Roof repair

Questions and Answers

Flat Roof Repair Cost?

Q) I have a flat roof of 18 square meters, 20 years old and just started leaking. Looking at it it's well cracked but the boards seem good still. Any idea of a price for such a job (not in London)? So far I have one quote of £400 (sounds to cheap) and one of £1400 (sounds a lot)

A) To re-felt a flat roof, not including decking would be no more than £40 per metre squared; this is to strip off the old felt, and apply a 2 ply layer of hot bitumen bonded mineral felt, laid crossways, and with new drips at each overhang. This is a top rate, to have the job done by a good quality tradesman, so it will pay to shop around. The main problem with felt is that it is very susceptible to UV damage, hence the cracking that you mentioned. Also, depending on where you live, it will require refelting every 10-15 years, with the associated cost rising every time by around 30%. I'm a building surveyor, and regularly see horror story flat roofs, that have been bodged. There are more cowboys in roofing than in all the other trades put together, so I always recommend to householders that they get in touch with their local trading standards office to see if there is a recommended tradesman scheme. Referral from trading standards is the holy grail of any tradesman, so they will inevitably work hard to keep that quality standard, and a good roofer is worth his weight in gold. Are you 100% sure you want to use felt though? To be honest I would have it re-covered with a substance called EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), which is a million times better than felt. It will cost approximately the same (perhaps £5 per m2 more), and will last a good 30-40 years, so in the long term it will be cheaper. Also, it's very resistant to UV rays, so you don't have to keep painting reflective paint on it every few years,plus you can walk across it easily, unlike felt which is ridiculously easy to damage by treading debris through the outer layer. However, many roofers seem to think they can just brush EPDM on and hey presto, but it requires a certain amount of training to do, so what you may find is certain roofers will try to push you into using felt because A) they don't know how to properly apply EPDM, and B) felt will be more profitable for them. Also, bear in mind that if you have the roof done in felt and it starts to leak due to age/dud workmanship, your insurance company will repudiate the roof repair, and depending on your policy, any internal damage as well. The best solution of course is to replace the flat roof with a pitched one if that is at all possible. Whenever I do a house valuation survey I always point out any flat roof surfaces to the prospective buyer,and advise them to reduce their offer by the likely cost of re-covering it; so having a flat roof actually will devalue your property to some degree. Hope this is of some use

The tiles don't match on a roof repair. Can I paint them with anything?

Q) And how would I match up the shade?

A) The proper way to do it is to take off all tiles and mix the old with new ones. If you are just replacing a tile here and there, you don't need to worry about the shade. Any paint you might use will flake off in a couple of years, which on my opinion looks much worse.

if I have a builder repair my roof....?

Q) and then the next door ajoining neighbour says that damage has been caused to their roof by the builder. Who is becomes liable? Ie who should the neighbour rightly chase for compensation. Me or the builder?

A) The builder is responsible under his Public Liability Insurance - not your problem - just give the details to the neighbour - it's up to them to prove it though

If I get a builder to repair my roof......?

Q) And the next door ajoining neighbour then claims that damage has been caused to his roof by the builder. Who does my neighbour have a claim against? Me or the builder?

A) Hi UK builder here, the builder is responsible for the damage if proven but the neighbour would seek redress from you. It is not your neighbours responsibility to try and find who you got to do the work and if they had insurance it was yours. If you have any work, scaffold or even drainage work done the onus is on you. If you have a loft conversion with out planning its on you, got the picture. Sorry but that's how it is. But your neighbour would still have a job proving this damage was caused by your roofer unless its so obvious. Oh you could try and get redress from your builder, best thing though is get a good guy to do the work who has insurance ( I pay over £3000 a year for mine, site work )

i need to repair a flat roof or make a piched roof but donot no what to do can any one help?

Q) a cowboy put a flat roof on my porch. and with the bad weather it has leaked every were.i want to make a piched roof insted but dont no were to start.eg what do i need in materials and im the amitar diyer is it easy to do can any one HELP.

A) Mark S gave a good answer, and also made a very good suggestion with his advice about Acrypol, which you can get for around £25 from B&Q etc and you just paint it on as a temporary repair that will last a few months. For the additional cost and effort involved in making a pitched roof yourself, I would suggest paying a good quality local roofer (contact you local trading standards office for a list of approved tradesmen) to strip the existing roof felt and redo it in EPDM. This is a rubberised coating called ethylene proylene diene monomer, and it's a zillion times better than felt. It costs roughly the same as a felt roof, and will last 2-3 times as long. It won't be damaged by UV rays (as felt will) and you don't need to paint it with reflective paint every few years. I would say the cost of renewing your porch roof with EPDM would be around £40 per m2, so assuming your porch isn't that big you could solve the problem for the next 25-30 years this way. Hope this helps .

What do you think of our billionair queen asking for an extra million pounds to repair the roof at buckingham?

Q) palace when there are people in yorkshire have lost everything in the floods. I say put a bucket under the leak and get a cowboy in to fix it. However, seeing as her oldest son has visited yorkshire and spent a day there then perhaps all their troubles are over.

A) l think they should send the queen up to repair it, at least she could say shes done a days work then.

how do i repair my flat roof the roof felt is rotten and also the boards are rotten and is leaking water?

Q) water is leaking everywhere boards are rotten as is the roofing felt what is the best way to fix this problem

A) Tear off roof, remove all rotten wooden structure, put on new roof. There is no easier way.

Help ....Gazeebo roof repairs ?

Q) I have a Lovely Wooden structured DEAD gazeebo .Awning Roof blown off in a Gale,, last year. Now 3 Yrs old. No company (& original to disgrace) that I can get a hold of will help ! Anyone ....Any Ideas ? Awnings Co. etc that could help ? Initially cost a lot of money so dont want to pay bucket loads for repairs or new for the sake of it. There must be some ideas out there or companies that can help or something out there for this situation. Anyone any ideas ?..

A) see if you can find a ships chandler or sail maker anywhere near you, you might be able to get the awning repaired or replaced there, as they will make to spec.

Am I responsible for roof repairs if I live in an under dwelling?

Q) I live in a victorian back to back terraced underdwelling, which means we have a house above us. The roof of this house is leaking and water is causing rising damp in our property. The woman above us says she's in the process of getting it fixed, but that was five months ago! Are we jointly responsible for the roof repairs?

A) I would assume you are but check your title deeds

In Scots law, who is responsible for roof repairs. Downstairs say not them, its 4 flats in a block property.?

Q) Our downstairs neighbour say that they are not liable for roof and communal building repairs. We think the rules up here in Scotland are slightly different than in the rest of the country.

A) all occupants are jointly and severally liable for the costs of the repair under Scots law so your downstairs neighbour does not have a leg to stand on. have a word with them and if you have no luck then depending on the values involved i would consider raising a case at the small claims court. hope this helps

Roof repair want suggestions plz.?

Q) My roof on my house needs some repair or possible replacement, not sure which tho. There are only 2 places in the roof where there are leaks and one part they just let it go till I guess you can say my wife and I have a skylight lol. Its really not that bad I'm exageratting, there are no holes in the roof, but you can see where it needs work. What should we do?

A)

roof repair while raining?

Q) Its been raining three days and going to rain three more. My roof is leaking and has some major shingle damage from storms. Can I repair it while its raining without causing more problems or do I need to wait until its fully dry?

A) you need a good contactor for repair recommed phua chu kang best contactor

roof repair while raining?

Q) Its been raining three days and going to rain three more. My roof is leaking and has some major shingle damage from storms. Can I repair it while its raining without causing more problems or do I need to wait until its fully dry?

A) Other than falling off a slippery roof? Try getting a tarp big enough to cover it and weigh it down via the eye-hooks with gallon containers of water tied to rope.

DIY Garage roof repair?

Q) Hi Folks, My garage roof (a silverish type martial that I can bend at the edges with my hand) is leaking at the back.. Can I repair it myself? What tools / materials would I need? - I can re-seal the edges of the roof where it joins with the side of my house? Thanks.

A) IF its a newform galvanise then you cant reseal it.But you should ask at your diy store do they have any materials for it!

Car Roof Repair?

Q) My car was vandalized and they cut through my convertable vinyl roof to open the door. Any suggestions on repair or replacement? The rip is an L-shape about 6 inches by 2 inches.

A) Look for LIQUID VINAL you know where!

There is a disabled lady I know need a roof repair and cannot afford it.?

Q) This lady is need of a roof repair and cannot afford because she spent what little money she had burying her mother about four months age and now she needs someone to come to her rescue. She quit her job to take care of her mom 24/7 going to appts., hospital admissions and never left her mom side unless she had an appointment herself and her son would watch his grandma until his mom got back. If I had the funds I would do it myself but I only get a monthly retirement check myself and no other resources can I provide other than looking for someone to try to help her because of her total 100% dedication to her mom during those years her mom was ill I would like to ask someone to help or send me some information when I can ask for her. She lives in Shreveport, Louisiana and it seems there is no one we can ask that we know. I know there are some people out there that would help, but I cannot afford to put an ad or notice in the local paper.

A) you should find out if she is receiving any disability benefits from SSA and see if she qualifies and there should be agency that help with housing or to fix her home.

remove satellite dish+repair roof?

Q) new construction, how to remove satellite dish and nails and repair holes in roof The satellite company wont come and remove it

A) Call satelite company and ask them to remove the dish for you, then have a roofer fixit or do it yourself .

diy.... std shingled roof leak repair? help on locating exact leak location?

Q) we physically have water dripping in the house when it rains. have been up on roof to check for leaks but all looks fine. since water takes the path of least resistance, checked that too. cannot find where the leak originates from. help and suggestions please on how to locate the source. we know how to repair it, IF we can find it lol. ty all in advance...

A) I've been 20+ yrs in the home repair bus. Finding a roof leak is a tough one. Try to get above the ceiling and look at the rafters and the roof deck from the inside. Thats the only way to find the kind of leak you seek.

Roof Repair Gone Very Wrong = Multiple Liens on Property?

Q) My neighbor and I own townhomes that are connected like a duplex We contracted with a roofer to replace the barrel tile roof as a result of hurricane damage last year. Naturally, the roofer placed a lien on my house for the contracted amount. They began the job in July by removing the old roof tiles and hauled the debris By the end of August, I was told the permits had been applied for, I found no evidence of that. Our roofer filed for bankruptcy in early October. My neighbor and I each paid the roofer over $15,000 and would have paid the last installment of $7500 upon completion What's worse, one of the sub-contractors has placed a lien on my home as a result of the roofer not paying him. Currently, we have a tin paper roof and two liens on our properties. Does the first lien go away as a result of the bankruptcy? How do I get rid of the 2nd lien? With the roofer declaring bankruptcy, are we screwed in getting them to finish the job? Thanks for your time

A) It is time to get a lawyer. This is why people get a release of lien. Sorry for your troubles.

how to repair roof sheathing?

Q) The front left corner of the roof has the edges of the sheathing damaged. Are there any clever tricks that you can share with me on how to go about repairing such a damage. From the looks of it, seems like only the front exposed area is damaged. This is pretty much what I was thinking to do as well. But I am not a pro so wanted to double check. Dan, thanks for the answer. One follow up question is that this piece of sheathing is above an overhang. Teh overhang has wood underneath to hide the sheathing above. Wouldn't cutting with a circular saw cause damage to it ?

A) No clever tricks here. You'll have to remove the roof covering (shingles) by pulling the nails carefully under the exposed part of the shingle. Get a nail bar for this. Remove enough shingles to expose what sheathing needs replacing plus a bit to give you "tool room". Cut out the bad sheathing using a circular saw set to just a tad deeper than the thickness of the sheathing. Cut out the bad stuff as squarely as you can splitting the cut on a rafter so that you have a nailing surface on each end. Replace the sheathing to match, replace the shingles putting a dab of roof cement over each nail and paint everything to match. You may need to replace underlayment and drip edge as well. Work carefully, measure twice, cut once, don't cut nails with your new saw blade, visualize what you want to do and think before you act. The hardest part will be removing and re-installing the shingles. Don't pound on exposed surfaces of the shingles. Keep everything square. Thanks to nailpounder and samhbane :)