steveoelliott

Thanks folks. Appreciate the experts view. I had hoped that this would be the case.

Hi Folks, I've discovered something on my house that I suspect isn't an issue but wanted to check... Initially our house had a single story garage to the side with flat roof that was replaced by the previous owners to comprise a store, office and toilet. As part of this work the flat roof was replaced with a pitch slate roof... Whilst I in the small attic space of the pitch roof over the weekend, I discovered just below the insulation there appears to be the remains of an old chase in the wall (see attached pictures). This wall itself is two story's and the outer leaf of a cavity wall... The works were completed 10 years ago and the brickwork above the chase (looking both in loft space and on wall outside) looks fine. I'm guessing this chase may have been where the old flat roof joined the house; seems off why not pointed up before the pitch roof was installed but perhaps not necessary. It wouldn't be impossible to point this up now if needed but it's a little tight up there so require a slim builder and a little awkward due to the timber trusses from the pitch roof.

Thanks... Just so I know, how from the picture can you tell it's bad?

Thanks for the candid feedback... How can an experienced eye tell the pointing shallow?

Thanks... You think the rest looks OK from what you can see?

It was only done Monday. I'll ask to tidy up and re-detail around the window. Does the rest look OK to your trained eye?

Hi, Having some re pointing work done on a small wall and for the most part I think it looks OK (no expert here at all). I do think the finishing around the window surround edge could be better though... I appreciate it might be difficult to get into these areas properly however. Should I mention it? Don't want to make myself seem a nuisance but equally want to ensure a proper job. I guess the alternative is some PVC surround for those bricks.

Thank you for the feedback. So I presume it isn’t anything that major to worry about but I will get those valley bits repointed by a local roofing company and have them check the tiles lifting and gaps at the same time.

Hi Folks, I hope I don't make myself seem stupid here but I am certainly no roof expert... However, I've noticed that on my roof where the old house meets the extension and there is a valley, that some of tiles on the original roof seem to be raised and have small gaps underneath. I know some of these tiles have been removed previously to allow timbers to go into loft. Is this any cause for concern? Is this much work to resolve? Thanks a lot in advance...

Hi Folks, I am in the process of considering options for new down lights on our landing (10 in total). The reason for the change is the non removable bezel is white and over years has gone a yellow colour. It is m intention to swap with chrome ones. Firstly, I am not a fan of the design of down lights in that when removed, even if careful they tend to damage the ceiling which then needs rectifying. I'm not sure if there are any secrets to avoiding this but not that I am aware. Secondly, which type of down light should I go for. I've been looking at either going for a standard GU10 fitting where I can change bulbs when they blow etc or a fixed downlight with a 7 year warranty from Collingwood (The H2 Pro). I hear so many differing opinions on this... Some say stick with GU10 as you can swap bulbs when they blow rather than the whole downlight etc; others tell me I'm stuck in the past. What is the consensus on here?

Thanks Big Jimbo... Appreciate your feedback. The coping stones where they meet all walls are joined with mortar rather than mastic. I agree with the lead saddles though and I think that's what my roofer is intending to do when they are replaced. I am looking to replace the stone coping stones with the more modern looking aluminum type. Is the reason for the water seal application on the wall one of weatherproofing to prevent water penetrating the bricks? I had considered running the epdm over the wall and under the coping stones but it seems some standards advise against that approach though. Also the EPDM material doesn't look very attractive and I certainly wouldn't want that on the taller parapet wall unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks... does this affect the integrity of the joint / make it more prone to leaks? Or just cosmetic.

Thanks all for your posts and feedback. I'll have my plumber tend to the taps with the v small leak (although it must be historic as not leaking now).

Hi, The house we purchased nearly a year ago was renovated around 8 years ago and I was wondering if what I am seeing on the pipework is normal... In the first picture, you will see some white chalky residue on the joint between the copper pipe and the flexi hose. (Excuse the paint on the fixings, that's the result of a poor decorator that I shan't be using again). On the other pictures, there is blue / green staining on the pipes where the joints are. All joints seem dry and no obvious leaks but just wondered if this is something to be concerned about or I am being neurotic

It's difficult to say why removing a few slabs near the outlet stops the leak. I guess there could be any number of reasons but until the roof is fixed, that's how I've left it. I've had a real nightmare getting trades to fix this. I've found the guy I want to do the work, he has good reviews and came across well but unfortunately has been snowed under with overrunning work, made worse by some of his workforce having to self isolate etc.

Yes all roofers have said they would install a new outlet... There are weep holes on the outside of the wall (not onto terrace). If you look at the picture closely you can see them on the third course. I'm guessing that if replacing the copings with a DPC underneath, this should stop any water getting into the parapet wall cavity in the first place.

I don't know what the current material is unfortunately... One of the roofers quotes specified they would be using Ruvitex which I believe is EPDM.

Hi Folks, I moved into our house 8 months ago... Before purchasing the house, when we were viewing the previous vendor had a leak (they were open about it and it was obvious). It was apparently due to an issue with the outlet and that was corrected prior to us moving in. Around a month after moving in, we discovered some blown plaster on the wall downstairs that is beneath one of the parapet walls on terrace and a small water spot on the ceiling. A local flat roofer, took all the slabs off the terrace and filled with water and reckoned he couldn't find any leaks. The advice was then to re-lay the coping stones on both parapet walls and install a DPC underneath. This was completed in January 2020. The room below stayed dry until we relayed the slabs recently. The slabs sit on plastic pads that are laid on a protective fleece. Following heavy rain we noticed a large water stain on the ceiling. In a series of experiments, I have identified that the leak seemingly only occurs (or is visible) when the slabs near the outlet are in situ. Removing a bunch of slabs together with pads and fleece near the outlet seems to stop staining on ceiling below. I can presume this is due to the water flowing off more quickly. It is worth noting that following rain / me flooding the roof with water, it can be many hours before the staining appears. The main reason I am here is I am looking for opinions on how to tackle this moving forward. I've had a series of local roofers visit to quote and these are options presented: 1) Inspect roof and lap another layer of EPDM over every seal. 2) Remove EPDM roof and replace with 3 layer torch on felt as 2 roofers said they don't touch EPDM /Rubber membranes; stating they are problematic / unreliable. 3) Paint over EPDM with some kind of liquid membrane. All roofers quoting have stated that the up-stands don't sit high enough and that lead flashing should above (they are not present currently. Personally, I want to replace EVERYTHING that it could be. This is not a cost saving exercise but rather one of ensuring I don't have further leaks / problems and the assurance of a proper guarantee. I am looking to replace the coping stones with aluminum copings as I want to avoid issues in future with the copings coming porous / mortar joints allowing water ingress. I just want professional opinions on how best to address this. I am based in Kettering Northamptonshire, in case anybody happens to be local/ wants to quote :) Below are a series of pictures, including the plans where terrace featured back from 2009 in case there are questions on materials etc. Thanks in advance...