ᐅ Possible defects or poor workmanship in the roof insulation

Hello dear forum community!

At the beginning of 2017, we bought an old house and had it renovated by professional companies. This means that the "important" work like plumbing, electrical, roof insulation, and tiling was done by specialists, of course properly invoiced. Among other things, we had the already converted attic insulated again by a drywall specialist (around June to September 2017); the new roof windows were installed by roofers. The main issue with the drywall contractors was scheduling. Despite a verbal commitment to finish by the end of July, they were still not done by mid-September; one day before our move-in, the knee wall was still open and nothing was finished. We then had to terminate the contract with the company. The electricians and plumbers were only able to complete the heating, water installations, and electrical work after we had moved in, once we had closed the knee wall ourselves. We then did the jointing, priming, and painting ourselves – just to clarify, as this does not really relate to today’s issue. The insulation itself was completed by the company. The roofing underlay membrane was from the previous roof conversion and was in good condition. Everything else was completely renewed, meaning insulation wool, battens added, vapor barrier foil, and drywall panels on the sloped ceilings down to the knee wall.

So far so good, we thought. But recently, water has started dripping from one spot in the sloped ceiling, exactly where a piece of a crossbeam of the supporting roof structure protrudes. This beam was still visible with the old insulation; the additional battens almost completely covered it in the new insulation and it was integrated and sealed.

We then had the roofer come out. He went onto the roof and covered a section. He said the roof was watertight, the water was accumulating under the roofing underlay membrane, and he couldn’t see anything wrong with the roof itself. This man has no reason to lie as he did not install the roof (which was done around 1995). He said it would be condensation from inside. He showed us pictures on his phone taken on the roof. And we are talking about a lot of water, not just a few small drops. He said that even a small, unsealed staple could cause 8 liters of condensation water. This occurs inevitably in bedrooms, passes through the leaks into the insulation, condenses on the cold outer side of the insulation, and then drips back inside. Water always finds its way.

Following this, we opened about 2 square meters (around 21.5 square feet) of drywall at the corresponding spot. Underneath, we found a brown and damp spot on the vapor barrier foil as well as two unsealed staples. Most of the staples were sealed with tape. Additionally, we discovered that the drywall installers did not apply sealing tape to the rafters. This means the vapor barrier foil is punctured at several staples and all drilled holes. The rafters are exposed and the foil was simply stapled directly to the bare rafters, with the drywall panels screwed on top. So wherever the drywall panels were screwed to the rafters, it’s now leaking. Probably all over the entire attic. We've only opened the 2 square meter area so far. Since it is cold now, we haven’t opened the area all the way up to the roofing underlay membrane to avoid letting cold air in, especially as this is our bedroom. We do not have another room to use. It is certainly wet underneath, in the insulation and on the roof beams, given that water has already started dripping.

Now we have a problem. We plan to have the roofer inspect the roof again, just to be sure it’s not leaking from outside. After that, we want to discuss the issue with the company. We can already imagine how this will go—they will deny responsibility and will likely be fully booked for 2019 anyway. In the worst case, it means everything will have to be removed and renewed—but not until summer or spring. Furniture out, walls down, drywall and insulation removed, bathroom installation removed again.

What would you do now? We do have legal expenses insurance. Our main concern is the huge effort we will face if our fears are correct and the entire vapor barrier foil is not sealed properly. The attic contains our bedroom plus a bathroom with a toilet and washbasin.

I would really appreciate suggestions and help to sort out my thoughts.

Consult an expert. The whole thing is too hot.

Yes, we are aware of that. We probably can’t avoid it, right? In any case, we definitely need someone knowledgeable to give us an assessment.

Tomorrow we will first contact the drywall contractor by phone and also in writing. But what can he really say? He is unlikely to say, “Sure, I’ll redo everything and cover the follow-up costs as well.” And if he says, “It’s not that bad, only a small repair is needed,” we can’t really rely on that assessment either.

From what you read, faulty waterproofing can lead to mold and serious structural damage.

Winniefred schrieb:
Yes, we’re aware of that. We probably can’t avoid it, right? In any case, we definitely need someone knowledgeable to give us an assessment.
Tomorrow, we will first contact the drywall contractor by phone, and also in writing. But what can he really say? He’s unlikely to say, “Sure, I’ll redo everything and of course cover any follow-up costs.” And if he says, “It’s not that bad, only a small repair is needed,” we can’t really rely on that assessment either.

From what we’ve read, poor waterproofing can lead to mold and serious structural damage.

You want to communicate on an equal level, right? What’s the alternative? Showing the iPad with the house building forum posts or turning up with an expert? You’re always so afraid about this.

If you mean concerns about the roof framework and the wooden beam ceilings, then yes.

The manager will come to see it the day after tomorrow. Then we will decide how to proceed.