Roof spread and cracks in the wall...

[Twitcher 10]

Was wondering if anyone had any experience to share...

 

Our 1929 house has had cracks that open/close not ones which are bad (and no it wasn't picked up on the survey 6 years ago)

 

Our architect says it's not subsidence but roof spread.

 

A roofer has been today and said that triangulation would not stop our problem and that it would need plates in the external walls to stop them moving. Anyone come across this problem and how much it would cost to put right?

 

We're about to have an extension built & new roof but wonder if it's spending the money....Yikes we're scared!!! :o

[Strix 11]

has it ever had a new roof?

[Twitcher 10]

No, we've been here 6 years and was told that as the previous owner had painted the slates with bitumes stuff that it would in about 5 years time need a new covering, it looks awful, but doesn't leak....wish I hadn't said that now!

 

However we're in a very exposed spot and I have sleepless nights about losing the roof as last time a big chunk of slates came off together due to the covering.

 

I'd feel better if it were done and we've been told it would be preferable to get it done now as the proposed extension would make it more difficult to do.

 

We thought we'd get the triangulation (strengthening) done at the same time but was told today that we'd be wasting our money...

[Strix 11]

sorry I disappeared bloody wireless connection

 

I asked because there is a tendency for slate roofs to be replaced with concrete tiles, and as these weigh far more, spread can be a problem

 

Many older cottages have these tie plates in them, but I don't think I've seen them in any properties post 1900

 

Have you rung your household insurer yet?

[Twitcher 10]

I don't hold out any hope with the insurers, I would imagine as it's not been caused by anything other that a building flaw that it won't be covered...

 

Another roofer has been today and told us not to panic, it mightn't be as bad as we thought....short of paying for a structural engineers report I guess we'll never really know and we can't really afford to spend any more than necessary as we have already paid an architecht £780 for plans which were rejected as we lost faith in him and didn't feel he knew what he was talking about we've employed another and started again.

 

I think we live in the 'money pit'

[Nyx 10]

You`ve got my sympathy in a big way.

Hope you get this all sorted out and it`s not going to break the bank, try not to worry too much or it can take over your life.

Our house is "the money pit" too and has been for quite some time now, we have been continually putting things right that we found had been covered up by the prev owner and it`s almost broken me as we didn`t budget for a lot of it as we thought we`d bought a house that had all the big stuff done.

It`s had us in tears more than once and although it`ll be a long time until it`s done we know that if it`s done right this time we should be able to look at getting older without much worry.

Our friends and relatives have been helping where they can and we can pay them back when we can afford it a bit here and a bit there and the support they`ve given is tremendous.

[Twitcher 10]

Thanks Nyx

 

It's not nice discovering what other owners have covered up, and I know it's not nice to say but I'm relieved to hear it doesn't only happen to us. It's just everything we do there are problems one way or another and life's hard enough without these massive (or what seem massive if you don't have the knowledge) problems.

 

And people always say it'll be worth it in the end.....I don't doubt it but the first Chrismas we were here we were practically living in one room and all ill and at times like that you feel very low.

 

I think it's a fear of the unknown and what will turn up when you start to do things, like for example we had a new bay window fitted and the fitter came in and said 's'cuse me love but all the plaster has fallen off the wall, sorry about that' and then you think kerching he we go again. Or when the kitchen fitter said 'can't fit this kitchen till you had the house re-wired, there's no ring main and I'm not touching it!' What re-wire??? I could go on but don't want to bore you!

[Nyx 10]

Sounds like we have a great deal in common, when and if you find a decent electrician let me know,we found one with all the right qualifications able to self certify etc and he wrecked our house with an enormous chisel like drill attachment, annoyingly he was very nice and willing to put right everything i pointed out but in trying to do this made an even bigger mess i got rid before he`d finished driling through the party wall.The words kitchen and ring main fill me with dread as i know that we have major problems looming with that.

On a positive note i`ve found a plasterer thats top notch and i`m gonna use him for all my work so if you need a number just let me know and i`ll pm you.

Last year our christmas was in a cold house with an oven that set on fire, this year we`ll probably be having the tree up in the bedroom, as i type i can see the outside through the hole in the wall where there used to be a skirting board and the airbrick is behind that. Brrrrrr!!!!!!

[bensonhedges 10]

I had a house until recently in Norton Lees that had roof spread. Triangulation (couple of hundred quid?) cured it completely. Don't know if that helps your peace of mind but I hope so.

[MidmS 10]

There is no reason why triangulation will not work - it will not put the roof back into the right place but it should stop it moving any further, which I assume is what you are after. Also other post was correct in saying that concrete roof tiles will casue havoc to a normal roof designed to take the load of slates.

 

Is your builder talking about putting Patrus plates into the walls ? seems a bit drastic for roof spread IMO.

[Twitcher 10]

We have had differnet opinions from different roofers, most suggest triangulation as does the architect but we're not convinced it will stop it but I guess we have to try.

 

We know it's moving as the cracks open and close even though they are slight but worse the shower tray against the tiled wall leaks and the grouting keeps splitting which means the whole thing will have to be chopped out and tiles replaced to seek the reason why it's leaking,, I can't face hacking off all the tiles which we only put on 4 years ago, it's only begun leaking this year but we can only put it down to the wall moving and not the waste/plumbing as we've checked under the tray. There are upstands on the tray which are tiled over so it can't be leaking round the bottom... Nightmare.

[Strix 11]

Have you considered those panels which enclose your shower in one go?