Roof Leak Survey, Block of Flats in Exmouth

A leaseholders association asked us to survey the roof of a block of six flats after water ingress was reported inside one of them.

The brief covered the roof coverings, the chimney stacks, the flat roof areas, the parapets and the rainwater goods.

A block of six flats in Exmouth, Devon.

Flown on a dry, sunny day with good visibility. The full roof perimeter was imaged, taking in both pitched slate roofs, the dormers, the parapets, the flat roof areas and the rainwater goods.

24 detail images were selected from the flight and written up one by one, each with what it shows and what it needs.

The most likely route for the water was the parapet gutter on the side where the building adjoins its neighbour. The neighbouring side had been fully relined. This one had not, and debris had collected along the run. The report records that as the likely path for water getting behind the wall and tracking down to the flat that reported the ingress, and recommends the run is cleared, repaired and relined in the same way as next door.

The first priority repair was the felt flat roof over the entrance porch. The felt finished at the top of the upstands instead of wrapping over them, so water was likely getting in underneath along the top edge, and there was a crack where the roof meets the wall on one side.

The front dormer needed three displaced tiles repositioning, its top covering resealing and raised leadwork dressing back down. Render cracking at two corners, damaged leadwork and a broken soffit section were grouped as one repair visit.

Ridge repointing was recommended across both roof sections, where the bedding mortar had been lost throughout. Everything was set out in priority order, so the association could see what to deal with first and what could wait.