Flat Roof Leak - Help Please

[D Walker]

I’d change it too fibre glass or rubber if you can stretch too it..
That looks a terrible effort..

 

[Gazcw]

No one has mentioned the obvious low area and puddle although that is probably falling awsy from the leak. Also is this a new piece over the existing as a different colour? It could be coming in anywhere with that amount of joints.

 

[Navcorr]

Roof is 6 years old.

What guarantee did you get? Roofers in Edinburgh typically offer 10 years for felt as standard.
Agree with lifes2short - if installed properly and maintained there's no reason it won't last.

 

[Scaf]

Like others have said, the chimney area is a mess and needs redoing, get the original roofer back to do that area properly.
Am guessing roofing the whole lot have will involve Scaffolding so worth starting with the chimney.
Shouldn’t cost more that a few hundred quid to sort even if you had to pay.
What area are you in ?

 

[rossyl]

North London.

NOTE - that since that photo was taken, the felt was properly burned on, so all the joins should be good. Appreciate that there are a lot of them.

The roof was done 6 years ago, it's not a recent job and getting anyone back is not going to happen.

It is also now covered in Cromapol about an inch thick! so will be a bit of a mess.

Really this needs someone who knows what they are doing to look at it.

Alternatively, I will keep applying Cromapol!

 

[lifes2short]

North London.

NOTE - that since that photo was taken, the felt was properly burned on, so all the joins should be good. Appreciate that there are a lot of them.

The roof was done 6 years ago, it's not a recent job and getting anyone back is not going to happen.

It is also now covered in Cromapol about an inch thick! so will be a bit of a mess.

Really this needs someone who knows what they are doing to look at it.

Alternatively, I will keep applying Cromapol!

was it a 3 layer felt system, it's a tried and tested method and would last well over 20 years, get a good flat roofer to strip the felt off chimney and see how things look, you may need to extend felt upstand and then get a leadworker to weld up a proper lead tray/flashing that's chased in to the brickwork, that's where a lot of trades get it wrong and don't give it enough thought and leaks eventually happen. It may also be worth removing all the chimney pots and rebedding down with strong mortar. If the entire roof is now a mess it may be worth biting the bullet and re roofing the entire roof, not a fan of fibreglass as it can crack in some situations, EPDM is fine but can puncture and need a good surface to apply to it's more suited to new build, 3 layer felt system is the way to go on yours if you chose to reroof, Be very careful who you use as everyone seems to be a flat roofer these days

 

[Scaf]

North London.

NOTE - that since that photo was taken, the felt was properly burned on, so all the joins should be good. Appreciate that there are a lot of them.

The roof was done 6 years ago, it's not a recent job and getting anyone back is not going to happen.

It is also now covered in Cromapol about an inch thick! so will be a bit of a mess.

Really this needs someone who knows what they are doing to look at it.

Alternatively, I will keep applying Cromapol!

I doubt anyone one will touch it given it’s covered with an inch of Cromapol - so unless you fix it yourself you might be pushed into a new roof.
Good luck !!

 

[lifes2short]

I doubt anyone one will touch it given it’s covered with an inch of Cromapol -

indeed, a professional roofer will probably steer clear now unfortunately, I'm sure there are plenty of bodgers that will be more than happy to have a go

 

[2b1ask1]

I had the flat roofed at home replaced last year with fibreglass. A local firm of Albanians who also did the main roof re-ridging and have replaced all the windows and doors at the back. Pretty reliable and very reasonable rates. Not sure if they will go over to you Ross but I can ask. Yes you will need scaffolding, probably £1,500 there alone.

 

[rossyl]

Thanks guys.

Looks like the roofer's I have called round have just been bodger's then. Oh well. Given it is already covered in Cromapol, I may as we stick some more on.

I really do not feel like replacing an entire flat roof on top of a 3 storey house, when the roof is only 6 years old. And I paid for that then.

I'm guessing it is 3 layer felt - I have no idea. But it was built recently, as part of a new loft extension, that confirmed to building regs and was checked (was a private Building Inspector, employed by us). So they probably built to the right spec, as I remember there being an argument about roof insulation, but just finished very poorly.

Cromapol it is then!

 

[rossyl]

ADVICE and HELP PLEASE!!

This is how the roof originally looked, we have been told (by you guys) that's it's 'Join City' - with lots of joins and insufficient flashing on the walls either side of and on the chimney.




THEN THIS HAPPENED...

We had a roofer who "burned on" all the joints around the chimney. The leak still kept coming.
Roofer's second attempt was to cover it in Roofing Acrylic Paint. It slowed the Leak, but did not stop it.

We then did a second coat of Cromapol, acrylic roofing paint.

You can see the whole chimney is covered in Cromapol.
The bit in front of the chimney is covered in Crompaol.
A bit either side of the chimney is covered in Cromapol.


NEXT STEPS - ADVICE PLEASE:

Should I:
1. Try and get someone to add flashings, or has that ship sailed due to the Cromapol.

2. Go up there and cover more area in Cromapol - if so where?
I can see areas where water is pooling. I an see joins on the wall that i could maybe cover. What do you think?

This leak is really really annoying - so advice is much appreciated. Thanks

I would be grateful for opinions:


Here is what it looks like now, took this today (using a GoPro on a stick) an hour after it rained





Thanks

 

[lifes2short]

well you did have a nice looking roof before all that cromacrap on top, just made an easy fault find job pretty much impossible now short of stripping the entire lot and starting again, my advice would now be to cut a small section of plasterboard out and see exactly where your leak is otherwise you're just pissing in the wind, sorry for the doom and gloom but best say it as i see it

 

[sionie1]

I’d agree, when you could see the joints etc you had a chance of fault finding, now you’re best doing the reverse engineering bit from inside. For me given the quality and number of the joins it’s highly likely coming from there, maybe between the copings, but water can be driven under and along. Was the felt under the cement haunching on the chimney it just burnt onto it?
At this point I’d be going back to basics and getting it done again by a roofer with a guarantee. Its false economy to keep going up there chucking stuff on it in the hope you’ll hit the spot, as if you don’t you’ll end up getting the pros in, who will charge you extra for clearing off the cromapoo, and in the meantime you’ll be getting more water into the fabric of your ceilings etc.

 

[rossyl]

I'm not sure exactly how the felt under the cement haunching was attached. I know that when it was "fixed" what was there was burnt on to make sure it was properly down.

Given that I had two roofers out, one coming highly recommended, and both said seal it with something similar to cromapol, I don't feel that I could have gone that wrong.

I'm fairly far off ripping it all up when the leak is so small.

 

[lifes2short]

remove your downlight and stick a cavity inspection/borescope camera in there, most sparkies have one or buy a cheap one, might be money well spent

 

[safrane]

View attachment 74073I'm not sure exactly how the felt under the cement haunching was attached. I know that when it was "fixed" what was there was burnt on to make sure it was properly down.

Given that I had two roofers out, one coming highly recommended, and both said seal it with something similar to cromapol, I don't feel that I could have gone that wrong.

I'm fairly far off ripping it all up when the leak is so small.

Looks like it is coming down the wall.

 

[Phil H]

Can you remove the light and get a camera close enough to see where the leak is?

PH

OOPS, beat me to it.

 

[rossyl]

Sods law, the joist runs right in front of the leak spot.

Everywhere that I could see was dry.

So i'm guessing it has got to be coming down the wall, or, somehow down the chimney?

 

[Scaf]

Sods law, the joist runs right in front of the leak spot.

Everywhere that I could see was dry.

So i'm guessing it has got to be coming down the wall, or, somehow down the chimney?

I hope that wire isn't live

 

[rossyl]

Forgot to possibly importantly mention.

The fireplaces/chimney breast have been removed on our side of the house. The chimney's remain, I'm not sure what they are doing, but, there is no chimney breast in the house at all. It was removed approx 6 years ago, when the loft extension was done.

Building control seemed good, they were private and chosen by us, so I think it was a job done well.