Perished Roofing Felt

Most modern properties are built with an underlay over the roof structure of felt. The purpose of this is to act as a second line of defence in the event of water blowing under the tiles. Any water getting under the tiles is then channelled down the felt and directed into the gutters.

Over the years, around the edges where exposed, the felt perishes requiring replacement of the bottom layer of felt and this is a very common repair that we have come across over the years.

Now, however, we are finding more cases where the felt over the entire covering is beginning to degrade and break down.

The most common material used was a bituminous impregnated felt and, in some cases, even in some properties built in the 1980s, we are increasingly finding problems.  In 1960s and 70s properties, this is starting to become a very common issue.

Whilst initially it may be possible to carry out patch repairs it won’t be long until the felt needs to be completely replaced and this can be expensive as it means stripping off the tiles and battens, replacing all the felt and then replacing the battens and tiles.

Even if the tiles are carefully removed, inevitably some will get broken. This work will also require scaffolding, increasing the cost even more.

If this repair is not carried out, then your roof timbers could be at risk of rot and decay.

Very few people when buying a new home look in the roof spaces and this shows how important it is to have a survey before you buy.

Whether we are carrying out a Building Survey or a Home Survey we will carefully check your roof space to check the condition of the felt as well as checking all other elements of the property so you can be assured that we will make you aware of any problems that are present.