hamburgers

Hello all. Thank you for your messages. I really appreciate it. To answer some of them: I paid for title deed and register. Unfortunately it does not indicate anything about party walls. It is Planning Enforcement at the council with whom I have lodged a case. Based on the advice above, I have shared the same case details with Building Control, and I will continue to nudge them both (hopefully into action) I will look at lodging a case with HSE; may I ask which bit of HSE I should contact? There are lots of options.... I will see how I can contact my local Councillor and MP to ask for their help The irony is when the fire broke out in the mechanic's yard, it was my child who first noticed this, and we immediately called the fire brigade (he heard crackling and popping noises, not a fire alarm!). I also consented for the fire brigade to use my child's bedroom as a vantage point from which they could direct the water from the hose onto the fire, which stopped the spread of the flames and eventually extinguished it. My child was traumatised by this and for about 2 weeks slept next to me. My child's bedroom suffered a lot of damage to the walls and paint from thick hose pipes banging against it. When I told the mechanic about all of this, he didn't even ask if my child was ok or thank us for assisting the fire brigade. Thank you all.

Hello I hope you are well. My home is one of 6 properties that has had to face an unauthorised scaffold and corrugated iron roof structure that was built in 1-day by a mechanic at the beginning of January 2025, without notification. I was shocked when I returned from work. Part of the roof structure was built on a fire-damaged garden wall that I share with the owner of the mechanic's yard, which was never inspected for structural integrity. In fact, I returned home after the roof was constructed to find 60cm chunks of burnt out coping blocks had fallen into my back garden. I have children, and so I have told them not to go into the garden until something gets sorted. Background: In December 2024, a huge fire broke out in the mechanic's yard, gutting it. My back garden shares a wall and fence with the mechanic's yard, which suffered damage. The highest point of the yard's roof was equal to the highest point of our shared wall, so it was not noticeable before the fire. Following the fire, the owner of the yard built a significantly higher scaffold + corrugated iron roof, on our shared wall, but it also now extends across the back garden of several residential properties. Bits of scaffold hangs over into my garden. It has completely changed the skyline view from our back gardens, as it looks like we all live in a prison camp. Then there is the worry about the damaged shared wall taking the weight of breeze blocks that look to be poorly cemented on top. I immediately contacted the council in early January, as this was an unplanned structure that has not had building control inspect it (I searched the database). I explained everything through their 'register an unplanned structure" web form form and included lots of photos. In the 40 days that the structure has been in existence, I received one email to say I have been assigned a case officer, and a single email 2-weeks ago from the case officer to say "I have initiated contact with the owner of the yard". I am worried that the council are hoping I will just accept this situation, and this structure will eventually become permanent. I want to have faith in the process, I really do. It's affecting my mental health, as I moved to this home from a flat because it had a garden, albeit very modest, for me and the kids to enjoy some outside space in urban London. Every time I look out from my living room patio door, I see a prison. I also know that my neighbours are stressed about this structure. I have tried to reason in person with the owner of the yard, but he has ignored my pleas. I would be very grateful if I could be offered advice about what to do if the council do not take this seriously. Thank you. Hamburgers. I have inserted some images below. Before and after the fire, showing the post-fire unauthorised roof structure. Breeze block addition to the shared fire-damaged wall, under the roof structure. Coping stones that broke off from top of fire damaged wall into my garden The extent of the structure spanning 6 residential back gardens, with no space between the shared walls and the edge of the structure (photo taken from my child's bedroom window).

Hello all, I am hoping someone can cast their experienced eye on a quote I have been given for a complete re-roofing of a flat roof. I was quoted very recently £45K without VAT for the following: Roof dimension: 9 x 4 m complete re-roof with 3 steel beams H Beams are 127mm thick tin hat, revival of old one SE London location on a high street May not need scaffold Is the quote reasonable in light of increased material costs? Thank you so much all.

Thank you for replies. It's given me food for thought. I may be out of my depth on this so I'm reconsidering the purchase of this property, which is a shame because the rest of it is great. I think that anyone in the trade will see me as a complete novice and so will try to overcharge.

Thank you @nod for your insight. So if I understand correctly in layman's terms: 1) Stabilise masonry with steel mesh and cover with Sika render 2) Zinc cap parapet walls 3) Plaster the reinforced and waterproofed parapet walls. Is this correct? If so, do you think this can be done for £10k?

Hi @nod, Thanks for the advice. Will this add a significant amount of cost on top of what I was quoted for the work? I have no idea about these things. Thank you!

Hi Ferdinand, I would remove the rear parapet wall seen in the photo above that is made up of a mixture of breeze blocks and red brick, which I believe the current owner put up - that section does not need planning permission to remove. I would have this section of the wall removed to the point where you can see the original white ledge. Thanks!

Hello, Thank you for the warm welcome The roofer would have to put up scaffold (he quoted £595 + VAT) to access the roof. I can only knock down one side of the wall (lower rear end) - the other sides are shared and the front side joins with the neighbour's parapet wall, as it is a terraced house. The wall itself is about 0.75m high on the rear and front, whilst the shared sides are about 1.5m high. I think I will ask for the rear parapet wall to be removed, as I would like to deck out the roof in the future - the rear side would provide access to the roof from the garden. Below is an image of the rear parapet wall, with a view of the shared side walls. Pretty shocking! Thank you!

Hello, I am buying a house that I know has a flat roof parapet wall (8.5m x 4.5m) that is in poor condition. The rest of the house is pretty good. I need to make sure I factor in the cost of a parapet wall repair this year. I got a roofing contractor to take a look and he has come up with the below. Is what he is suggesting the standard practice when repairing parapet walls or is he recommending I implement the Rolls Royce solution (which will mean I will be eating baked buns for lunch for the rest of the year): Zinc Capping System to top of the Front Parapet Wall Clean off and prepare existing brick and wall surfaces ready to receive new zinc capping system. Supply and fit exterior ply-decking this to include all associated furring timbers fixed securely into position by means of screws and raw plugs ready to revive new zinc capping system. Supply and lay megaspaan underzinc felt lay loose. Supply and fit 14 gauge zinc sheeting dressed and formed into capping’s single welted, these to be fixed securely with zinc clips, this to include all necessary seaming, welting and solder burning as required including the forming of drips. Supply and fix new zinc cover flashings fixed securely to the existing decking with galvanised nails, dressed and formed including the welting onto covering with an outside lip ready to receive welted sheeting on zinc sheeting. Total Cost for Labour and Materials…….>£1,275.00 +vat Inner Parapet Wall Render Hack off existing sand and cement render to the front inner parapet wall bag up and clear. Brush down and Unibond brickwork ready to receive new materials. Supply and fix metal renderstop bead and stop beads these to be fixed securely on to the abutment walls by means of screws and raw plugs. Supply and lay new sand and cement render to the complete parapet wall this to have a mixture of a 3;1 sand and cement mortar finished with a fine washed sand with an added Waterproofer and Unibond mix, finished coat is to be by means of a trowel finish and leaving all works clean and tidy on completion and in a watertight condition. Total Cost for Labour and Materials…..£5,000.00 +vat Thank you so much for your advice!