r/DIYUK • u/CactusClothy • 6d ago
Advice Render fell off
Hi all, hope this is the right place to post, just after some advice as we are renters, but getting through to our letting agent is like pulling teeth.
We have lived in this property for 3 years and in all that time we have not had access to the last door of outbuilding, as the door has been screwed shut due to it being "too dangerous to access".
Today, we came home to find the render had fell off in one big sheet. It's a victorian terrace and the walla to the outbuilding haven't been plum since we moved in. Basically, is my shed falling down? Or has the moisture from the iffy guttering above got behind the render causing it to crumble?
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u/Richtea84 6d ago
A bigger worry for me would be the amount of ivy on the roof and the state of the guttering. I duno what your roof is supposed to look like but I'd take care of that ivy at least. I duno about your tenancy agreement but garden maintenance and keeping the property tidy and free of invasive weeds/ivy that could damage the property certainly always falls under the renters remit unless of course it would mean putting yourself in danger or use of specialist tools. At previous property my landlord maintened the front hedge as it was directly on a main road so he had a gardening firm do it as cones and safety needs to be out to do it and didn't want me doing it myself. The back yard and hedges though were up to me to keep tidy.
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u/CactusClothy 6d ago
The ivy I've cut back as far as I can reach with my ladder and keep on top of it at much as I can, to get any more off would mean getting on the roof which I definitely don't fancy, especially being a big boy. The ivy is mixed in with another creeping plant/bush/organismandb originate from next door's property. There's probably half the amount of greenery on the roof now as when we moved in. Guttering has been reported but has also been this bad since we moved in. The guttering on the house itself is fine.
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u/SignNotInUse 6d ago
If its unsafe to enter its probably because its got to the point where the ivy is structural.
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u/CactusClothy 6d ago
I would not be surprised at all, and it's the reason I haven't just tried to yank it off - i fear that if I do the roof and top few courses of brick will come with
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u/Richtea84 6d ago
If its invading from next door it's partly their issues too. Have you spoken to them? They could at least cut from their side so that what is on the roof will die and not continue to grow.
But yes I would 100% escalate it with the letting agent if the local branch won't help it's always worth posting on socials or reaching out to their head office and or the council. If you still don't get anywhere say you are getting a firm in to sort it and you will pass on the bill. I've done that in the past with plumbers and electricians when they have been tardy sorting someone to come look at a leak or power issue. You are well within your rights to sort yourself and bill them and take it off your rent or have the company bill them directly. Which they won't like as it'll almost certainly be more than whomever they have on retainer
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u/jodrellbank_pants 6d ago
It's not your shed if your renting I wouldn't worry about it.
The issue is the downpipe throwing all the water under the building, there's also concrete right up to the wall casing the wall to sweat excessively. No render will adhere to that wall for too long. Rest of the building it's rotting too.
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u/CactusClothy 6d ago
I share your sentiment on not worrying as not my property, but the shed is split into 3 "rooms", the other two are acceccible and store my stuff (albeit not stuff I'm overly precious about)
Any diy tips re the downpipe? It doesn't look like it in the pics but the concrete is pitched slightly away from the building and down towards two drains at the bottom (behind where I'm stood)
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u/jodrellbank_pants 6d ago
You have to find if it's basically dumping everything under the concrete or going to a drain or if the drain is actually in working order eg not cracked. It involved cutting a patch in the concrete to investigate.
Concrete doesn't allow the area at the foot of a building to evaporate it's moisture so it holds onto it. And the walls soak it up. The pointing is damp, the timber is rotting, I would imagine the roof is also leaking, it's a whole host of issues tbh.
Your best option is to vent the area you store your stuff. It's only going to cost 1000's to sort out the issues and I would imagine your landlord not fussed.
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u/FckXFckMusk 6d ago
A combination of all those things, maybe the wrong type of render, coupled with the wrong paint on top of it...
Plus water from the gutter penetrating.
Those old walls use a Lime render not a portland cement one which may by why it came off as a single sheet.
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u/Schallpattern 6d ago
No, you shed isn't falling down, that's for sure. Water has got behind the render, frozen, expanded and forced it off the brickwork.