Hole in roof felt, can it be repaired from inside without removing tiles ?

[MassiveJim]

Currently in the process of boarding part of the loft out and came across this hole in the felt




It is quite obvious that a previous owner knew about it as they have placed a plastic tray underneath it to catch some of the water.
and you can see this mess beneath it where the insulation and plasterboard have all stuck together.




Is it possible to repair this from the inside without taking tiles off the roof.

 

[teenwolf]

No

 

[vail3r]

Clean round the hole as well as you can and then stick flash band over it. Make sure you clean away loose stuff as you want it to stick properly

 

[FNG]

The felt should only be a secondary layer of protection against water. If it is leaking there then they must be either tile damage or some problems with flashing on the roof. You can't really repair from the inside as the felt will need to go under the piece above it ( or the ridge if no lengths above it) and then over the piece below it. You might to able fashion a temporary fix, but really you need to address the cause of the leak onto the felt.

 

[dlockers]

The felt should only be a secondary layer of protection against water. If it is leaking there then they must be either tile damage or some problems with flashing on the roof. You can't really repair from the inside as the felt will need to go under the piece above it ( or the ridge if no lengths above it) and then over the piece below it. You might to able fashion a temporary fix, but really you need to address the cause of the leak onto the felt.

Secondary but not a backup system - don't roof tiles only stop something like 60% of water?

 

[FNG]

That seems very low, but I am no expert! Felt's primary purpose is to prevent wind lifting tiles; on old houses they used boards and/or cement for the same purpose. Typically roof covering should only let water in when the wind is particularly strong blowing it back under, or when things like snow happen, again allowing water to track back under the tiles. In these situations, the amount of water should be minimal and not really appear as a leak. I would still suspect in adequate flashing (if the roof is against a wall/chimney) or a crack tile if you are getting enough water in to cause a noticeable leak.

 

[Macky]

Secondary but not a backup system - don't roof tiles only stop something like 60% of water?

I think 90% (citation required). My roof isn't felted (1930s with clays) and to the best of my knowledge we've never had a leak - or at least one that's caused any damage on the bedroom ceilings. Pretty impressive for something ~100 years old.

 

[Uhtred]

I've got a bigger hole than that in my roof felt and it has never leaked. I've bought some flashbanding to fix it, but apparently it's better to do it when it's warmer so it sticks better

 

[MassiveJim]

I don't think it is leaking now, I certainly haven't seen any evidence of damage to the bedroom ceiling below.
and the plastic tray that is underneath it is dry.

That seems very low, but I am no expert! Felt's primary purpose is to prevent wind lifting tiles; on old houses they used boards and/or cement for the same purpose. Typically roof covering should only let water in when the wind is particularly strong blowing it back under, or when things like snow happen, again allowing water to track back under the tiles. In these situations, the amount of water should be minimal and not really appear as a leak. I would still suspect in adequate flashing (if the roof is against a wall/chimney) or a crack tile if you are getting enough water in to cause a noticeable leak.

This is the gable end and it has a chimney on it, so that could be the reason.

I have the previous owners buyers report from 2018 and there were a lot of small issues with flashing, fascias, window trim, roof tiles etc mentioned in the report that the previous owners dealt with once they had moved in.

 

[FNG]

If it is by the chimney then it was probably that; in the past they sometimes used concrete flashing instead of lead and soakers, which fails over time as the seal between the concrete and the chimney fails due to movement etc. If it is no longer leaking then I wouldn't be worried about that hole. If you ever get your roof redone it is probably worth swapping this felt out for a new breathable membrane as that black felt is typically not breathable, which can result in more condensation drops on cold weather (depending on other ventilation etc)

 

[SpellowHouse]

Yes.
Grab a knife and tidy it up. Buy a length of felt.
You can sometimes slot the new piece in through the joint above the damage and slide it down on the outside side of the damaged felt without needing any sealant at all.
If that doesn't work for any reason, take a new piece and tuck it in to the joint below the damage. Seal it on the other edges to the old felt using a board to support it for 24 hours.You can buy sealant that will stick to felt.

Either way, it's a lot easier than you would think.