Roof felt

[uniformkay]

I Haven't moved into this property yet and haven't actually been into the loft. Viewing the property briefly didnt notice any obvious water stains or mold in bedroom ceilings ... Question is how bad is this and is it fixable by myself?
I showed someone else the photo who said that it looks to be double felted so will still be watertight. Is that a thing? Or are they as clueless as me?

 

[stevie888]

The felt is only a secondary layer: insurance really. Many old houses had none and had healthier roofs as a result because they could breathe,

Traditional felt was bitumen based and that's what you can see with what looks like breathable membrane (what we now use) over the top. So yes it's waterproof but it would actually be better without the black stuff as that will stop the roof breathing properly.

 

[^woody^]

The felt is only a secondary layer: insurance really. Many old houses had none and had healthier roofs as a result because they could breathe,

A membrane is essential for interlocking tiles especially concrete, as they do let some water through.

Older roofs with plain clay or slate did not need one.

 

[^woody^]

I Haven't moved into this property yet and haven't actually been into the loft. Viewing the property briefly didnt notice any obvious water stains or mold in bedroom ceilings ... Question is how bad is this and is it fixable by myself?
I showed someone else the photo who said that it looks to be double felted so will still be watertight. Is that a thing? Or are they as clueless as me?

That's from a survey isn't it? What did the report say.

It does look like its been repaired or gone over the top with a new layer, but that is not an acceptable repair as it can cause condensation sweating between the layers. It's a cowboy job, so that raises questions about what its like on the outside or elsewhere

 

[uniformkay]

It was an asbestos survey on the house, the roof felt was sampled along with a few materials in the house.