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Neighbour's Loft Extension Problem and Roof Leaks

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:11 am
by MickytheHippo
Hello people, new neighbours and last year they put up a rear loft extension, we said fine and left them to it. Since then we have had two serious leaks through the roof, once while they were still working and another this week. The builder came out this morning and freely admitted that the water draining from the extension was finding a crack where our roof met their work. They even made agreeable kpises6 that their workmen might have damaged that join. They've mastered it today and arranged to come back next week to concrete it permanently.

So far not good but now that I'm paying attention to it I'm puzzled that it come right up the party wall and then drains onto our roof, the lead actually comes across the line. All the other extensions I can see stay within their own roofs and drain onto their own roofs.

Is this bang out of order? We had drawings for planning permission but they were very vague, we weren't even sure if it was front or rear, and surely they would have have to ask specifically to build/drain onto our side?

That brickwork you see is their work, they removed the old one and rebuild it afters, the red bit below is original, they said today its leaking at the join between the two due to water running off their extension over that join.

Not sure what to think or do at present, I'm an easy going type but the wife isn't, the leak camenintp the first floor bathroom which is mostly a building site but there's damage to the ceiling and damp down the rear and party interior walls.

Re: Neighbour's Loft Extension Problem and Roof Leaks

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:24 pm
by stoneyboy
Hi mickythehippo.
The way this has been constructed is wrong and doubly so because water off their roof drains onto your roof over a mortar fillet junction (which are never fully waterproof) at the edge of your roof.
The loft extension should have building regulation approval so suggest you get in touch with your local Building Control department and see if they can help get this rectified.
I assume you have raised this issue with your neighbours.
Regards S

Re: Neighbour's Loft Extension Problem and Roof Leaks

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:30 am
by MickytheHippo
Thanks, what is the other wrong of the doubly wrong. Do mortar is not a proper fix for this as is, my needs to be lead right down to the tile to be sound.

Re: Neighbour's Loft Extension Problem and Roof Leaks

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:14 pm
by stoneyboy
Hi mickythehippo,
Wrong because your neighbour is discharging rainwater onto your roof, wrong because there is no gutter so this does not happen, wrong because a proper lead flashing with soakers should have been formed at your roof/party wall junction.
I guess the crux of the matter is whether you agreed to the plans and did they show discharge onto your roof?
Regards S

Re: Neighbour's Loft Extension Problem and Roof Leaks

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:18 pm
by MickytheHippo
We saw the planning drawings but there was never any level of detail and I assumed it would be the same as all the other extensions, it never occured to me that it would interfere with my roof in any way.