Velux issues due to low pitch (essentially flat) roof.

[George Caveney]

So, we've been having leaks for nearly 18 months on our garden office, which has velux-equivalent windows on a flat roof, when they're meant to be on an angle of 18 degrees (I think?).

While we wait for the builders to come up with a meaningful and final solution, I want to flash-tape the windows to stop rainwater coming in. We only have it dripping intermittently in two places: at the lower end of the windows, basically where the guttering spills. I think the 'flap' is drawing water back underneath and maybe this is where the issue lies.

So, bearing in mind the windows' design, I don't want to stop the water draining down the channels, but I do need to stop it getting into the office!

HAs anyone else had this issue? Any advice? Any parts to NOT flash over?

Many thanks in advance,

George

 

[foxhole]

Any pics? , velux style window is not suitable for a flat roof and should not be anywhere near the gutters.

 

[George Caveney]

Hi Foxhole. Agreed. This we already know, but we are where we are with it. I want to flash-tape the windows to stop the leak(s), however minor, at the lower end - but I don't want to exacerbate the issue by blocking any channels that drain rainwater to the lower end. You can see my hasty sealant work, which seems to have helped, but the nature of the issue makes it almost impossible to tell how, exactly!

Ultimately, I want to buy time while the installers propose and carry out the proper solution. Where to flash tape, and where not to!

Many thanks in advance for any guidance...

George

 

[^woody^]

Put a big sheet of clear tarp over it with some bricks or bags of sand

 

[Bodgedbuild]

Not sure who is going to pay or who is responsible for the rectification but if it is yourself, you can buy (or make) flat roof kerbs for Velux type windows. It could be a tad Marmite on the look though!

 

[George Caveney]

Woody - I've tarped it more than once. Last time I did it so well, it held water on the roof and stopped it draining off into the gutter! A tarp and bricks/sand-bags wouldn't hold in strong winds. We're a bit of a wind tunnel here and storms have twice taken the tarp off - even with bungies, staple guns, ratchet straps. etc.

Bodgebuild - We have a hight limit to consider, but we'd probably get away with it. We'll see what the installers think the solution is - they accept responsibility. In the meantime I've flash-taped the lower side of both windows where it seems to be creeping in - but of course it may be running down the channels and tracking in due to the negligible gradient.

This is such fun!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Get rid of it and fill it in with a bit of roof. It's what should have been done in the beginning.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Get rid of it and fill it in with a bit of roof. It's what should have been done in the beginning.

Or would a 'light pipe' work?

 

[George Caveney]

@freddiemercurystwin - I agree, and that may well happen, ultimately.
@Harry Bloomfield - what is one o' they?

Not bothered about light from above - we have two big windows and a double door giving us plenty of that already.

 

[crank39]

So as Freddie suggests that being the case then you wouldn't mind if they didn't even open so why not try a fixed flat glass roof light like these...

Or a pyramid roof lantern...

Both could I suspect reuse the existing upstand so less upheaval

 

[George Caveney]

Both of those are appealing. Thanks.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

@Harry Bloomfield - what is one o' they?

It's a pipe or tube, reflective on the inside, which pokes through the roof, sealed but allowing light down into the pipe. The bottom end, is open allowing lots of light to splashed around the room below.

 

[Rad1o]

This is one of our roof lights on a fairly flat piched roof. The upstand is designed for completely flat roofs.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

This is one of our roof lights on a fairly flat piched roof. The upstand is designed for completely flat roofs.

What make is that rooflight/upstand?

 

[catlad]

Fakro do one like that Freddy