Ultraframe Roof leaks, why?

[Honesty]

My Ultraframe roofing system leaked. On inspection the trim running down the side of the glass panel is cut into sections, where the roof bars meet the valley.

What is the point of cutting this trim?

Valley

• Honesty
• 19 Aug 2013
• 1

Trim thats fallen off

• Honesty
• 19 Aug 2013
• 1

Gaps

• Honesty
• 19 Aug 2013
• 1

Gaps

• Honesty
• 19 Aug 2013
• 1

Gaps

• Honesty
• 19 Aug 2013
• 1

 

[tony1851]

Did you use a camara or a microscope?

 

[Gazman16]

Those are the glass end covers. They have been cut poorly but I very much dought that would have anything to do with a leak.

While you have them exposed though it would be a good idea to take them off and run a bead of silicone across the top edge of them before replacing.
The idea of them is to protect the most vulnerable part of the units from the elements (the seals). With them sealed on the top edge any water should run over the trim instead of soaking the edge of the units which would cause them to mist up prematurely.

Can you show some pics of where the water is coming through and some pics of the conservatory as a whole?

 

[s60tsy]

Leaks aren't necessarily coming from where it's dripping, start near the top and look at any joints along the ridge, check they are sealed etc. then check all beads are knocked down properly and no sheets have slipped. If you water test it dont spray straight at the roof or it will leak, let the water fall like rain

 

[Honesty]

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, been on a bit of a break.

Thanks to s60tsy & Gazman16 for your advice / comments.

A number of the outer roofing caps have slipped and a lot of the caps do not seem tight against the glass. Inside and out.

I wonder if its because the glass units for the roof didn't come from Ultraframe, they came from Glass Systems Ltd.

In response to Gazman16. I guess I can look forward to the 10' x 2' 6" glass panel misting up soon, as two 3" sections of the brown glass trim protecting the glass seal have been cut away and fitted badly by the installer.

I have attached another photo. This time of the inside of the conservatory, at the bottom of the valley. This is one of the places the water is entering.


I will upload the video to Youtube soon, to show where the water is running into the conservatory.

 

[Gazman16]

Ive got pretty good eyesite but that last pic is tiny lol.
Are the top caps knocked right down to the last clip? If so could you measure the overall thickness of the roof units when you get the chance.

Im not 100% sure about about Ultraframe but I think most roof systems are designed for a 24mm unit now-a-days.

 

[Honesty]

Hopefully you can see from the attached pics, the capping is not fully engaged into the last clip on the left hand side of each capping, but the caps will not go down any further.

I have attached the Youtube link to an old video I made (that I sent to people who wanted to see the kind of workmanship of the installer, Greenway Home Improvements were conducting) showing the outer roofing caps and the internal cap moving.

http://youtu.be/3YXqTpyWkZU

 

[s60tsy]

I only saw the first half of the vid but to me it looks like the ultra frame system is at fault not the fitters, the beads have slid down away from the hips and you can push up on the glass because the beads aren't strong enough, im sure ultra frame do an Ali bead tho which should help?

 

[catlad]

If its all loose, then I would say you have the wrong glazing bars.

 

[s60tsy]

glazing bars look right to me, i think the beads need replacing if they are slack, foiled beads have been known to become 'slack' and slide down the bar creating a leak point near the top or anywhere along the seal.

 

[Honesty]

I only saw the first half of the vid but to me it looks like the ultra frame system is at fault not the fitters, the beads have slid down away from the hips and you can push up on the glass because the beads aren't strong enough, im sure ultra frame do an Ali bead tho which should help?

You should see the rest of the video, especially the small selection of still photos. It shows some of the finished work left by Greenway fitters Steve, John & Rob.

It shows the lack of professionalism by the Greenway fitters. The fitters would have known the Ultraframe Roofing system wasn't correct when they fitted it and allegedly conducted Greenway's final checks.

Yet, getting back to why I'm on this site. Thanks for the information regarding the Ultraframe Roofing System Problems.

My opinion of Ultraframe Roofing Systems has gone down.