Opinions sought on pictures from a survey of a 1922 bult house

Carlow52

Would welcome some opinions on these pictures please


The first picture is taken from the attic access: clearly there is a leak at the flashing to the chimney, but wonder is the white stuff wet rot or just normal mould?

The second one shows lean-to roof which is clearly corrugated asbestos.
The gutters and vent stack are also of the same material.

I am less sure of the roof slates, I have a small sample which looks like asbestos slates. [what should it taste like:) ]

Thanks

Poor Uncle Tom

The picture looks like the start of rot setting in. How far it's gone only you can determine on site, can you push a key or nail into the timber any ways?

The slate most probably contains asbestos, I see it is cut at the ends, check for a fiberous look to the cut with a white/grey colouration.

It should taste of mouldy cream cracker.....:D

Carlow52

Many thanks PUT, as always.

I am recommending, as a minimum, that all the felt be replaced which means removing the slates.
Assuming they contain asbestos can they be reused?

ps just washed the piece and broke it, white fibres obvious both on surface and in fresh break

BryanF

Carlow52 wrote: »

Many thanks PUT, as always.

I am recommending, as a minimum, that all the felt be replaced which means removing the slates.
Assuming they contain asbestos can they be reused?

no way, you can't reuse them!! were you joking?:): you had better include a caveat regarding - removal by suitable qualified, insured contractor having carried out H&S assessment and properly disposed of, etc..

as regards timbers probably best to suggest a % replacement, if required - and suitably treated timbers.. etc

Carlow52

BryanF wrote: »

no way, you can't reuse them!! were you joking?:): you had better include a caveat regarding - removal by suitable qualified, insured contractor having carried out H&S assessment and properly disposed of, etc..

as regards timbers probably best to suggest a % replacement, if required - and suitably treated timbers.. etc

Thanks Bryan.

I am advising a close family friend who has a builder she is going to use and he is suggesting that they can be re-used. I was just making sure as the builder is a family friend of my friend .{ sounds like a facebook profile)..., just what u need:)

He was on site and made no reference to the roof, didn't even look in attic. Slates are missing on outside above the flashing to match with the wet timber in picture

The internal finish on the external walls seems to be lathe and lime and the proposal is, on top of the lathe and lime, insulated plasterboard {50 plus 12,5} and skim ... Must read what Joe L would make of that:)

Thanks again.

BryanF

what about wood fibre board instead of insulated plasterboard, more breathable..

Poor Uncle Tom

Regarding the slates, to keep things in perspective it is worth noting that, up until recently (about 10 years ago) there was a % content of asbestos in all synthetic slates. Nowadays that % has been changed with fibre cement.

So if the slates are fixed on securely, clean, not persihed and not being interfered with I wouldn't recommend tampering with them until you absolutely have to, to replace roofing timbers, adding in an extension roof, or the fixings become insecure. The asbestos is not an issue as long as the slates remain in-tact. It's only when they are broken, exposing the fibres and releasing the harmful dust that they become an issue.

However, patching up any holes or replacing any missing slates should be done with the modern equivolent, the fibre cement slates.

Carlow52

BryanF wrote: »

what about wood fibre board instead of insulated plasterboard, more breathable..

The breathability issue is a concern and also if too much is done the dew point could come into the lathes..

Dont know if there is a dpc so my proposal would be a warm, airtight, roof when all the repairs done and then maybe ewi. Its a small compact house, almost a square with nothing in the way..

ps
I agree re slate paranoia but the roof is like a sieve so needs to be stripped

PaleRider

You got me interested in reading up on Asbestos. I thought this site was interesting.

http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Construction/Guidelines%20on%20Working%20with%20Materials%20Containing%20Asbestos%20Cement.pdf

focus_mad

Thanks for that PaleRider!!

Carlow52

The reason I ask is that, AFAIK, concrete blocks were first developed in 1906 so maybe not widely used given that 1914-18 wouldn't have been a great time for building houses.

The blocks in the chimney look fairly recent and the roof timbers look as they were cut to suit.

Thanks

Poor Uncle Tom

The blocks in the pictures are 4" so this is definitely a chimney having been rebuilt, again this is not uncommon and would have been done when the chimney was first lined.

Concrete blocks were first mass produced in Ireland by Redymix (if my memory serves, I read it somewhere) and the 4" blocks were a late addition. Usually the blocks were 9", cast on site, having the internal walls and chimney breasts shuttered. But this practice varied from place to place

Carlow52

Thanks PUT for the reply.

Was chatting to an adjacent owner this afternoon and his 88 year old opinion was that the floors have a bitumen tar layer on top hence no damp.

Similarly he says the inside of the exterior walls have a bitumen tar layer also covered with a french chalk wall lining?

The original exterior finish was painted block and the rough cast render was added later, this might explain why the window sills are almost flush with the render as in picture

I thinks its lathe and lime as its hollow if tapped