Lead valley replacement

[leezer3]

It never rains, but it pours
Replaced the boiler this spring, and now I've got a leaking lead valley
From the inside, you can see the bottom foot or so of board is visibly rotten (~12ft- 13ft length), and there is a small amount of water ingress. Outside, the lead has been gone over several times with bitumen and generally isn't in particularly decent shape.
There are also couple of tiles which require repointing at the same time.

After having had several people around, the verdicts look like this:
1. Calls himself a 'lead specialist', and would replace with new Code 5 lead. Claims that a lot of other people don't do something so that there are bits of 'new' felt overlapping under the lead. £1300 assuming it's only the bottom support board with rotten wood, or £1500 if there are hidden problems further up/ with the rafter.
2. Had a 10 second peer at the inside of the roof and a whip with a tapemeasure. Still waiting for full quote details, but was verbally given a figure of ~£850.
3. Same basic concerns/ methodology as the first chap, but I'm waiting for figures. Said he'd need to hire different scaffolding to his usual as the space is tight. (4ft gap between the house & a 6ft high fence; Plenty of space to go backwards)

Thoughts please gents?

 

[datarebal]

It's the how long is the string thing ...
Firstly, I am guessing it's a slate roof?
Access, scaffold can be expensive.. how high?
if the layboards are rotten then hopefully nothing else is...
but have another good look inside the loft, check structural timbers including wall plate if you can see it.

One other thought, if you go with the code 5 guy, watch for the colour of the tape on the lead roll... it should be red.

Pictures are always best.

 

[leezer3]

It's pretty standard tiles AFAIK.
Number three has now provided a quote of £1286, to include new lead, felt overlapping & replacing rotten boards as appropriate. He doesn't specify the lead type, but does provide a 10 year insurance backed warranty.

The height isn't anything special, just a standard terrace roof.
Ought to have some inside piccies too? I can't feel or see anything rotten other than the obvious board (The stuff on the rafters is surface crap only, although I can't see/ feel the tops of them)

Untitled

• leezer3
• 17 Aug 2011
• 1

Untitled

• leezer3
• 17 Aug 2011
• 1

 

[datarebal]

I'd get those rafters treated by a specialist while they are exposed.

For the valley works they sound a tad expensive, but we cant see what access is like etc etc

 

[leezer3]

I'd get those rafters treated by a specialist while they are exposed.

For the valley works they sound a tad expensive, but we cant see what access is like etc etc

Treated for what?
I've got a dry rot guarantee somewhere dating from the 1980s when the roof was replaced if that's what you mean?

Access isn't bad, if a little narrow. I'll try and get a picture at some stage tomorrow.

Cheers

 

[datarebal]

Get the rot guy's back to check.

Probably just wet rot from the leak, but does not look healthy to me..

 

[xfr]

Why code 5 code 4 is more than adequate for a valley.
even with scaffold 1500 notes is well over the top
i suggest you get several more quotes

 

[leezer3]

I dunno why Code 5 specifically, all I can tell you is that's whats in the quote

The final quote now looks like this:
£1020 inc. VAT (£850 figure turns out to be ex. VAT) Again using Code 5 lead, but also proposes to take off the tiles for 1m on either side (Next rafters I think), and replace battens and felt.

This looks a better figure (?), but I dunno how much the insurance backed guarantee from #2 is likely to be worth, and for that matter how much you *need* to strip back?


With regards to the stuff on the rafter, it's all surface crap as far as I can tell, plus some detritus from wasps nests. (The one at the right of the picture is the second I've had up here, both killed appropriately)

 

[BethesdaSlate]

Sounds like you've had a pretty reasonable price at £850+vat - and using code 5 lead, all the better.

Companys that are able to offer insurance backed guarantees would normally charge around £25 for this (sometimes included in the quote).

It's a pretty simple thing to give the timbers a quick coat of Cuprinol or something similar when they're exposed during the work - certainly wouldn't do any harm! Unless they have gone too soft due to the wet rot, then you'd need to replace.