Garage roof felt upstand to brickwork - should it be lead?

[PenelopeS]

I had my garage re-roofed while I was on holiday - a three layer torch on polyesterised non rippable felt job. It looks like a nice job - but I have one issue that I need to resolve before I pay up. Where the flat roof meets the house I expected a nice new stretch of lead flashing along the upstanded part. Instead there's a long stretch of repointing. The garden is also covered in brickdust - so I imagine they've cut out a long channel in the brickwork, tucked the numerous layers of felt in, and repointed over the top. I've questioned the roofer, and he says this is how you do it with this new felt type and that you only need lead flashing in certain situations. As it's just not what I expected, and looks a bit 'cheap' I am just not sure if I am being conned at this point. Any advice? He's coming back on Wednesday for some minor snagging and payment. The job wasn't cheap, so I want to make sure he's not robbing me before I cough up. Thanks in advance.

 

[^woody^]

It is quite standard to turn the lead into the wall in this way, so he's done nothing wrong if this was how it was priced

Sometimes this felt upstand can pop out of the joint after a while letting water get behind it, and so a 'better' way would be to have lead flashing built into the joint and draped over the felt upstand.

Whether you get any problems with it as it is will be unknown, as it can last as long as the rest of the roof.

But if the roof gets any significant sun/shade periods over the course of a day (leading to frequent expansion/contraction of the felt) then a led cover flashing may be a better option

If lead was not included in the price, then leave it as is and have a look this time next year to see how it has coped. Then decide if it needs altering

 

[Alastairreid]

What did it say on the quote?
Anyway a lead apron is the norm in these situations.

 

[PenelopeS]

Thanks for the replies. It doesn't actually mention lead on the quote, and it looks to be well done - just every other quote I had mentioned lead flashing round the wall, and I kind of expected it! I can see that a good channel has been chased out of the wall, and the felt pushed right in, then a heavy handed job of pointing up over it all. It's the only bit that looks untidy and a little... well cheap! The builder is coming back on Wednesday, and I half expect him to say one of his lads finished it off and he hadn't seen it yet. The rest of the roof looks spot on. Just this one bit. Thanks for the advice though. Feel a bit better about it now!

 

[joe-90]

Sounds pretty gross to me. No lead and a line cut with a grinder? It should be a traditional lead job. Why ruin a job by doing that?

 

[flatroofer666]

sounds normal to me....what we do sometimes at customers request is to form a felted flashing tucked into a chase and repointed then the corse above run the diamond blade the full lenght and slide a 6" lead cover flashing and dressed over felted flashing.then run a bead of flexible "lead mate" to fill the thin cut chase...not really needed but it keeps the customers happy if there not happy about felted flashings

 

[SASroofer]

Nothing wrong with felt tucked into chase and re-pointed as long as its done properly, you have nothing to worry about.

Also theres no chance of some ***** nicking a lead flashing while your on holiday!

 

[joe-90]

Sounds like a ***** job to me. Lead flashing done in the traditional way just looks good. That alone is reason enough for me.

 

[PenelopeS]

Sounds like a ***** job to me. Lead flashing done in the traditional way just looks good. That alone is reason enough for me.

This was my first thought, hence my question - but the roofer I chose has a good reputation and has been in the business for a goodly while, and otherwise the job looks VERY good. Just not what I was expecting to see! As long as a couple of others say it's not TOO out of sorts, I'll see what he says when he comes back in the week, but I'll pay up and keep my eyes very peeled for signs of ingress.