Roof Verge

[Marky Boy]

Hi all,

I moved into a new build house in late Dec 2006. At the start of Jan 2007 while I noticed that the leading dry verge on the roof had fallen off. I sent a fax to the builders with all my snagging stating this.

I came home yesterday to find the next piece of dry verge had fallen off. So I phone them and demanded that this be sorted. They claim that it is the result of storm damage and that they are not liable for it, and that i should claim on my insurance.

Fair enough there have been some strong winds over the winter. But surely if the thing were fitted correctly it would not have come off after less than a month.

Anyhow does anyone know where I stand with this? The house is covered by the NHBC. I am unwilling to claim on my insurance for this as it is just 2 bits of plastic. Should the builder not fix this?

Thanks

 

[Nige F]

may *just* be 2 bits of plastic ...........but if it were me .........I`d drive to the HQ of the builders and stick the plastic up the M.D.`s arse.............get the NHBC involved , but don`t spend £ with them unless you have to . the property should be constructed to withstand the elements that it would normally encounter also find whose dry verge system it is .............eg Marley.............and get a rep to look @ it F.O.C.

 

[Marky Boy]

It is Marley that made the things.

I think your right with what you say about it being constructed to withstand elements that it would normally encounter. It’s like the roof leaking and them saying that it was heavier than usual rain so it is storm damage.

It just wanted to get peoples views before i take this any further, like taking it to the NHBC.

Thanks for your reply Nige, much appreciated.

 

[daverik]

First of all I would get a local roofing company in to inspect and photograph the fixings. Marley will not come out unless there is a possibility of defective goods. The builders will try and blame the inspectors as they will have signed it off as finished to standards required.

The probable cause is wrong fitting procedure. When the roof was inspected and passed it will have been looked at from ground level(ridiculous really) and as the roof is sealed(supposedly) and covered they cannot see the fixing procedure. Dont give up on the builder and NHBC as they should fix the problem. Why should you start to get a claim going with your insurance company already and the possibility of becoming " a serial" claimer when they are at fault. Try the roofing company approach if you have no joy. Also the supply of goods act and citizens advice.

Good luck

 

[Marky Boy]

I have now taken photos of the problem with this verge and sent them to the technical guys at marley.

It looks like my house is not the only one in the development with this problem also.

Ill let you know what happens.

 

[daverik]

I think you will find, if others have the same problem, is wrong fitting precedure. Unlikely the quality of manufacture.

 

[Nige F]

Marley=Well respected Company been in business for years.........Roofers= of course it`ll be incorrect install

 

[Marky Boy]

Just for your information. This is a picture of the problem.

I have noticed on some of the houses there is what looks like a fixing going through the last piece of the verge. See the picture below. Can any one confirm what it actually is?

Many thanks for all your help so far.

Mark

 

[Roofer]

As previously stated it must be installer error but in this instance it is a little strange as it's almost more difficult to fix the dry verge units incorrectly than to do it right.

The most common mistake made by an inexperienced roofer is to cut the battens flush with the barge board as would be the norm with a bedded verge; but as you see the battens overhang correctly.

The MO for dry verge is to commence at the bottom (eave) tile and insert a starter piece into the verge unit which is nailed to the fascia. It would seem that on your development starter pieces were not ordered and Dry Ridge screws with foam washers were used to hold back the bottom of the first Dry Verge unit, whilst this is not as the manufacturer's design IMO it would be acceptable but only if it is securely fixed which is obviously not the case in your photo.

Subsequent verge units lock bottom-to-top with each other and the tops are nailed back into the ends of the battens with ring-shanked aluminium nails.

This is where it is difficult to believe the roofers have done it incorrectly as the nails are supplied with the verge units and nailing into the end of the batten is so easy to do, the verge units would not even self support without this fixing, and even if they had lost the RS nails any other nail would be adequate really.

The only other clue that may indicate incorrect fixing is what appears to be nail holes in the barge board just under the battens, perhaps they'd try to fix the verge units with nails into the bb instead of the battens, who knows?

Anyway, as I and others have said: it is installer error.

 

[Nige F]

The simpler things get.............the more they are bodged Long live the Brit. Housing Market

 

[Roofer]

Incidentally I'm sure those battens are 25x38mm, the current standard for interlocking tiles is 25x50mm and has been for some time.

You definitely should get the builder to sort out your problems and threaten them with the NHBC

 

[Marky Boy]

Hi there. Thanks so much for your support and comments on this matter. I'm going to phone them in a moment to see what they have to say for themselves.

I showed the photos to a freind of mine who has been building houses for years and is now quite high up in a large established company.

His comments were "storm damage". I was like what???. He replied "Thats what I would tell the punters if it were me". He said that it is standard for them to try and wriggle out of this. He reckons that the fixings are missing, and this is the cause of failure. He also reckons that the overhang of the batons looks too short.

He said threaten them with the NHBC if they do not budge, and also the fact if they get involved and find my roof is not correct they will want to investigate all the roofs in the development and the builder repair them all.

Fingers crossed.

Thanks again.