My roofers replaced all but one of the roof tiles that they damaged during work

[Learner0524]

Hi, I have some roofers working on my roof for a repair. The work last four days. They did not use a roof ladder.

During the work, some of the tiles were cracked. They replaced all of them but one. The one that they did not replace was right under the mortar ridge. They said this tile can only be replaced after removing some of the mortar ridge, which they want to avoid. As such they simply used a black material to seal the gap (see the attached Picture 1). Would this be an enough fix? Should I insist them to replace this cracked tile?

Also, what would be your comment on the fact that they did not use a roof ladder. I saw some books suggested that a roof ladder should be used (See Picture 2)

Picture 1

Picture 2: From Collins Complete DIY Manual, Page 127 (here)

 

[Nige F]

what did they do over 4 days ?

 

[Learner0524]

They lifted coping stones on two parapet walls, added DPC, and then re-sit the stones. They also hacked off the old mortar on the parapet walls (three surfaces, each about 12 feet long and one feet tall) and rendered new layers. They also fixed/replaced some old lead flashings.

 

[Fred Blogs]

It is absolutely of no consequence as far as this forum and your question is concerned as to "what they did." They broke your tiles and they should replace your tiles. Also yes they should have used roof ladders although when I had my roof done a while back the roofers who did it did not use roof ladders. Mind you I had all my latts and tiles replaced so roof ladders would have been a hinderance. Those are old tiles and as such will have become brittle and easy to break. That little thin bit of lipstick they have smeared on could well already be leaking or it will leak. If they have to lift the mortar ridge so be it, they broke the tile so they should replace the tile.

 

[HERTS P&D]

To the OP, what was the total cost of the work completed?

Andy

 

[phatboy]

If they have fully bonded that tile with adhesive, it should be absolutely fine. Some damage is inevitable when working on roofs I think, a roof ladder won't really help. The repair seems fair enough to me, if it's sealed well. Lifting the ridge would be a fair amount of work, and really wouldn't be necessary.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Part of the reason for the usage of roof ladders, is the avoid damage to fragile tiles, the other being that of safety - something to hang on to when working. It would be no surprise that the broke tiles working without a ladder, if their full weight was placed on the tiles and you should expect ALL damaged tiles to be replaced, at their cost. That repair is just a botch at best, and will not last, it needs a new tile to be fitted, at their cost.

 

[Learner0524]

To the OP, what was the total cost of the work completed?

Andy

The details and the scope of work scope really matter, so the numbers here may not be a good reference for other projects (if that is what you have in mind). I received multiple quotes for the job. The quoted prices ranged from £1,500 to $6,000 and there is also a trust issue -- whether or not the roofer would end up being a cowboy. At the end, I considered all factors and go with one whose quoted price is in the middle of the range.

( This work is done in the South West of England. The property is a 2-storey Victorian terraced house.)

By the way, there was also a side story ... there was a roofer R who came and said their offer was for me to pay £1,000 up front -- for setting up a scaffold and then to do a "roof survey" -- and only after that they would give us a quotation on the actual repair work. I don't think this is a fair deal. Mainly because I would then be half-committed to their service before even having a rough idea of how much the work would cost (if I backed out, I would have to spend money on another scaffold). So I rejected this offer. And later, I had other roofers came to prepare for the quotation. And some (2 out of 6) of them just climbed out -- without needing a scaffold -- to inspect the condition of the roof. So this seems to have confirmed my earlier judgement that what R offered was not a fair deal (nor a common practice in the trade). Yet, this company seems to have good resputation (from their Facebook page), so, who knows?! ‍¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Learner0524]

Part of the reason for the usage of roof ladders, is the avoid damage to fragile tiles, the other being that of safety - something to hang on to when working. It would be no surprise that the broke tiles working without a ladder, if their full weight was placed on the tiles and you should expect ALL damaged tiles to be replaced, at their cost. That repair is just a botch at best, and will not last, it needs a new tile to be fitted, at their cost.

I am debating myself with two contradictory angles:

To accept the current fix:

1. The tiles are not the only defense against rain water -- there is also a breathable felt below, and it can catch any water that breaches the tiles. So the crack may seems more serious that it looks.

2. The cracked tile is the top row and sits right under the mortar ridge (not a dry ridge). To replace it would necesitate lifting the ridge, which may open up another can of worm. ( The roof did replace other cracked tiles that can be easily replaced. )

To insist on replacing the cracked tile:

1. Even though there is a breathable felt below the tile, a cracked tile still mean a weakened defense. Why settle for it?

2. Lifting the ridge is not a big deal for a competent roofer.

What do you think?

 

[datarebal]

Roof ladders do not prevent tile damage totally .they make access easier on some coverings
The damaged tile would best be replaced.
So, how did they actually access the roof ?

 

[Learner0524]

Roof ladders do not prevent tile damage totally .they make access easier on some coverings
The damaged tile would best be replaced.
So, how did they actually access the roof ?

There was a scaffold which provided access to the bottom of the pitched roof. The roofers then walked/climbed up the pitched roof.

 

[datarebal]

respect, those doble romans don't take foot traffic well.
did they happen to slip a few out and work off the battens by any chance

 

[Learner0524]

Just an update on my roof -- in case you are interested. I insisted that the cracked tile must be replaced, and the roofer relented. It turned out that changing the tile (the ridge had to be lifted) was not that difficult and could be done within an hour. Attached is a picture after this fix.

 

[datarebal]

It's a mess