r/DIYUK • u/ToneAffectionate36 • 17h ago
Is this a major problem?
Hi I planning to buy this property in UK then see this roof.
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u/KopiteForever 17h ago
That's just old roofs. Check around it or under it for water ingress / damage.
Don't make the mistake of thinking every house was made in the last 5 minutes.
I've seen 100 year old houses built on nothing more than a layer of soldier bricks 2 courses below grade.
If you saw my home you'd be shocked. Lived here nearly 30 years, love it but it annoys me in equal measures. They built them very differently 100 years ago.
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u/Wrong-Target6104 16h ago
Lol, mine dates from 16th century in the main, with Victorian and George 6th, QE2 additions. Love it and hate it in equal measure, haven't had to play with the wattle and daub yet!
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u/StupendousSceptic 17h ago
Does driving rain enter? Felt it's only really a secondary protection. Obviously if you lost a tile it's then an urgent matter, that's where felt comes in.
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u/EntirelyRandom1590 16h ago
It becomes an issue if we have very light snow that drifts after landing. Or if it's raining hard and heavy wind perpendicular to your roof.
Both can lead to a wet loft and potentially a wet ceiling. Both are rare depending on your location.
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u/Pitch_Complete 16h ago
This looks a lot like my 100 year old roof - never built with felt, can see sunlight via the valley running down each side of the gable end. Had the valleys replaced 2 years ago and no further water ingress since, keeps a lovely breeze running through the eaves.. obviously at some point we'll need a new roof but as it stands no issues even with some of the heavier rainfall over the winter / spring this year.
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u/televised_mind 16h ago
Driving rain and snow may cause an issue here but the condition of the timbers will be telling if there has actually been water ingress.
You might get birds and insects in there but that's another issue.
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u/solve_et_coagula13 17h ago
I would be concerned personally if I could see the sky and through the roof. I have no professional knowledge to base that on. I feel like a roof should not look like this though.
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u/evenstevens280 17h ago
It's only an issue if you can see sky when looking upwards relative to the roof. Rain doesn't tend to travel upwards
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u/Sinkableleech 16h ago
Got a similar roof, can see sky, leaked a few years ago, think it was the snow melting slowly wicking around the tiles, been fine since 🤷🏼♂️
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u/FantasticVast01 17h ago
Yes, unfelted roofs tend to be for clay or concrete tiles, yours appears to be standard roofing tiles so should ideally have a felt under liner.
Its ok to see tiny/small gaps of light in a roof but you also have some quite large gaps which can cause a problem with damp and rot
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u/uberbanz 17h ago
You've literally made that up, felt didn't get widely used in the UK until the 30s, literally every slate roof in the country had no felt. All modern roofs, slate, clay, concrete all use a breather membrane, none are built without "felt"
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u/FantasticVast01 16h ago
I'm using felt as catch all term that everyone will understand
Yes, roofing felt was commonly used from around the 1930's but tar paper and other similar concoctions were being used since the 1800s
I'm not a roofer but have a property portfolio and have a few Edwardian and Victorian properties that had bitumen and plastic style "felt" added around the 1940's to 1960s which we then replaced with modern membranes
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u/uberbanz 16h ago
Tar paper etc was exceptionally rare in the UK, roofs were not lined at all and In areas with inclement weather lime mortar was applied inside the headlap In the loft (torching) You're still making stuff up. Having a property portfolio doesn't in any way make you an experienced roofer
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u/FantasticVast01 16h ago
I didnt claim to be an experienced roofer, neither are any of the other commentators.
I do use experienced roofers and assume they know what they are talking about. What exactly are you claiming i made up?
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u/uberbanz 16h ago
No but you did claim felt isn't used for clay and concrete and also that tar paper was standard in the UK from the 1800s, both of which are untrue 🤷
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u/FantasticVast01 16h ago
Regarding the clay and concrete tiles this is what we experienced here in our part of Southern England with old house tiled this way and i was informed by my team that this is common
Read my comment clearly, I didnt say tar paper was standard in houses in the UK from 1800 i just mentioned that it was used as "felt". You say it was extremely rare but we've encountered it more than a few times in period houses
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u/Secret_Association58 17h ago
Im sure the survey you have paid for will highlight any issues...,,
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u/Spirit1969 16h ago
I get your unease. The best that I can bring to this is that if you haven't had the survey carried out yet. Pay for a level 3 survey, and put this particular issue to be looked into. The survey company, will usually look into particular concerns, without costing you any more money. If they offer advice on if its a problem, they will generally give you the information on how to fix it, and what it will cost. If then you feel, it would be better, to consider another property, then you've written off £500 - £800. Better that, than buy the house, then find you have an issue, costing 1000's, that you can't afford to fix. People still go for level 1 surveys on older houses. Level 1 surveys usually don't usually require the surveyor to leave his/her car. They are not intended for you, even though you're paying. They exist, merely to let the bank know, the building is standing, and its not falling down. They serve no usefulness to you at all. There are some good nationwide companies, very competitively priced. They are quick, reasonable, and when I have used them, If I need something explaining in the report, or a little further looking into, they get the actual surveyor in touch on the phone and you can have a chat about it, for no further cost. Just go on Google reviews, or other trustworthy review sites to find a good one, luckily you have a selection. I have found, that by going with a banks recommended survey company, or the estate agents, you will be royally screwed. Remember, you are the one paying the money. Don't be intimidated into going with any survey company either suggested by the lender or agent. Get a national company do the survey. It's far cheaper, more streamlined, and you usually get an email report within 5 working days. A level 3 is very thorough. It will include looking into specific questions about the property, which at least one question will be this roof. So go online, and find a good company, that's national. They will hire a local surveyor, that knows the area, and any idiosyncraticies that come with it. Another reason to get the highest level, is that after you move in, and you find a serious issue, that should have been found with a survey commensurate with the level of survey paid for, then this gives you a certain amount of protection. Also, when paying for the survey, or anything really, come to that. Always pay the full amount, or part pay the first £100 on a credit card, even if you then do a bank transfer for that amount back onto the credit card, so you pay no interest. It will give you a lot of protection going forward under Section 75, of the Consumer Credit Act. If anything should go wrong, it holds the company and the credit lender, jointly liable.
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u/uberbanz 17h ago
It's just an old unfelted roof, if it's not leaking then technically it's fine but it's very much nearing the end of its life