Canalside Bungalow Renovation

Looks better. Just goes to show that people that know what they are doing can do a decent job.

 

Phew, nightmare over.

 

You might recall I questioned how they could introduce the gradient given the original minimal drop from the tiled roof to the flat roof. Looking at the photos they seem to have cut back the lower row of tiles to accommodate the new gradient.

 

Hopefully someone who knows more about roofs can comment on any extra flashing detail now required at the new tightly coupled pitched/flat roof junction.

So glad you got this sorted out, it must be such a weight off your mind, well done. Regarding @epsilonGreedy comment on flashing the GRP would be run up the slope under the tiles an amount so roofing felt and tiles rest on it. No need for further flashing IMO.

 

i used to live fairly close to tern hill where these guys come from. Nice part of the world.
 

Edited October 17, 2020 by joe90

19 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said:

You might recall I questioned how they could introduce the gradient given the original minimal drop from the tiled roof to the flat roof. Looking at the photos they seem to have cut back the lower row of tiles to accommodate the new gradient.

 

I think so, also the firrings are either side of the rooflight for the drop. Bl@@dy acorns are dropping on it now and I'm literally monitoring it like a hawk picking them off as they fall.

 

One more question for the roofing connoisseurs here. Looking at the latest photo detail from @canalsiderenovation, is there any concern about thermal movement at that flat/pitched roof junction?

 

I know the OP does not need any negativity at this point but now would be the right time to consider this issue before everything is closed up.

8 minutes ago, joe90 said:

So glad you got this sorted out, it must be such a weight off your mind, well done. Regarding @epsilonGreedy comment on flashing the GRP would be run up the slope under the tiles an amount so roofing felt and tiles rest on it. No need for further flashing IMO.

 

i used to live fairly close to tern hill where these guys come from. Nice part of the world.
 

 

Yes I think you are right re the flashing.

 

Local lads and definitely specialists. I'm so glad we insisted on it being taken off. Thank you to everyone who gave me advice, it gave me the confidence to challenge it and insist on it being redone.

Glad to see they put a water stop above the slope that goes under the tiles. As far as I know thermal movement is not a problem with GRP it’s very forgiving and can flex. If I had to have a flat roof I still would do it in GRP despite other materials being available.

1 hour ago, joe90 said:

As far as I know thermal movement is not a problem with GRP it’s very forgiving and can flex

We used to make some very large components, such as the walk way at St. Mary's Hospital, London.  The expansion/contraction was often mentioned, but no special measures put in place.  We also made tooling for car seats, these are thermally cycled dozen of times a day, no issues.

When I did my HND in Mechanical Engineering, one of the 'problems' to solve was the strength of two linked materials.  It was usual to use copper and steel as the examples.

I used glass and polyester resin.  It had less movement for any given load in any direction than the usual examples.

 

Re the contractor, I notice that they it says 'Glassfibre' and no fibreglass on the side of the van.  Always a good sign.

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by SteamyTea

38 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Re the contractor, I notice that they it says 'Glassfibre' and no fibreglass on the side of the van.  Always a good sign.

 

If it had said "Glassfiber" I'd have been worried about their attention to detail...

Here's a couple of better pictures before we leave the site for the day. It's touch dry too (with some flies stuck on it) and thank god it hasn't rained.

 

2 hours ago, canalsiderenovation said:

 

I think so, also the firrings are either side of the rooflight for the drop. Bl@@dy acorns are dropping on it now and I'm literally monitoring it like a hawk picking them off as they fall.

 

 

That last photo looks like the way dad used to detail the side of the 6 (!) mainly inaccessible valleys he sealed on t)e roof of the listed house they restored, as a full and final answer to snow backing up and leaks coming in.

 

He would put ply under the tiles up to 0.8m both sides, then GRP over the top and across the valley.

 

Looks good.

This is great news. I was wondering how you were getting on but didn't dare ask!

21 minutes ago, MJNewton said:

This is great news. I was wondering how you were getting on but didn't dare ask!

 

It's been stressful, probably because I'm a worrier and just wanted everything right. Despite the builder saying he was sorting it and getting a professional, until we saw the van this morning and saw how meticulous they worked, it was only then I felt a massive relief.

 

What I can't get my head around is why the builder didn't get the professionals to start with. The professionals today got here very early on and were gone by 3pm. The initial bodged job must have take well over  a week because the builders lads took ages and then the umpteen coats they kept putting on to try and rectify it. Our builder must have paid out a fair bit in wages alone. I'm sure he has learned a valuable lesson!

10 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

 

It's been stressful, probably because I'm a worrier and just wanted everything right. Despite the builder saying he was sorting it and getting a professional, until we saw the van this morning and saw how meticulous they worked, it was only then I felt a massive relief.

 

What I can't get my head around is why the builder didn't get the professionals to start with. The professionals today got here very early on and were gone by 3pm. The initial bodged job must have take well over  a week because the builders lads took ages and then the umpteen coats they kept putting on to try and rectify it. Our builder must have paid out a fair bit in wages alone. I'm sure he has learned a valuable lesson!

 

On the back of Covid quite a few companies have seen a sudden increase of work after the lull. It's meant in some cases them having to sub out and by contrast not sometimes being able to get their favoured (read good) subbies in the first place. 

45 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

The professionals today got here very early on and were gone by 3pm

At least we all know who to call when GRP roofing needs doing in your area.

Seems they did it in nice, easy to manage, sections.  Idiots try to do too much, too quickly.

And your main contractor will hopefully learn from this.  There is nothing wrong with GRP when done properly.  I should last decades.