New Roof Old House

[Dave Wight]

G'day All,

We're just having a roof renewed on our 1940s house. I'm getting a bit concerned with the quality of work being done and meeting some resistance to doing things properly- I think.

Maybe it's just me being a bit picky but I 'd appreciate some comments on the following images.. no not the image quality the roofing work.

The guy doing the work was very eager to get the work '..just love peg tile roofs.. my favourite.. here's some images of ones I've done.. ' All that sort of thing. Three months later he started the job but seems disinterested, switched off, etc. Doesn't like my appearing on the scaffolding and having a look which says a lot, to me.

Anyhow, images..

First one is the felt is over the under cloak, I did mention it to the roofer early on who insisted this was right. I've since seen info saying it should be the other way around??

Also I understand, now, that there should be not cut edges of battens in the mortar, or they should be treated, the ones in this shot are obviously cut. Treated? Not to my knowledge.
They have been cut back and the verge mortared but there are hairline cracks in the mortar already how much of a problem are these cracks? He says they're not important and don't go all the way through the mortar (x-ray vision is so useful).

The chimney. Originally it was to be rendered. He reckoned the brickwork was too bad a condition to cut the soakers into it so was going to render down over them. I was concerned the render could fail and the water run down behind it and behind the soakers. So I asked about cladding the lower chimney in lead. 'Good idea' says he. Said he needs to get 900mm wide lead, then cuts it down to less than 600mm and the second and third images are the result.

I could have cried. Not with laughter, well not at first. What a waste of good materials. I have told him to quit with the lead, please just render the lower part of the stack fit the ridge tiles and go. I don't think he's capable of doing a decent job.

But what to do about the verge? Can I seal the hairline cracks? Do I need to? It's supposed to be a new roof, good for a very long time. The nuclear option is to just throw him off the job and get someone else in to finish/ put right but life is never that easy. So any, helpful please, comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[^woody^]

He sounds crap a best but it could be incompetence. I would suggest that that is not the work of a good, knowledgeable roofer.

Got any images of the verge? It should not crack. He may have used the wrong mortar.

The chimney reminds me of an old German coastal gun emplacement. Are you on the coast, is the roofer German? I can't see that lead being any use at all.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The guy doing the work was very eager to get the work '..just love peg tile roofs.. my favourite.. here's some images of ones I've done.. '

I have seen that before, where someone has stolen images to claim as their own work. It is not difficult to do.

 

[Dave Wight]

Thanks for the replies. Didn't think anyone would spot that similarity Woody. The guns were removed just before we moved in apparently. It was the perfect place for them, overlooking the English Channel, south coast of the Isle of Wight, even SW facing just to make the most of the weather. Not saying to Island is behind the times but conscription and rationing are still going!
A couple of images of the verge below. The cracks are not so evident in these images but there are plenty of them elsewhere, I'll see if I can provide some better shots of the verge work later.

I did have a look at the guy's reviews at various places online and I think they're real enough HB, our roof looks good when seen from the right view point and from the ground. It's up close the worries start and of course the bits you can't see because they're now hidden.

As worrying is the lack of trust I now feel. I estimated the width of lead need for the chimney by simply counting the courses of bricks and measuring the same on the wall of the house. 600mm should do it I reckoned, by 6m long. He said needed 720mm or so and had to buy 900mm wide as that was the next size up. BUT the lead on the chim' is less than 600mm wide (or high if you like) . So he's cut 1/3 of it off - no doubt to give to me or throw into the skip I'm sure!

My problem is how to proceed. I'm leaning towards having him render the chim', fit the ridge tiles, take his lead away with him and go. Life's too short for all the aggro involved in trying to get him to do the job to a better standard, even if he could.

 

[datarebal]

It all looks amateurish.
Tile gauge looks a drift ,
Batten size is below regulation now
Under cloak isn't correct,
Mortar work rubbish
Lead work Cr AP and will do nothing , probably blow off.
And they are plain tiles , not peg tiles

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Under cloak isn't correct,
Mortar work rubbish

I agree, the mortar is absolute rubbish. It's up down and smeared onto the bricks underneath. Mine are the same - style that is. I did them with the help of the lad around 25 years ago, he was around 13 then. I decided the best way to make a tidy job of it, was to make up an angle iron frame about 2 foot in length to both rest on the tiles and fit below against the bricks. Starting at the lower edge, we pushed the mortar well in, let it go off a bit - long enough to be self supporting, then move the frame up a couple of foot, repeating until it was all done.

 

[^woody^]

The problem with shoddy roofing work is that things may appear to be OK (if not actually looking OK ) but things can quickly deteriorate in the first or after several bouts of bad weather.

And every time it rains you are thinking "Is today the day the roof leaks?". Stressful. So above all you need to have confidence in the job done, and if that roofer is not giving you that confidence, then he needs to go.

 

[Dave Wight]

Trouble is Woody that 95% of the work has been done. I can't see that the roof is in danger of leaking any time soon. The roof's in better condition than it was and it wasn't leaking before.
That said I wouldn't be giving anyone a guarantee on the work I've seen.

My problem is knowing how to proceed with wrapping up the last 5% of the work.

Nice idea for doing the mortar HB. I don't think this guy's brain power is up to thinking of anything like that.

Datarebal that lead is NOT going to stay there. The wife, an office wallah all her working life, said she could do a better job. Not often she voices an opinion like that. Thing is she's right
Might just get her to do the rendering. 'Like icing a cake luv'

Apparently we're waiting for some ridge tiles to arrive now, before the job can be completed, I found out today. Probably just been ordered in the last few days.
It's really not comfortable to be wondering about what we're being told about the job and the supplying of materials.
I know there are real delays but are some of the delays just down to incompetence and late ordering- maybe a cash flow problem?
The guy has been away for days on end sometimes, working short hours- in my book. Maybe to get some instant cash on shorter/ easier jobs.

I'm not used to people being dishonest and untrustworthy and I haven't had a sheltered life in any way, I have been involved in a fair bit of building work myself over the years.
Thought I was a good judge of character... until now! Ho hum, live and learn.

 

[datarebal]

There are delays across the board .
No one can predict a jump from 7 days delivery to 30 weeks . To be fair.
Not unheard of .
Leadworks, properly fitted would be a better weather proof job than render in this situation .
Cash flow ? Have you been paying him promptly ? Did you take the cheapest price ?