Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
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Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Hi, I'm seeking some advice about a leaking roof in a property I am renting.
Background
I've been renting a bungalow for the last three years. Ever since I moved in, there was a patch of damp on the ceiling in the kitchen. It was patched up around three times, but would always reappear after a few months.
It appeared again in June of last year. The landlord arranged for some people to fix it, but three times they were scheduled to visit and each time the people didn't turn up. The landlord arranged with someone else, but then told me that that had fallen through and no further arrangements were made.
So winter came, and, when the snow appeared, it cracked the roof and I woke up to find water damage to the ceilings of three rooms, with very large pools of red water on the floor in two rooms (fortunately, the tiled kitchen and bathroom). The landlord arranged for the whole roof layer to be redone, which was a bit of a nightmare for me and my neighbours as it was the days around Christmas, and also because the roofers trashed my front garden.
Current situation
In March this year, a new damp patch appeared in my living room. The roofers came and did a bit of repairing, but when rain came again, the damp patch grew and new ones appeared.
Five months later, there are now eight damp patches in three rooms. The roofers have been back five times now to "do repairs", but the patches keep growing and new ones appear.
It's really getting me down as it's not pleasant spending time in a room with lots of growing damp patches, and so I've not been spending much time in my living room. I like to play the piano, and I have one in the living room, but haven't played for months now because of the damp patches.
My tenancy contract finishes in a couple of months and I'm in two minds about whether to renew. The one previous damp patch, upon freezing/cracking, caused damage to the ceilings of three rooms and let large amounts of red water reach the floor in two rooms. As things stand, with eight damp patches in three rooms, I fear a disaster when snow comes again. Many of my possessions could be destroyed and the bungalow could even become uninhabitable.
So my questions are:
1) How can this roof nightmare be resolved and the damp patches be fixed?
2) I have no confidence in either these roofers' professional integrity or competence, and therefore have little confidence in the quality of the work done on the roof. If it can be confirmed that the damp patches have stopped - repair work done, ceiling repainted, and no new damp patches appearing - do you think the roof will be safe come winter?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Background
I've been renting a bungalow for the last three years. Ever since I moved in, there was a patch of damp on the ceiling in the kitchen. It was patched up around three times, but would always reappear after a few months.
It appeared again in June of last year. The landlord arranged for some people to fix it, but three times they were scheduled to visit and each time the people didn't turn up. The landlord arranged with someone else, but then told me that that had fallen through and no further arrangements were made.
So winter came, and, when the snow appeared, it cracked the roof and I woke up to find water damage to the ceilings of three rooms, with very large pools of red water on the floor in two rooms (fortunately, the tiled kitchen and bathroom). The landlord arranged for the whole roof layer to be redone, which was a bit of a nightmare for me and my neighbours as it was the days around Christmas, and also because the roofers trashed my front garden.
Current situation
In March this year, a new damp patch appeared in my living room. The roofers came and did a bit of repairing, but when rain came again, the damp patch grew and new ones appeared.
Five months later, there are now eight damp patches in three rooms. The roofers have been back five times now to "do repairs", but the patches keep growing and new ones appear.
It's really getting me down as it's not pleasant spending time in a room with lots of growing damp patches, and so I've not been spending much time in my living room. I like to play the piano, and I have one in the living room, but haven't played for months now because of the damp patches.
My tenancy contract finishes in a couple of months and I'm in two minds about whether to renew. The one previous damp patch, upon freezing/cracking, caused damage to the ceilings of three rooms and let large amounts of red water reach the floor in two rooms. As things stand, with eight damp patches in three rooms, I fear a disaster when snow comes again. Many of my possessions could be destroyed and the bungalow could even become uninhabitable.
So my questions are:
1) How can this roof nightmare be resolved and the damp patches be fixed?
2) I have no confidence in either these roofers' professional integrity or competence, and therefore have little confidence in the quality of the work done on the roof. If it can be confirmed that the damp patches have stopped - repair work done, ceiling repainted, and no new damp patches appearing - do you think the roof will be safe come winter?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
- Someone-Else
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Move out.
Sorry, but either your landlord does not care, or does not / can not want to spend the money
Sorry, but either your landlord does not care, or does not / can not want to spend the money
Above are my opinions Below is my signature.
Would you hit a nail with a shoe because you don't have a hammer? of course not, then why work on anything electrical without a means of testing Click Here to buy a "tester" just because it works, does NOT mean it is safe.
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Would you hit a nail with a shoe because you don't have a hammer? of course not, then why work on anything electrical without a means of testing Click Here to buy a "tester" just because it works, does NOT mean it is safe.
If gloom had a voice, it would be me.
Click Here for a video how to add/change pictures
Inept people use the QUOTE BUTTON instead of the QUICK REPLY section
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- Someone-Else
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Not being awkward, but to whom should he report them and what for?Rorschach wrote:Report the landlord.
Could the LL say is he has had builders round and it should be fixed.
Above are my opinions Below is my signature.
Would you hit a nail with a shoe because you don't have a hammer? of course not, then why work on anything electrical without a means of testing Click Here to buy a "tester" just because it works, does NOT mean it is safe.
If gloom had a voice, it would be me.
Click Here for a video how to add/change pictures
Inept people use the QUOTE BUTTON instead of the QUICK REPLY section
Would you hit a nail with a shoe because you don't have a hammer? of course not, then why work on anything electrical without a means of testing Click Here to buy a "tester" just because it works, does NOT mean it is safe.
If gloom had a voice, it would be me.
Click Here for a video how to add/change pictures
Inept people use the QUOTE BUTTON instead of the QUICK REPLY section
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housi ... -landlord/
I hope you have been taking notes and pictures of the problems. You would be well within your rights to take your landlord to court for damages to your proporty, loss of your time and probably emotional distress.
If you don't feel you are up to this then move and make sure afterwards you spread the news about him/her far and wide. The best way to hurt a landlord is in their pocket.
I hope you have been taking notes and pictures of the problems. You would be well within your rights to take your landlord to court for damages to your proporty, loss of your time and probably emotional distress.
If you don't feel you are up to this then move and make sure afterwards you spread the news about him/her far and wide. The best way to hurt a landlord is in their pocket.
- wine~o
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Red water ??? is that correct ?
Verwood Handyman
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Thanks for the feedback.
The landlord will say, as he has said, that he spent 4,000 pounds re-layering the whole roof when it cracked last winter, and that he has a 10-year guarantee on the work done. Although, with eight damp patches now, the roof seems to be in a clearly worse state than it was before.
What about the roof itself? How could it be fixed for sure? Also, what in your opinion do you think is a reasonable timescale for getting a roof fixed properly after a leak - as I say, it's now five months since the latest leak appeared. Last year's leak was not fixed, and over six months passed before the roof cracked.
The landlord will say, as he has said, that he spent 4,000 pounds re-layering the whole roof when it cracked last winter, and that he has a 10-year guarantee on the work done. Although, with eight damp patches now, the roof seems to be in a clearly worse state than it was before.
What about the roof itself? How could it be fixed for sure? Also, what in your opinion do you think is a reasonable timescale for getting a roof fixed properly after a leak - as I say, it's now five months since the latest leak appeared. Last year's leak was not fixed, and over six months passed before the roof cracked.
Yeah, it was orangey-red water, presumably picked up as the water passed through the roof layer.wine~o wrote: Red water ??? is that correct ?
- wine~o
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
orangey/red water would suggest oxidised/rusted water to me. Could it be a leaking CH pipe in the loft space rather than a roof leak ?
Have you been into the loft to check for leaks in either the roof or elsewhere ? damp insulation should be a giveaway.
Have you been into the loft to check for leaks in either the roof or elsewhere ? damp insulation should be a giveaway.
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
well I think you have answered your own question - start looking for somewhere else
If its not getting repaired now what makes you think its going to get sorted anytime soon - what ever you do, Do NOT withhold rent
If its not getting repaired now what makes you think its going to get sorted anytime soon - what ever you do, Do NOT withhold rent
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
It's a flat-roofed bungalow without any loft space or high pipes.wine~o wrote: orangey/red water would suggest oxidised/rusted water to me. Could it be a leaking CH pipe in the loft space rather than a roof leak ?
Have you been into the loft to check for leaks in either the roof or elsewhere ? damp insulation should be a giveaway.
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
I got an email from him a week ago saying he wants to get the roof fixed "as soon as possible", although I haven't heard from him since. He also said it was "very fixable", presumably what the roofers told him, although since they've already tried to fix it five times without success, this would not seem to be the case.Bob225 wrote:well I think you have answered your own question - start looking for somewhere else
If its not getting repaired now what makes you think its going to get sorted anytime soon - what ever you do, Do NOT withhold rent
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Flat roofed bungalow ? in that case get some pics up internally and externally.
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Pics of the roof above these areas please. Not tonight obvs.
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Re: Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
I think it might not be so easy for me to get on the roof.wine~o wrote:Pics of the roof above these areas please. Not tonight obvs.
What practical steps can be taken regarding the roof? I don't have much knowledge on this subject.
It seems that it would make sense to me to put some primer paint or something over the damp patches to better assess whether there is further damp coming through. Sensible course of action?
I've also read about taking a hose to water sections of the roof at a time to see whether water comes through. It seems as if this could be a slow process, though, as the damp patches appear to grow in appearance the day after rain.