My Roof is Leaking - Roofbond or Traditional Re-roof?


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Verne,

Thanks very much for that. All sounds sensible and I am not having second thoughts about Roofbond.

However, things have moved on. Been in attic and took a load of photos. I've posted a new thread - would be grateful for your views...

http://www.thediyforum.co.uk/diyforum/roofing/199-roof-problem-damp-bats-broken-mortar-see-photos.html#post503

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if your roof is felted under the tiles the polyeurethane foam or whatever they spray on cannot hope to bond the tiles together unless they cut or tear away the felt first...

this could then be a good way of stabilising a failing roof - as far as the bits between the rafters is concerned! any leaks above the timbers is unlikely to be sealed leaving the timber open to attack by nasties. a few soffit vents are unlikely to help.

i think this process is best suited to insulating steel based industrial type roofs and kept away from timber and tiles (probably how they have remained in business 40 years). it might be ok making a good roof stay good for longer but i think it should be kept away from a failing roof.

a dislodged tile or one holed by frost is unlikely to cause a troublesome leak if the underfelt is ok - so it probably isn't that good. some roofs weren't felted at all when new. quite alarming to be able to bird-watch through the gaps but watertight except in driving rain, and snow was a bit of a problem.

our tiles were laid on bundles of reeds which would have lasted more than the 130 odd years if jerry hadn't chucked a few bombs at our street...

if good secondhand tiles are available to match your own you have an extra option available to you - having the roof stripped, refelted and relaid, which can be a big saving over the cost of a re-roof. it could be as little as half the cost. get together with a neighbour so the scaffold doesn't have to be moved far and the cost continues to fall, especially if you choose a roofer with his own scaffolding.

i suggest you take a flask of coffe up into your roof space and examine the underside of your roof to see what you can learn; as well as deciding for or against timber treatment against worm and measuring for additional loft insulation. could be you might be eligible for some grants...

some research about the reputation of local roofers would be in order...

try finding out which one has the contract to maintain the local public buildings or ask your local builders merchant to suggest a couple...

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  • 1 month later...

i am sure we would welcome more information about your roof before you used the foam; was it purely for insulation or did you hope to overcome other problems at the same time, did you spray direct under tiles or slates or is your roof felted?

also, how much foam did you use, how much did it cost and how did you apply it?

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I have applied polyurethane foam for insulation home.Last 5 yrs.faced no problem at all.It depends upon quality of product and installation technique.

The problem with this is, in roof terms, 5 yrs is a very short time, and due to the nature of where your roof is, unless is ****ing in water, it will and can go un-noticed for a very long time.

I've seen peoples rafters rotting away from damp caused by "airtight insulation" where the beams just cant breath at all, and other small leaks that arnt big enough to drip down onto ceilings, but are big enough to soak and keep wet a supporting beam in a loft, yet with all this foam in place, it goes totally un-noticed until its too late, and then, the entire lot has to be ripped out.

This of course is only realised when the roof is sagging after 5+ years or more, and only if inspected too. How many people can honestly say they know the exact condition of their roof, inside and out?

How often do you look up at your roof? Most people, its not even a though.. So although in your 5 years you might not have had any problems that you know of, you can be sure they are brewing, and by the time they are discovered, properties may have changed hands several times, owners called in somebody else for fear of complaining (This does actually happen a fair bit)

Sorry mate, this is no knock on you personally, but if you take any breathable material and remove its ventilation, then expose it to long term temperature changes, then something bad will come of it.

Doesnt matter what foam you use, its the fact that it fills every nook and cranny, removing any ventilation around the roof. :rolleyes:

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