Hi all
Sorry this is a long one - I would really appreciate your thoughts though!
I recently had a repair done to the gable end of my house. This included removing the old rotten barge board and putting up new upvc fascia and soffits on the gable end, removing the last few rows of tiles, and redressing the lead around the external chimney (which is also on that end of the house and lower than the apex of the roof).
Once they had removed the tiles, I was informed the ladder structure and end rafter also needed replacing as they were rotten. I agreed for this extra work to be done. When it was finished, I raised concerns with the company about how the lead flashing around the chimney looked - it had been folded down over the fascia board and looked different to all the other properties in the street, and not what I was expecting. The contractor said he would come and take a look. The next thing I knew, the scaffolding had been removed and we received an invoice. I telephoned the company again and he explained that he had not come out to look, but spoke to the worker concerned and that he had no worries about it.
I explained I was still worried and that I was going to get a surveyor (the one who had pointed out the repair works when we were purchasing the property) to take a look. He did so and raised concerns about the flashing, the untidy workmanship, some pointing that should have been done on the chimney, and that the lead folded over the barge board was inviting water to run that way. I got an alternative contractor to quote on the remedial works. He raised significant concerns about the lack of overhang on the gable end - only 9mm in places. He quoted to redo most of the work, including building a new ladder structure.
I have now spoken with the original contractor who informed me he agrees the overhang is not adequate, the undercloaking has been cut too short behind the chimney, those areas should have been repointed. He argued that the watercheck is functioning correctly, and the white track we have running down the back of the chimney stack now is efflorescence from the new lead flashing which was not treated with oil. He also argued that the ladder structure and upvc does not need to be replaced in order to increase the overhang on the tiles, or sort out the undercloaking with the last tile behind the stack. He also wants to complete the remedial works himself.
I am concerned as it seems that he is only interested in getting as much money out of our job as possible, and that might cause him to cut corners on these works. So - does the ladder and upvc bargeboard and soffit need to be replaced in order to create more overhang on the tiles and add more undercloaking?
Would the lack of oil on the lead create a new white track/watermark down the rear of the chimney stack? or is it more likely to have been created by water hitting an insufficient watercheck and then being guided onto the back of the chimney by the lead being folded down over the bargeboard?
I would really appreciate your thoughts and experience on this please.
Thank you
Sorry this is a long one - I would really appreciate your thoughts though!
I recently had a repair done to the gable end of my house. This included removing the old rotten barge board and putting up new upvc fascia and soffits on the gable end, removing the last few rows of tiles, and redressing the lead around the external chimney (which is also on that end of the house and lower than the apex of the roof).
Once they had removed the tiles, I was informed the ladder structure and end rafter also needed replacing as they were rotten. I agreed for this extra work to be done. When it was finished, I raised concerns with the company about how the lead flashing around the chimney looked - it had been folded down over the fascia board and looked different to all the other properties in the street, and not what I was expecting. The contractor said he would come and take a look. The next thing I knew, the scaffolding had been removed and we received an invoice. I telephoned the company again and he explained that he had not come out to look, but spoke to the worker concerned and that he had no worries about it.
I explained I was still worried and that I was going to get a surveyor (the one who had pointed out the repair works when we were purchasing the property) to take a look. He did so and raised concerns about the flashing, the untidy workmanship, some pointing that should have been done on the chimney, and that the lead folded over the barge board was inviting water to run that way. I got an alternative contractor to quote on the remedial works. He raised significant concerns about the lack of overhang on the gable end - only 9mm in places. He quoted to redo most of the work, including building a new ladder structure.
I have now spoken with the original contractor who informed me he agrees the overhang is not adequate, the undercloaking has been cut too short behind the chimney, those areas should have been repointed. He argued that the watercheck is functioning correctly, and the white track we have running down the back of the chimney stack now is efflorescence from the new lead flashing which was not treated with oil. He also argued that the ladder structure and upvc does not need to be replaced in order to increase the overhang on the tiles, or sort out the undercloaking with the last tile behind the stack. He also wants to complete the remedial works himself.
I am concerned as it seems that he is only interested in getting as much money out of our job as possible, and that might cause him to cut corners on these works. So - does the ladder and upvc bargeboard and soffit need to be replaced in order to create more overhang on the tiles and add more undercloaking?
Would the lack of oil on the lead create a new white track/watermark down the rear of the chimney stack? or is it more likely to have been created by water hitting an insufficient watercheck and then being guided onto the back of the chimney by the lead being folded down over the bargeboard?
I would really appreciate your thoughts and experience on this please.
Thank you
