- Reaction score
- 292
I honestly thought we were way passed this sort of thing.
This is a Scottish Slate Roof. There are no battens, the slates are nailed directly to the sarking (close boarding in English parlance). This makes mounting quite interesting and costly. Slates need to be removed. A soaker goes in first. A J shaped bracket is attached through the soaker, and the screw holes well sealed up where they pass through the lead or similar. As is normal, the screws must pass through the sarking board and into the truss below. A flashing is then fitted that covers the flat part of the bracket. Slates are refitted, cut and dressed around the raised part of the flashing. This is at least an extra half day and a lot of lead.
The only alternative is a roof integration system, or use Solar Limpets (correctly fitted).
My roofer had been called to the property as the roof was leaking. He texted these over asking for advice. When I phoned he thought he had Victor Meldrew on the other end.....I don't believe it! Little wonder the roof is leaking.
At best there may be one screw in a truss but unlikley. The screws are only in to the sarking which is 18mm - 22mm thick depending on the age of the property. The pull out on the screws will be minimal with this very small level of insertion. The sarking is only nailed to the trusses. How can anyone have done any form of wind loading calculations on this?
We normally use a longer than specified screw to ensure we are relying on fixing and pull out in the truss only. No allowance is made for the sarking. In some instances in more modern properties, material used for sarking is totally unsuitable to fix anything to.
Apparently the installer can see nothing wrong with what they have done!!!!
The property belongs to a retired couple. Sounds like we will be called to attend. Only recourse (if installers are still in business) will be to their accreditation body, (I really hope it is NAPIT as they do take this kind of thing seriously). Otherwise it is RECC or Trading Standards.
This is a Scottish Slate Roof. There are no battens, the slates are nailed directly to the sarking (close boarding in English parlance). This makes mounting quite interesting and costly. Slates need to be removed. A soaker goes in first. A J shaped bracket is attached through the soaker, and the screw holes well sealed up where they pass through the lead or similar. As is normal, the screws must pass through the sarking board and into the truss below. A flashing is then fitted that covers the flat part of the bracket. Slates are refitted, cut and dressed around the raised part of the flashing. This is at least an extra half day and a lot of lead.
The only alternative is a roof integration system, or use Solar Limpets (correctly fitted).
My roofer had been called to the property as the roof was leaking. He texted these over asking for advice. When I phoned he thought he had Victor Meldrew on the other end.....I don't believe it! Little wonder the roof is leaking.
At best there may be one screw in a truss but unlikley. The screws are only in to the sarking which is 18mm - 22mm thick depending on the age of the property. The pull out on the screws will be minimal with this very small level of insertion. The sarking is only nailed to the trusses. How can anyone have done any form of wind loading calculations on this?
We normally use a longer than specified screw to ensure we are relying on fixing and pull out in the truss only. No allowance is made for the sarking. In some instances in more modern properties, material used for sarking is totally unsuitable to fix anything to.
Apparently the installer can see nothing wrong with what they have done!!!!
The property belongs to a retired couple. Sounds like we will be called to attend. Only recourse (if installers are still in business) will be to their accreditation body, (I really hope it is NAPIT as they do take this kind of thing seriously). Otherwise it is RECC or Trading Standards.
