Torn felt inside roof - should I be worried?

[aldisley]

If this should be in the stairs etc. forum instead, let me know...

Just moved into my first home so learning DIY (and when not to DIY) fast! Inside the loft of my c. 1970 timber framed semi the felt is nailed directly to the rafters. Although it generally looks in good condition, in two places it is torn, revealing the underside of the tiles and the battens they're nailed to. The insulation underneath the tears is dirty, with bits of grit, but it hasn't rained since I moved in so I can't tell if water gets in. There are no watermarks on the ceilings, so there's not huge water ingress.

Why would the felt be torn? Could it be deliberate (for ventilation perhaps, or some kind of repair)? Should I be worried and do something about it, and if so what? I'd like to use the loft for dry storage - there's not enough height for an easy conversion, but flooring part of it should be within my limited ability.

Thanks for any advice,

Alastair

 

[Tom.]

As far as I know, felt doesn't actually stop water getting in, it just keeps dust out. Many roofs don't have felt at all (mine doesn't), and suffer no ill effects.

You'll know if water gets in, the battens will start rotting if left.

 

[masona]

Why would the felt be torn?

Possible when your roof was tile by a roofer who accidently put his foot in it !

If you have a broken roof tile, the rain fall onto the roofing felt straight out to the gutter to prevent internal damaged such as wet ceiling etc.

 

[legs-akimbo]

Felt is fundementally nothing more than an emergency back up secondary barrier, if your roof covering is in good order then you have nothing to be concerned about.... why not have your roof overhauled by a trusty tradesman.. if you can find one, anything that needs doing is money well spent and if there is very little or nothing to be done then at least you will have peace of mind.

 

[aldisley]

Thanks for all the advice! The roof itself looks in good condition - the ridge has even been repointed - I think the only house on this estate to have that done so far.

I'll keep an eye out for water ingress and call in the pros if there's a problem. Thanks for setting my mind at rest,

Al

 

[ClareC]

hello, I'm new to this forum.

I would like to ask whether the replies given about roofing felt also apply to "sarking" - ie, is sarking the same as felt? I am buying a new house and have just had the survey done, and it said the sarking is damaged and may need replacing. My question is whether this is an urgent job or just something that would be good to do at some point.

Thanks!

 

[masona]

Does the same job but slightly difference, see this

 

[ClareC]

Thank you masona, that's useful.