appreciate him. But £600 is £600 and if we can't move forward on it, then I will have to consider the small claims court. Which is very unpleasant but what can I do. You pay for X, and X doesn't arrive. Well ...

I agree to get professionals to do the job ... the thing is you don't know who anyone is. And even if you do - will they do a good job on your roof ?

Best bet is to do it yourself, if you can.

£100 for an inspection! I was offered a £300 inspection for a few photos - ridiculous. Unless an inspection means disassembling the roof - a few photos I can take myself thanks.

My experience with builders is not good period. I once had a polish guy working for me in London - he was good, worked hard, long, and well. I was happy to pay him. But that's f*ing rare - even he flooded my flat once !! He called me up at work, and I could hear the water gushing in the background. Miracle didn't cause any damage - total miracle.

Anyway. What can you do. After all this I am thinking of selling.

This morning I was resealing the ensuite mozaic shower we have here. 5hrs nightmare. The thing is too small. Some areas of sealant you can't reach with your fingers - I mean who the f designed this thing. It's like someone builds it and walks out and it is totally unmaintainable.

Over the winter I was living in a shack in India in the Himalayas for £50/ month rent. There it's ok if anything goes wrong because it's only made out of stone and cheap.

There was one English guy up there about 75yrs old originally from the South Coast, in the Navy for a while, has been trying to make a palace in the Indian hills for the last 18yrs. But his roof still wasn't fixed !!! Ha ha. Not a square frame in the entire house - well it's Indian construction. Nice Indian wife half his age, laughs at all his jokes. Good supply of smokeable flora too. Just mind the Leopards, they bite.

Anyway, I think the message I am getting is ... don't want too much. Don't build too big.

Some things here are just designed badly, unmaintainable - I mean that ensuite Jesus, I couldn't even turn around without dislodging some silicone.

I could go on ... ...

 

[matz]

hmmm I seem to more success than yourself but I DO know where you';re coming from in a general sense.

My last few jobs that needed doing

1. 80 ft boundray wall removed and rebuilt - great job
2. house wiring electrical test with £1400 remedial work - great job
3. combi boiler repair - great job but nearly lost my shirt with someone else who was going to do it lol
4. boiler replaced at home - great job
5. broken drain fixed and inspection pit/ hatch built - no probs

you gotta pick and choose carefully, use instinct and not go for cheapest!

I would say your roof has been repaired and bodged so many times that the only way to do it properly is rip it all off and start again and that is the only course a decent firm will take imo

 

[rideforever]

Well, just to conclude.

I spent £600 on a builder on checkatrade who did 3 hours work re'rendering the parapet.

and

£200 on a builder (recommended from diynot) who did 30 minutes work with a sealant gun

Basically f*ing crap.

Not really sure if the roof is still leaking or how bad. Perhaps.

Anyway it just takes too long for the wall to dry out. I started this work 5 months ago for christsakes.

The £600 builder told me to go f myself when I asked for a refund. (and in converstaion before he said that clients are often disappointed when the work doesn't fix the problem) ... which is just crap.

Anyway, today I bought some MDF and boarded the alcove up. I will look again in 3 years time. I have no idea whats going on with it, but I am getting older.

And that's that.