Roofers do it best on top...apparently....

When I first moved in, the ever knowledgeable Clive warned me that most old Forest dwellings damp problems are caused by the roof. We had a substantial damp problem, and I couldn't quite believe that this could be caused just by a roof. I wondered if it was coming through the walls, or down the chimney....anything but the major cost of getting a new roof. I really didn't want to believe this, but I knew deep down it would be true, even if it took me months to accept it!

Living in a leafy part of the UK, and especially so close to Wales, means we are prone to torrential downpours at times. On days where there was a particularly heavy deluge, we were treated to water pooling in the fireplaces, running down the walls, and dripping on the children's beds. This would take days to dry out and usually meant the toilet cistern would be covered in condensation, which in turn blew the bathrooms new plaster....imagine my pleasure! One day I ventured up into the attic space to have a look, there was indeed beautiful sunlight coming through, a force 9 gale blowing, and an atmosphere damper than a rubbish pool party. Eventually I swallowed the advice I had been given originally, that yes, the roof was in fact buggered! I suppose it's a bit like when the lid isn't put on something properly, inevitably it will eventually leak.

After a couple of false starts with other builders, my trusted buddy Clive was able to make some time in his schedule and agreed to take on the project. Although he did laugh at me when I cheekily suggested running repairs. No, this would be a complete new roof. I had also been given a gift by an incredible friend, to help me sort some of the roof, so I wanted this done quickly, in order for them to be able to see it come to fruition. Clive empathised with this, and with the help of Kirk they quickly got to work within weeks.

Day one of stripping the roof off, made it painfully clear that this really was an urgent task. Much of the roof was well over 40 years old, possibly some was from the original structure. Also the rendering had been put on the outside of the house perfectly in line with the facias, resulting in any water running off right down between it and the brickwork. Essentially trapping the water into the house. In addition to this there were bowls under holes collecting water, which hadn't been emptied perhaps for years. Balls of newspaper blocking up gaps (The Sun newspaper was dated 1981, and had a rather fetching pose of a good old British Copper next to a topless glamour model wearing his helmet....oooer), rodent turds in abundance, a couple of birds nests, and a woodworms all you can eat buffet going on. Even a couple of the main timbers needed replacing (I picked one up to move it afterwards and it crumbled in my hands).

What was more worrying, was that where we had lit the open fire in the sitting room over the winter, the timbers had scorched. The chimney pointing had been washed away over the years, so flames had been going straight into the roof. The house should have burnt down. Perhaps the only reason it didn't was because the rest of the roof was SO damp!! None of us could believe what we were seeing, or believe our luck.

The job actually didn't take too long in the end, in just over a week they had:
Stripped off all the old tiles and rotten wood, rebatoned and felted, removed old and added new timbers, put on new tiles, renewed all the flashing, mended, capped, repointed and painted the chimneys, sorted the guttering, removed the defunct ariels, mended, reroofed and cemented the porch.

I became obsessed with roofs, I'd drive by houses and think 'oooh, my roof is nicer than yours'...I became a roof monster with a superiority complex!

Incredibly in just over a month the house smells far less musty. I am welcomed home to new cracks in the existing plaster, flakes of paint all over the floor and I often hoover the walls to get rid of new drying out patches. BUT, we are home and dry! It is the start of a new era for the house, and many, many more jobs. We will be warm, safe and moisture free this winter, which gives us untold pleasure (and less chance of getting flu).

Someone asked me the other day how the hell I got a mortgage for the place....I replied 'I think the surveyor must have just driven by in a good mood, on a late Friday afternoon on his way to the pub!'

I must end this post with a huge thank you, and lots of love to those that helped me so selflessly with the roof. You know who you are....Thank you xxxxxxxxxxx