Hi everyone,
I built a house in 1997. The company I bought the house from back then was made up of two architects. The architects still exist, but the company no longer does. The company that installed the breathability membrane is probably still around.
Today, I moved my satellite dish to make room for the photovoltaic system. While doing that, I noticed that the breathability membrane is no longer waterproof. Back then, they rolled out 2m or 4m (7 feet or 13 feet) wide sheets over the roof and taped the seams together with a special adhesive tape. That tape has now completely dried out and no longer sticks.
Now, on almost every side of the roof, there are three tears in the membrane from the ridge down to the gutter. What should I do? Can I still file a claim? Could this be considered a hidden defect? Maybe someone has experienced something similar?
Best regards, ariovist8
I built a house in 1997. The company I bought the house from back then was made up of two architects. The architects still exist, but the company no longer does. The company that installed the breathability membrane is probably still around.
Today, I moved my satellite dish to make room for the photovoltaic system. While doing that, I noticed that the breathability membrane is no longer waterproof. Back then, they rolled out 2m or 4m (7 feet or 13 feet) wide sheets over the roof and taped the seams together with a special adhesive tape. That tape has now completely dried out and no longer sticks.
Now, on almost every side of the roof, there are three tears in the membrane from the ridge down to the gutter. What should I do? Can I still file a claim? Could this be considered a hidden defect? Maybe someone has experienced something similar?
Best regards, ariovist8
A
ariovist814 Nov 2011 12:38Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you for your contributions!!
The lower half of the roof is definitely inhabited/heated.
As mentioned, this is a vapor-permeable membrane that is waterproof but allows water vapor to pass through. So why should there be mold?
The main question is:
Was the membrane installed professionally?
Shouldn't it be laid across the roof, overlapping from bottom to top?
Should a special tape have been used here?
Is this a hidden defect covered by a 30-year warranty?
Yes, that's right... at the moment I don't have an urgent problem, but normally the vapor-permeable membrane should be considered a second line of defense in case the primary one fails — for example, if a roof tile becomes leaky or something similar, which can happen.
Regards
ariovist8
First of all, thank you for your contributions!!
The lower half of the roof is definitely inhabited/heated.
As mentioned, this is a vapor-permeable membrane that is waterproof but allows water vapor to pass through. So why should there be mold?
The main question is:
Was the membrane installed professionally?
Shouldn't it be laid across the roof, overlapping from bottom to top?
Should a special tape have been used here?
Is this a hidden defect covered by a 30-year warranty?
Yes, that's right... at the moment I don't have an urgent problem, but normally the vapor-permeable membrane should be considered a second line of defense in case the primary one fails — for example, if a roof tile becomes leaky or something similar, which can happen.
Regards
ariovist8
Hello,
on the interior side of the structure is the airtight layer. This layer is responsible for preventing water vapor from entering the construction. The membrane must be vapor-tight.
On the exterior side of the structure is the windproof layer. This layer serves to block wind (hence the name “windproof”) and to drain any water that may get in under the roof covering. This membrane must be vapor-permeable. If this membrane is damaged, the structure is defective.
The question now is: Has it always been defective? Or was everything correctly installed at first? And has the sealing failed due to poor quality (after all, it’s already been 14 years)?
Who even installs the under-roof membrane parallel to the rafters?
Regards
on the interior side of the structure is the airtight layer. This layer is responsible for preventing water vapor from entering the construction. The membrane must be vapor-tight.
On the exterior side of the structure is the windproof layer. This layer serves to block wind (hence the name “windproof”) and to drain any water that may get in under the roof covering. This membrane must be vapor-permeable. If this membrane is damaged, the structure is defective.
The question now is: Has it always been defective? Or was everything correctly installed at first? And has the sealing failed due to poor quality (after all, it’s already been 14 years)?
Who even installs the under-roof membrane parallel to the rafters?
Regards
Hello
If the underlay membrane is installed vertically from the eaves to the ridge, this is considered a defect. If it had been installed parallel to the eaves with an overlap, the joints would not necessarily need to be sealed. If the joints are sealed and the adhesive tape loosens over the years, this is not a problem because the overlap still ensures the roof underlayment remains water-resistant.
Best regards,
Sven
If the underlay membrane is installed vertically from the eaves to the ridge, this is considered a defect. If it had been installed parallel to the eaves with an overlap, the joints would not necessarily need to be sealed. If the joints are sealed and the adhesive tape loosens over the years, this is not a problem because the overlap still ensures the roof underlayment remains water-resistant.
Best regards,
Sven
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