ᐅ Flat roof leaking: repair or build a pitched roof structure over it?
Created on: 11 Feb 2021 06:58
R
Rolexianer
The flat roof on the wooden decking of a 55-year-old single-family house is leaking. Rainwater drains through seepage pipes inside the house. I suspect the cause of the leak is at one of these seepage pipes, as discoloration can be seen on the ceiling of the upper floor about 1.5m (5 feet) away from it. This issue was already addressed by professionals eight years ago, with stones removed locally and a membrane installed.
To avoid another limited repair, I would prefer to take decisive action and add a low pitched roof on top, similar to the neighboring house. This would direct rainwater to the outside, which is an advantage, as the downpipes can also show leaks at the basement access covers.
The carpenter has already visited and estimated the costs at €40,000 plus VAT (house dimensions 7 x 13m (23 x 43 feet)). The earliest possible execution date he can offer is August. A meeting at the local building authority is planned soon to discuss the project roughly, for example regarding a gable roof, shed roof, roof overhang, etc. Afterwards, a concrete quote could be prepared and an architect (recommended by the carpenter) involved. The building authority will likely prefer a gable roof, since that is visible on the neighboring house.
I am concerned about the house’s structural stability since a gable roof would add load to the center of the building, while the main load-bearing wall along the longitudinal axis is located about 1.5m (5 feet) off-center. This will need to be calculated by a structural engineer and likely cannot be ideal.
Another issue is that after adding a roof truss, the current flat roof assembly will probably become difficult to access if repairs are needed in the future.
Am I heading in the right direction? Is adding a roof truss really a worry-free solution, as the carpenter claims?
Perhaps I should just carry out a comprehensive renovation of the flat roof, probably at about half the cost of the carpenter’s proposal, but then it will likely leak again at some point.
Which solution should be aimed for? What else should I keep in mind?
To avoid another limited repair, I would prefer to take decisive action and add a low pitched roof on top, similar to the neighboring house. This would direct rainwater to the outside, which is an advantage, as the downpipes can also show leaks at the basement access covers.
The carpenter has already visited and estimated the costs at €40,000 plus VAT (house dimensions 7 x 13m (23 x 43 feet)). The earliest possible execution date he can offer is August. A meeting at the local building authority is planned soon to discuss the project roughly, for example regarding a gable roof, shed roof, roof overhang, etc. Afterwards, a concrete quote could be prepared and an architect (recommended by the carpenter) involved. The building authority will likely prefer a gable roof, since that is visible on the neighboring house.
I am concerned about the house’s structural stability since a gable roof would add load to the center of the building, while the main load-bearing wall along the longitudinal axis is located about 1.5m (5 feet) off-center. This will need to be calculated by a structural engineer and likely cannot be ideal.
Another issue is that after adding a roof truss, the current flat roof assembly will probably become difficult to access if repairs are needed in the future.
Am I heading in the right direction? Is adding a roof truss really a worry-free solution, as the carpenter claims?
Perhaps I should just carry out a comprehensive renovation of the flat roof, probably at about half the cost of the carpenter’s proposal, but then it will likely leak again at some point.
Which solution should be aimed for? What else should I keep in mind?
R
Rolexianer19 Mar 2021 14:08I don’t believe in price gouging; I requested and received quotes, and no one is forcing me to accept them.
Some things are simply more expensive in the greater Munich area...
Some things are simply more expensive in the greater Munich area...