Who to get to sort rotting ceiling beam?

[ree]

Its no use picking away at the plaster and constantly posting about the situation - leave it alone until a professional arrives.

You will have difficulty getting an inspection ladder up between the dormers, although a ladder could be raise to the left of your dormer, and the roofer(?) could walk up and down the valleys.

Probably, a bit of bridging scaffold, or a wide straddling tower, would provide work access.

Forget price guesswork - how can even a ballpark figure be given when you dont know what you are pricing for?

If the whole house slate roof does need replacing, then go for that with the remedial works bolted on.
You might be offered a re-roof price, and a day rate for the remedial repairs.

Perhaps post your quotes on here for discussion.

Stay with your valuable natural slate, dont be talked into any kind of tile.
Removed carefully, 95% of in-situ slate can be re-used.

 

[shane12345]

95% salvage? More like 50-75% I'm finding lately.

 

[colind86]

Anyone who prices for a 95% salvage deserves to get their fingers burnt. Slates may look decent enough just done a slater with decent looking welsh and only salvaged enough for one side. That was including a 12 m lean to.

 

[ree]

Agreed, but i was exaggerating for the purpose of keeping the OP's mind concentrated on his valuable resource.

My take on this is that when we've let sub-contractors strip the slate we end up with big losses of slate. I've watched them lift the slate by the tail and then lever the nails out of the lath - this method will often snap the slate at the nail holes or split it down the crown.

We used pry bars ( similar to Screwfix 37748 pry bars) and pull the nails before lifting the slate - slower but less expensive in slate and cash.

 

[shane12345]

Our way is to just hit the top corner of the slate once or twice and this usually snaps the nails. If the slate is no good it will break. Scaffold board in the gutter to catch them all. Stack, re-hole and grade.

Obviously this only works if the nails are knackered.

 

[joe-90]

If it were my house I'd find the leak and just patch it up. It'll get re-roofed one day. It's not falling down.

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

I keep forgetting to check in on this when I'm on my PC. Mobile at the mo so short & sweet-

Just to say yes, we will be interested in a re-roof at some point. I'd say. 5yrs but it could be 10 or 15. Who knows.

It's not falling down yet but my concern is whether it could lead to it collapsing. I don't want to be woken in the middle of the night with a roof on my face.

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

This will be one of the threads ree was on about me updating. I can take care of this one quickly...

Basically we got 3 people out. Joiners, roofers, builders (not to say a joiner, a roofer and a builder - sounds like a bad joke!) but that's what they were.

Looking from the roof and having a look at the timbers themselves, all 3 of them said that from a safety point of view there is nothing wrong & it doesn't need replacing.

One of them said if a building inspector (or whatever the profession is) came & looked, they'd say it needs replacing as they just cover their backsides, but they've all seen worse & that the level it's at now is fine. It just needs drying out & treating.


One of the 3 i sent the photos to, like i've shown you guys. Like you guys from the photos he feared that it would need replacing. Once he came down though he was prodding & poking to see how soft it'd gone & had a look in & about and said no it's actually ok as it is & the roof is not going to fall in on us.


So, happy days. Thanks to everyone for their help here.

 

[ree]

It will be even happier days for someone when the Dry Rot eventually enters the picture and takes hold and spreads through your house - which it will.

If it spreads to your neighbour's then you will have to foot the costs of all their repair work. Happy days indeed.

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

What a load of complete piffle from a guy that is totally clueless.

I suppose that one will be directed at me.

Anyway all i'm posting here is what they said.

Folk online say you should always get 3 people out to weigh a job up, that's what i did. They all said the same thing.

I see both sides of it personally. I agree the only way you will see the whole thing is from the top down. I also agree that close up photos posted on a forum only show so much & is no substitute for seeing what's happened in person.

Anyway, that's what's happened. Just posting back the update as i know many don't bother. I just forgot to.

 

[joe-90]

err no. The post above my post about rampant dry rot.

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

err no. The post above my post about rampant dry rot.

Oh ok, sorry. I'm just in auto-defence mode today since folk are complaining about me asking questions & trying their hardest to make something out of nothing (not this forum).

I appreciate what ree says. What everyone says. I do agree the 'best' way is from above. These guys could've happily took our money but they didn't.

 

[joe-90]

I told you at the start. Patch it up and forget about it.

 

[CluelessDIYer1]

I told you at the start. Patch it up and forget about it.

You did & we will

However i'm sure you can appreciate that it would also be the sensible thing to do to have at the very least one & preferably 2-3 professionals come out & see it up close for their own opinion?

I was just posting back their responses to update since you guys took time out to offer me help.

 

[catlad]

If I was taking the roof off your property and found that decay in your timber then I would replace it, but if you want to plaster over it then thats up to you my eyes must be shot if that woods not rotten.