Leaky roof - where do I stand?

Squink

Squink

Squink

Soldato
Joined
25 Apr 2007
Posts
5,255
I live in a fairly old house that has recently started letting water in, with drops falling through a gap in the wall between two rooms, presumably getting in through the roof. There's also some damp around the chimney breast inside. Got a bloke round, who told me the pointing needed doing (there were many gaps) and I needed some new flashing. The price was reasonable and the diagnosis seemed fairly sound, so I had it done.

Unfortunately the roof is still leaking as before between the two rooms (the damp patches will probably take weeks with a dehumidifier to clear up so I don't know if that's fixed or not). What is the unspoken rule with these things? If the bloke tells me he thinks that it'll fix the problem is he in any way committed to having to come back and have another try? Or is it the case that his educated guess failed and I just have to stump up for him or another roofer to try plan B? The bloke seemed ok, I'd just like some opinions on how I should approach taking it further.
 
haha!

get out there and take a photo. Is there a tile missing, flat roof?

Is it a terraced house or detached.

Give some useful details other than I have a leak what does the internet think it could be???

:P
 
Leaks are a PITA.

Our house has a (badly built) extension that has had an intermittent leak that has so far survived the flat roof on the extension being completely replaced something like 3 times, not including a completely new roof built over the original.
In our case it's made harder to track down by the fact that it only ever seems to leak under very limited circumstances (it has to rain very heavily, with strong winds in a particular direction for several hours), and then it will come through in one of 3 possible locations* about 8 foot apart.

We think we may have finally solved the problem when we had some of the brickwork on the wall above the flat roof re-pointed, and repainted, but other than that it's also survived the guttering and boards being completely replaced as well (not done for the leak, but for the whole house).


In your case, if the chimney is showing signs of damp, could the water be getting down the chimney?
It may be worth looking in the loft if you can during/after heavy rain, with a good light source for any signs of water making it inside.


P.S.
I must confess that my initial reaction was to post "not under the leak";)

*We invested in an inspection camera so that hopefully the next time it leaks we can poke it through a hole in the ceiling and get an idea of where the water comes from.
 
SeatIbiza said:
Give some useful details other than I have a leak what does the internet think it could be???
:P
Click to expand...

I don't recall asking what the internet thought the leak could be, but I DO recall asking opinions on what (if any) responsibility the original roofer should take to investigate further without adding to the original price :p
 
mulpsmebeauty said:
I don't recall asking what the internet thought the leak could be, but I DO recall asking opinions on what (if any) responsibility the original roofer should take to investigate further without adding to the original price :p
Click to expand...

Well with that attitude nobody will help you.

You obviously have no clue about buildings so I said post a picture so somebody who might (like me being a surveyor) be able to point out what is wrong.

As for the original roofer unless there is a fault with his work then no. Do you have a rain cowl? If not that could be a part cause.

P.S. using a dehumidifier wont cure the problem just waste your electric...
 
Hahaha, guess what I came in here for?

As soon as someone finishes a thread title with "Where do I stand?" I immediately think of a joke around it...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom