Canalside Bungalow Renovation

The main laying up of the GRP does not look to bad, just the edges and corners that look rough.

Basically what they did was use the cut edge of the roll on the trim.  They should have used the torn edge.

It is hard to tell if the trim was properly prepared before they started as they seem to have tried to cover up mistakes with extra flowcoat.

Not a hard job to put right to be honest, just a bit time consuming and messy.

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

they seem to have tried to cover up mistakes with extra flowcoat

 

Yes and I get the feeling this will be exactly what they do again.

 

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Not a hard job to put right to be honest, just a bit time consuming and messy.

 

If they actually properly sort it and don't just but extra coats over it. Now the fascias are up I get the feeling if they can avoid doing owt they will.

First there is nothing fundamentally wrong with GRP as a technology (I say speaking as someone who sails in a 50 year old GRP sail boat)

 

The problem you have is poor workmanship. You need the contractor (the person you appointed to do the job) to sort it out.  I hope you have not paid in full for the work yet, as if not you have a lever to make them put it right, and make sure you watch what they do to "put it right"

I would agree with @SteamyTea here, as he knows a good deal about this, and I know very little!

8 hours ago, ProDave said:

First there is nothing fundamentally wrong with GRP as a technology (I say speaking as someone who sails in a 50 year old GRP sail boat)

 

The problem you have is poor workmanship. You need the contractor (the person you appointed to do the job) to sort it out.  I hope you have not paid in full for the work yet, as if not you have a lever to make them put it right, and make sure you watch what they do to "put it right"

 

We have month invoices from our builder and it is him we are paying for the work but we are meeting him this week so I am going to tackle this. I didn't know if I was being picky but I'll mention the edges and corners and that covering it up with extra flowcoat is not dealing with the issues. I'm not entirely sure how they will deal with the issues but I don't want to be fobbed off.

10 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

I'm not entirely sure how they will deal with the issues but I don't want to be fobbed off

I would get the angle grinder out, sand off all the problem areas, then re-GRP those areas.

The external corners are always going to be a problem, would probably use a glass tape on them.

3 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

I would get the angle grinder out, sand off all the problem areas, then re-GRP those areas.

The external corners are always going to be a problem, would probably use a glass tape on them.

 

Thanks @SteamyTea I'll see how I get on with the builder. It's like they have ploughed on doing all the cladding knowing we.aren't happy. 

As someone who has done GRP roofs myself that is shoddy work, but as @SteamyTea says it’s fixable. Another example of Some tradespeople not paying attention to detail. 

24 minutes ago, joe90 said:

As someone who has done GRP roofs myself that is shoddy work, but as @SteamyTea says it’s fixable. Another example of Some tradespeople not paying attention to detail. 

 

You should have seen it before they rectified it. This is the fix! It's really stressing me out.

15 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

It's really stressing me out

It is probably waterproof, and will stay that way, do don't get stressed about it. 

Main thing is that it is cosmetic, and fixable.

I was feeling pretty confident about speaking to the builder after comments from @joe90, @SteamyTea and @ProDave 

 

Good news, they have GRPd the roof light upstands.

 

Bad news, I just am not happy with the roof. I can't accept that this is normal even though the builder says it is and in places it looks like patchwork although he assures me it's watertight. He was talking about putting some sort of edging on it to tidy up the corners and whilst I accept these areas will always be problematic and the guttering will seem to disguise some of it but it just doesn't seem right.

 

 

More worrying is I was talking about the gully from the pitch onto the flat roof below and apparently our roof is flat "you mean there is a fall on it" I said. The response, "No, not really" ?

 

 

I think I'm making myself quite ill obsessing over this!

 

Everything else seems to be going ok. 

8 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

think I'm making myself quite ill obsessing over this!

please don’t, it’s fixable, honest

 

9 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

I can't accept that this is normal even though the builder says it is

It might be fir him but not for most people (me included) an angle grinder and a flap wheel to take off the rough bits (as long as you don’t go right through, but even if you did it’s patchable) and a bit of topcoat will fix it.

 

flat is ok, I had a GRP roof that had a dip in it (no I didn’t do it!) and a permenant  puddle existed in wet weather but it was ok. @ProDave has an old GRP boat, they go on for many years.

 

time  to move on, no one has died, consider it a learning experience and onwards to the next hurdle ?‍♂️

+1 on not needing it to be 'not flat'. Many GRP roofs are fitted because of this attribute. Panic yea' not.

6 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

+1 on not needing it to be 'not flat'. Many GRP roofs are fitted because of this attribute. Panic yea' not

 

1 hour ago, joe90 said:

flat is ok,

 

That's one thing off my mind then.

 

The builder knows I'm not happy and as we were walking around site he told one of the workers "she says your roof is crap" so I've made my feelings more than clear. I need to give him a chance to sort it and will follow it up with an email over the weekend. I'm not on site next week and the wife is dealing with things whilst I have a few days at my parents.

1 minute ago, canalsiderenovation said:

as we were walking around site he told one of the workers "she says your roof is crap"

He's a bit of a cock doing that in front of you unless it was in jest?

8 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

He's a bit of a cock doing that in front of you unless it was in jest?

 

Tbf I think it was but a bit unnecessary imo.

We had this stuff done on our flat dormers. I wasn't impressed and ended up removing and leading them. Waste of time and money.

Just now, Pm1987 said:

We had this stuff done on our flat dormers. I wasn't impressed and ended up removing and leading them. Waste of time and money.

 

You mean not impressed with GRP generally?

 

I can only comment on pictures I've seen on here and online videos etc and compare it to the job we have had done. It can look pretty good, I guess like anything it depends on the fitting of it.

12 minutes ago, Pm1987 said:

We had this stuff done on our flat dormers. I wasn't impressed and ended up removing and leading them. Waste of time and money.

you mean you weren’t impressed with the way your roofer did it!!!, GRP can look very good if done correctly and is my choice fir flat roofs.

1 hour ago, joe90 said:

GRP can look very good if done correctly and is my choice fir flat roofs.

As far as I know, the fake stone pillars are still outside the entrance of the Heathrow Excelsior Hotel, made them in 1984 (hotel has been renamed).

@joe90 @SteamyTea 

hoping for some advice. Still no rectification to the roof as yet but after a heavy downpour today and a visit to the site I went to inspect the roof. And this is what's happening.... Clearly this needs sorting as it looks like water is already penetrating...... Any words of wisdom? Surely now I can't be told this is normal??

 

 

We also have definite pooling of water, albeit we have no guttering.

 

Even on another part you can see it starting to lift 

The pooling is not a problem but the “delaminating” from the trim is wrong, make sure you photograph every area where this has occurred. @SteamyTea will be along in a moment to suggest it’s remedy (that the roofer should do). Don’t know if it’s luck or judgement (hopefully the latter) I have never had that happen on a roof I have done.

I know others are a fan of the old GRP. I could not live with that. I would be having that whole roof ripped off. I have built atleast 20 flat roofs, and i have never built One Flat, for the reason that, regardless of what you cover it with, it will look like yours. I am not saying that it won't be ok, but it looks dreadful. What do your drawings say ? have your drawings asked for a flat roof, or do they show a fall, constructed by perhaps firing pieces. If your drawings ask for a flat roof, then that is what you have got. If your drawings ask for a flat roof will falls, i would make him rip the whole lot off.

Edited September 24, 2020 by Big Jimbo

8 minutes ago, joe90 said:

The pooling is not a problem but the “delaminating” from the trim is wrong, make sure you photograph every area where this has occurred. @SteamyTea will be along in a moment to suggest it’s remedy (that the roofer should do). Don’t know if it’s luck or judgement (hopefully the latter) I have never had that happen on a roof I have done.

 

Thanks. I was actually having a couple of days away but my wife just sent me these. I'll get photos and get on to the builder. My patience is wearing thin!