Gap in tile side overlap

[MJNewton]

I haven't been on the site for a while - I hope everyone is well. Apologies that it's a problem that brought me back...

 

Our semi-detached neighbours have just had done some roofing work done to fix a leak around their dormer. This required the removal of quite a few tiles, including the whole bottom row (on their side).

 

Looking out of our dormer window, and which the photo below shows, I've noticed there's now a bit of a gap in the side overlap where their tiles meet ours:

 

 

I got my ladders out at the weekend (my most feared tool - not a great fan of heights!) to take a closer look and was expecting (hoping!) that it'd just be a case of jiggling the tiles into place if they hadn't quite been seated properly...

 

 

However, this wasn't the case. No amount of jiggling was going to make a difference and so I gave up.

 

What I didn't spot whilst up there though, but which I can now see quite clearly in the first photo and from ground level too, is that their whole row of bottom tiles sits higher than ours. I actually think theirs are *too* high and it would not surprise me if in heavy rain they may find water overshooting over the gutter! That's not my concern though; I'm just worried about the gap we've end up with where our bottom rows join. Specifically, wind-driven rain (although I expect the felt would safely carry it into the gutter?) or even birds nesting?

 

With this situation in mind, what possible remedies might the roofer have to resolve this, other than removing and relaying with a batten (or whatever sits underneath) of matching thickness? Would any other remedy be considered something of a bodge? For example, how about a wedge of mortar in the gap similar to how the tiles running up the edge of the roof have in them?

 

Edited yesterday at 19:49 by MJNewton

[Nickfromwales]

Knock next door and state your concerns. Ask what work was done and show them the pics. 
 

The roofer should have replaced like-for-like, as these are clearly historic installations which when new worked perfectly well.

 

They may have added a tray and / or changed to a bigger batten (or doubled up) vs just renewing like for like at the last course, which was likely a knee jerk from doing new roofs in isolation vs retrospective repairs.

 

Needs correcting as heavy / driven rain is defo going to get in there and the felt is not meant to deal with that. Snow (melting) will likely be way more of a concern. 

[MJNewton]

Thanks Nick. Yeah, I do intend to speak to the neighbours. Whilst we're not close, mostly due to being like ships in the night really, the relationship is fine and so I don't anticipate any problems other than awkwardness of what to say and be asking for!

 

In terms of remedy, do you think it would be unreasonable/unrealistic for them to be relaying the last row such that it sits flush? I wouldn't be surprised if the roofer might think that's too much effort and opt to do something else like lift my tile slightly to make up most of the gap, then the next one slightly less and so on until the gap is absorbed across a series of tiles!

[Nickfromwales]

14 hours ago, MJNewton said:

Thanks Nick. Yeah, I do intend to speak to the neighbours. Whilst we're not close, mostly due to being like ships in the night really, the relationship is fine and so I don't anticipate any problems other than awkwardness of what to say and be asking for!

 

In terms of remedy, do you think it would be unreasonable/unrealistic for them to be relaying the last row such that it sits flush? I wouldn't be surprised if the roofer might think that's too much effort and opt to do something else like lift my tile slightly to make up most of the gap, then the next one slightly less and so on until the gap is absorbed across a series of tiles!

That’s a ‘him’ problem, but he cannot start interfering with your property to jerry rig a solution as a means to an end.

 

Go knock the door and start the ball rolling by showing the pics. 

[Mr Punter]

There are a few on that bottom row that are not sitting nicely.  That is quite a kick up.

[MJNewton]

Just spoke with the neighbours... We took in a parcel for them today so that pretty much forced the issue!

 

He took it perfectly fine, and did admit to not actually having looked at the roof in any detail since the work was done (oh to be so chilled about such things, compared to me scrutinising every last detail!) but looking at it now agreed his tiles do now sit up high. I got the impression he didn't seem too concerned about my projected concern of him potentially having overshoot in heavy rain, but he did recognise the issue about my gap. He asked for my photos and will get in touch with the roofer so let's see what happens next.

 

Something else he mentioned was that they had a dry ridge fitted and so I am wondering if that means the roofer might also have fitted an over fascia eaves vent like this one to complement it, and this would explain why the tiles now sit higher:

 

 

Incidentally, I fired off an email to the tile manufacturer about the side gap and their response was short and sweet:

 

Quote

Interlocking tiles such as the ones on your roof are designed, as the name suggests, to interlock together to achieve weather tightness, if not there is a risk of water being driven into the gaps and onto the underlay below.

 

Obviously this doesn't tell us anything we didn't know, but at least it is coming from a position of authority.

Edited 4 hours ago by MJNewton

[MJNewton]

An update sooner than expected!

 

The neighbour has heard straight back from the roofer and he's said ventilation strips have indeed been fitted, and he's working in the area on Friday so will come round and sort it then. Luckily I'll be working from home!

 

I know it's a 'him' problem but given that it's not an oversized/doubling-up battening issue (that could be replaced by ones of the correct size) I feel like the only thing he can really do with the inevitable gap is fill it with something. That sounds okay, I suppose? It is afterall likely what I was going to do if the roofer remained incommunicado. Please do play devil's advocate with me though.

Edited 4 hours ago by MJNewton

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, MJNewton said:

An update sooner than expected!

 

The neighbour has heard straight back from the roofer and he's said ventilation strips have indeed been fitted, and he's working in the area on Friday so will come round and sort it then. Luckily I'll be working from home!

 

I know it's a 'him' problem but given that it's not an oversized/doubling-up battening issue (that could be replaced by ones of the correct size) I feel like the only thing he can really do with the inevitable gap is fill it with something. That sounds okay, I suppose? It is afterall likely what I was going to do if the roofer remained incommunicado. Please do play devil's advocate with me though.

He could remove the ventilation strip, as you don't have / need one, ergo neither does the neighbour.

 

I am guessing he has put these in in ignorance, as if the ridge is not ventilated then there cannot be any adventitious airflow. I'd say to ask for them to be removed, not just some crappy mortar mix packed into the gaps......IMHO this is a bodge fix and I wouldn't be happy with it at all.

[MJNewton]

Their dry ridge has ventilation built into (under) it so presumably airflow coming through their eaves strips does now have an exit path.

 

When I suspected we had possible condensation in our loft I just fitted felt lap vents and that seemed to do the trick and so this would've likely been sufficient for them and I would've suggested trying it had they mentioned they had an issue. I think the breathable felt we've got in these roofs is all well and good when new, but as it gets dirty I think it inevitably loses some/all of that breathability.