Unfortunately the Building Survey we had done in December 2020 wasn’t particularly complementary about the state of our roof:
Clad in white asbestos cement tiles and heavily encrusted with moss, which if detached by a storm may rip asbestos fibres from the surface of the tiles.
Some tiles near the start of the catslide element are displaced and need to be reinstated. Also mortar detail to the ridge tiles is cracked and missing in several places.
Some of the lead flashing around the rear chimney stack is displaced/missing and needs to be reinstated. Also, some areas of the timber fascia & bargeboards are affected by decay, and finial details are missing from the gable ends
The roof covering, although in a fair condition, should ideally be replaced as it has exceeded its normal life expectancy by some 30 years
Building Surveyor – Kevin Marling
It seemed we needed to do something, and the first logical step was to establish how much a replacement roof might cost. We therefore spent the first 3 months of 2021 tracking down potential contractors with the expertise to safely remove and dispose of the existing asbestos tiles and who were willing to bid to supply and fit a new roof.
The initial quotes proved what we had feared, namely that it would be unaffordable unless we could secure some external financial help. So, in April 2021 we applied to the Lisset Wind Farm Community Fund for a grant towards the cost of a replacement roof, and bless them, they confirmed three months later that they were willing to make a substantial contribution.
One might assume that it would all be plain sailing from this point on, but when we went back to commission the work, none of the potential contractors would honour their fixed prices due to the horrendous material cost escalation that had occurred since the beginning of the year. Consequently, in the autumn of 2021, we decided to engage an architect to have a look at the various proposals to see if a more cost effective solution might be found that would satisfy Building Control.
In the event, the resulting solution proffered by the architect was little different to the previous ones. Nonetheless, we asked the potential contractors to rebid in early 2022, hoping that perhaps material costs had fallen since the summer of 2021. Unfortunately, they hadn’t. However, after careful scrutiny of our bank balance and much soul searching we decided to press ahead with the work, which was completed in July 2022.
Hopefully, you will think as we do that our new roof shown below much improves the kerbside appeal of our hall?
