Tell Me Something............Anything!

[Macca]

Noticed the other week that the external pipe that drains the kitchen sinks into the grid was broken so everytime I used them the water was just being dumped down the outside wall. No idea how it got broken or how long it has been like that. Also noticed that the gutters were all blocked with moss. Got a bloke in who put in a new pipe and cleaned all the gutters and down pipes - fifty-five quid. Which seemed pretty reasonable.


Except he says that the roof tiles are in a bad way and loads need replacing. Depending on how many need doing £200 to £300.

Told him to do the work obviously. He also suggested painting all the external brickwork with a protective coating, will prevent degradation and offer some insulation. Is that worth doing as well? I've seen those products advertised but always been sceptical.

[walpurgis]

That sounds very cheap for any roof work. Does he use a mini scaffold or just a ladder? The regs are getting tight on safety these days.

[Macca]

That sounds very cheap for any roof work. Does he use a mini scaffold or just a ladder? The regs are getting tight on safety these days.

No idea, he did all the guttering work whilst I was out.

[struth]

rest of it is good value. I wouldnt paint the brick with those sealers. its inclined to cause internal damp as the brick cant breathe, unless you have an issue with moisture ingress

[Barry]

Agree with Grant - don't bother with the brick sealant, it's not that effective and IMO money ill spent.

Also is your roofer accredited? Does he know what he is talking about? There are a lot of cowboys out there who will tell you things need doing on your roof, knowing full well you are not going to go up a ladder to inspect the roof for yourself. In what way are they "in a bad way"? Are they cracked, or have they slipped? You should be able to see for yourself from the ground - borrow a pair of binoculars from a friend to have a good look.

[Macca]

Agree with Grant - don't bother with the brick sealant, it's not that effective and IMO money ill spent.

Also is your roofer accredited? Does he know what he is talking about? There are a lot of cowboys out there who will tell you things need doing on your roof, knowing full well you are not going to go up a ladder to inspect the roof for yourself. In what way are they "in a bad way"? Are they cracked, or have they slipped? You should be able to see for yourself from the ground - borrow a pair of binoculars from a friend to have a good look.

I trust the bloke and given there are a number of broken tiles laying in the yard (that were there before he started) he's probably right. He reckons about 40 need replacing but there could be more bad ones that are not visible. The tiles on the main roof are 117 years old and those on the kitchen and bathroom roofs are about 50 years old so it isn't that surprising some need replacing.

[Barry]

I trust the bloke and given there are a number of broken tiles laying in the yard (that were there before he started) he's probably right. He reckons about 40 need replacing but there could be more bad ones that are not visible. The tiles on the main roof are 117 years old and those on the kitchen and bathroom roofs are about 50 years old so it isn't that surprising some need replacing.

In that case £200 - £300 is a bargain, but if the tiles are very old and brittle, there's a good chance that 'good' ones will get broken whilst the faulty ones are replaced, so expect the costs to be the upper end of the quote.

Anyway get it all done now before winter and bad weather starts.

[Macca]

yes it is getting done, it was the brick work coating I was having my doubts about. Going to see what else he can get done for me too, might as well now I've found someone reliable. It's funny, now the house belongs to me rather than the bank I suddenly don't mind shelling out the money to fix it up.

[walpurgis]

If you have bare brick and not rendered walls, it's worth checking the pointing condition.

[struth]

yup, do any dodgy pointing. you can do it yourself, or at least do the raking out and save a lot of money, if your into that...not a hard job. add a bit of plasticiser into the mix.. i used to use a lot... Hammer and cold chisel takes out the crap. wet it down before renewing as it sticks better. i used a tuck pointer trowel. and make a mortar board... you can make a board out of a bit of hardboard and a dowel screwed into it downwards. you then just line it up and push it in.. easy peasy..