Leaking Flat Dormer Roof - Help Fixing!!

kinobestew123

kinobestew123

kinobestew123

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So after the very hot and sunny weather we've had, it finally decided to chuck it down yesterday. It was fairly torrential for about 30mins and the street struggled to cope and flooded a bit.

We were in the living room and it started to sound like it was raining in the house. We ran up stairs to find water pouring through one of the LED downlight fittings and onto the LVT floor. Towels and a bucket were employed.

I went up a ladder to look at the roof. To be honest, it's the first time I have since moving in. The roof isn't in the best state and doesn't look flat at all with lots of dips which were holding big puddles of water. The roof itself has felt on it which I presume has cracked somewhere hence the water getting in.

A friend is a roofer but mainly putting new tiles on new housing developments. He said he could come and put Acrypol on.

Is this a temporary fix or can I expect it to last a while?

What would be a permanent fix? I was reading about EDPM and saw Rubber4Roofs.co.uk. It looks like I can get a whole kit to DIY the roof for £250. Has anybody done this? Is it DIY'able?

Thanks!
 
Temporary fix imo
Reboard,so that you can have a look at what damage has been caused over time with the leak

Then either fibreglas or EDPM
That rubber is so easy to work with compared to fibreglas and much less messy
 
ANDARIAL said:
Temporary fix imo
Reboard,so that you can have a look at what damage has been caused over time with the leak

Then either fibreglas or EDPM
That rubber is so easy to work with compared to fibreglas and much less messy
Click to expand...

This dont patch it, rip it up and fix it properly.
 
Very much a temporary fix, it’s a liquid rubber-type coating that’s painted on. Fine for a short time but you’re trapping water and the only place to go from there will be down which by the sounds of it is in to your house. Put it on by all means but you should investigate a proper repair.
EPDM kits probably are diy but it’s whether you want it done properly (not saying you won’t) but chances are a pro will do it better - assuming he’s half decent.
What sort of area is it? Any pics?
 
I think we're looking at about 2m x 5m.

I have a week off work at end of July and so I could do it myself then. I'd consider myself adequate at DIY as long as I've researched it in depth beforehand. I'll always try and buy better quality materials.

I'd be interested in what kits people have used who have done it themselves and where they bought it from. Also an explanation of the process.
 
Based on your pictures that all needs ripping up and replacing as the boards have warped and are most likely rotten through. As long as the timber structure does not need to be replaced then its an easy fix.
 
Steampunk said:
Probably not a good idea to put it on a wet roof and with the smallest brush/roller. I know he says "it's the only brush I've got", but I'm pretty sure you can buy brushes at Toolstation where he got the roof coating.
Click to expand...

Best to wait until roof has dried out before doing it but shouldn't be a problem in this heat wave unless OP as more rain forecast.

The guy in the video was originally going to use a roller but found out it went on better with a brush. Don't think size matters for a 5x2m dormer like.
 
Chipboard has degraded/rotted for certain.Hopefully the timbers are ok
Ply or OSB then either EDPM (easiest )or fibreglas
Plenty of guides online for EDPM.Looks like a largish area so Early start on a fine day
Maybe get a roll of DPM or tarpaulin just in case you end up with problems
As it is a roof i would recommend getting it professionally done unless you are confident in your skills
Don`t want it leaking in the winter do we :D
 
That looks knackered - best option as others have said is a rip and replace. I have patched a flat roof in the past, but didn't look as bad as that with the boards gone
 
I think the main question here is are you happy working at that height? It's not very accessible. I would be tempted to coat it for the moment and save up to have it professionally done at a later date.
 
thezappa said:
If you are diy-ing you’ll have a good time getting ply boards up there on a ladder.
Click to expand...
Totally agree looking at that roof it needs completely stripping and reboarding not a job anyone should be doing off a ladder really and certainly not a diy job for my money. Lugging the materials up and down is a two man job!

Get a reputable local roofer in he should do a better job and offer a guarantee so you get peace of mind!
 
Ok, having taken on board opinions in here, my cousin-in-law (a roofer) came around yesterday. We painted Cromar Cromapol Acrylic Roof Coating on the bits that we know are leaking. Similar to the Black Jack stuff painted above by the looks of it. We used a bigger brush than in that video. :p

I'm hoping that this holds for a few weeks.

We then examined the rest of the roof. At the back, we have another 5mx2m dormer the same and that is in a similar (albeit not leaking just yet) condition. Furthermore:

- mortar in the ridging tiles is all coming out
- cement verges are all falling apart
- some tiles are broken
- there is signs that water has got under some of the tiles (white powder underneath them)
- the chimney needs pointing
- the guttering leaks in lots of places and collects water because it's not got the right angle on it
- the downspouts are loose
- the pvc soffits/facias are falling off/missing in some parts and are generally filthy
- the cladding on the dormers is rotten
- the leading has been patched up many times and is looking a bit of a mess

All in all, there is a lot of work needed.

With this in mind, I think we're going to go down the path of a full reroof instead, tackling all of these jobs at the same time with the aid of scaffolding all around. We'll also get rid of the flat roofs on the dormers and have it pitched instead.

Yes, it's going to cost a lot more than my money-saving ideas above, but we think it's the right idea.

Rough pricing that we've come up with so far is:

£800 scaffolding
£1950 materials (new tiles, timber felt, battens, lead, dry verge, ridge tiles, dry ridge system, etc) and my cousin-in-law's labour. Thinking Marley Eternit Edgemere tiles.
£400 soffits, facias and new cladding on the dormers
£150 guttering

So about £3,300.

This is considerably less that other neighbours on the street have paid (£5k-£6k) but this is because of a lot of the work being done by us.

Anybody got any thoughts on this?
 
Thanks. Really looking forward to it. We get a lot of pigeons walking around on it too which can be noisy so hopefully it will stop them.

I'm now looking for cladding for the dormers as that needs replacing at the same time. Anybody got any experience of which cladding is good?
 
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