Gutter or Slate Issue

[chuckalicious]

Hello all - been a while since I've last posted. My DIY woes have been fewer lately!

I was wondering what people thought of this situation. The front of my house has the normal setup of gutters and eaves. I have noticed that I'm getting wet marks at 2 points after it rains. It seems to be damaging the underside of the eaves as you can see where paint is flaking when you stand under it.

I have attached a photo so you can see both points.

I have had someone out to have a quick look and their response was "you should replace your gutters". Now, if that's correct, fine, but can overflowing gutters cause this kind of issue? If water flows over a gutter can it reach and damage the underside of the eaves?

What I don't want to do is get these replaced, at cost, only to find that it's a slipped slate or something else further up the roof and the water is running down then coming out inside the eaves, thus draining out the bottom and damaging it.

I cannot see the gutter/eave combination in close enough detail to tell if water flowing over the top of the gutter would flow into the eaves.

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• chuckalicious
• 11 Feb 2011
• 1

Hopefully you can see from the left hand leak in the image just how close the wet mark starts from the eave - if the water was coming out the gutter could it mark this far up?

When it is absolutely chucking it down, the gutters do struggle to cope and can overflow a little, but this water marking is occuring in light rain, when there is no overflow.

Any suggestions would be great, and apologies if you can tell absolutely bugger all from what I've said/shown!

Thanks

 

[datarebal]

It might be a gutter issue, but I personally expect its rain running over the edge of the lead valley lining at the bottom of the valley.
It is a little hard to tell from the pic exactly how it has been detailed . but I have a feeling this is the problem.

Or I guess, it could be a split in the lead further up the valley, the rain could run down the underlay and into the soffit /eaves area.

I would expect the underlay had rotted at fascia level by now

 

[chuckalicious]

Thanks for the reply.

The pic isn't great - I actually got this from Google maps - I haven't been home in daylight in weeks!

The roof isn't felted - it's original slate straight onto the wood.

I assume the only way to tell is for someone to go up and take a look yes?

What I want to avoid is a roofer simply looking from ground level and going "aye - needs new gutters". New gutters (cast iron of course), I assume, would be the most expensive option.

 

[ladylola]

I'd tend to agree daterable , likely to be a split at least on the left hand valley. On the right it looks "untidy" which may be a problem with the slates but is probably a trick of the light in the photo'. The gutters themselves look pretty sound so I don't think the problem lies there and yes cast iron would be the most expensive option.

can you get up into the roof ? You may be able to see staining that will give you another viewpoint.

 

[chuckalicious]

Unfortunately I can't see what's going on because the loft is converted so that part of the loft is really sloping internal walls/ceiling of rooms below.

I also can't spot anything from the Velux either.

I am not confident enough to go up that height on a ladder myself though so I am at the mercy of whatever roofer I get to look.

Would I be right in thinking that if someone doesn't go up and look first and just says I'd be best to replace the gutters, then don't give them the job?

 

[datarebal]

you need to get it inspected properly and not just from the ground.
I am sure it's a roof problem to do ith the lead valley.

 

[chuckalicious]

Hmm, if it's the valley that becomes tricky - the issue is right on the join between my and my neighbours property, as shown in the image below. On the left is my neighbours, on the right is my property.

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• chuckalicious
• 11 Feb 2011
• 2

If fixing a leak in a valley is straight forward and cheap I'll save the trouble of arguing who should be paying for it, but if it's a big job, I'll need to approach my neighbour. Relationship is good but when I mentioned there was an issue in passing he said that gutter was my responsibility, which is right, but it changes things if it's not the gutter, doesn't it? Or does it?

 

[datarebal]

If it's the valley then it could be straightforward, depending on the fault.
is there any chane you could take a few pics via the Velux?

 

[chuckalicious]

Ok, sorry for the delay - I've been away all weekend and only got back last night.

While I was away the roofers I have used before came round and had a look (I don't know if they actually went up) and left a quote.

The quote was to:

remove existing guttering
re-putty
re-bolt and re-hang
£390 + VAT.

So they are still saying it's the guttering causing the issue.

I have take the photos from the Velux windows. Not sure how useful they will be as I can't get a view of my neighbours valley, which is the side the leak is on.

So, from the Velux above the leak which is on the left hand side of the original photo with the red arrows:

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• chuckalicious
• 15 Feb 2011
• 1

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• chuckalicious
• 15 Feb 2011
• 1

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• chuckalicious
• 15 Feb 2011
• 1

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• chuckalicious
• 15 Feb 2011
• 1

The valley shown there is on my side, which is the opposite side to the leak.

As for the leak on the right hand side of original image, here is a couple of shots of the corner of guttering

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• chuckalicious
• 15 Feb 2011
• 1

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• chuckalicious
• 15 Feb 2011
• 1

I am going to phone someone else and ask if they'll go up, take a look and give me a quote as I want to know for sure that the correct fault is getting fixed.

 

[datarebal]

ok cant quite see enough of the details i wanted. your restricted from the velux.
I would suggest you go ahead and get another company to look at it close up.

Have you seen the gutter leak or over spill?

 

[chuckalicious]

Have called someone I've used in the past, who will be out on Saturday morning, which is good as I'll be here to show them the problem.

The gutter can overspill in really heavy rain, but I can't see it spilling over in light rain, but the water mark still appears on the wall, suggesting it's not the gutter.

 

[henseyroofing82]

Your guttering may leak but that is not what is causing you your problem, when half round 100mm gutter leaks through a join it will leak out at its lowest point which in your case is the middle of the gutter and it will drip free.
Your markings on the wall are due to water ingress somewhere further up your valley and running down the boards to eaves level, causing water to come into the soffit and travel along to where it meets the brickwork and then come out onto the bricks.

 

[datarebal]

In the first picture taken from the Velux there is a slate broken and a small slither has been slipped in in its place (12th course up) this could be a leak point it could then run down the rafter or board wetting the wall a little. Also there are a couple of others sliping reducing headlaps...
This said, It is more likely to be the valley.

 

[BethesdaSlate]

Hello

Zooming in on your very last picture, it does look like the bottom section of the lead in the valley has been previously patched, to no avail by the looks of things.

Definitely time for new lead in the valley /s, and to fix the slipping slates whilst they're at it before they land on something or someone!

Need to sort with your neighbour as it looks as though the valley in question is his property? Scaffold will be required.

Regards

 

[chuckalicious]

Not sure if my post with the photos was clear - the first row of photos are for the leak which is between me and my neighbours.

The second row of photos (the last 2) are of the guttering below the 2 Velux windows shown in the very first photo in the thread.

This leak only really started after some bad weather a couple of weeks ago.

The bad leak, on the left of the original photo, is shown by the top row of photos.

Annoyingly the guy that was supposed to be coming round today apparently went to my street address, but in Stirling, instead of my village. Possible, but I dunno.... I know I said the village name.

He'll be out next Saturday now. It can wait another week I suppose.