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1950's house with BOTH old flat concrete roof and new pitched roof over

  • 11-09-2012 7:12am
    #1
    LaLally
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1 ✭


    Hi there,
    I'm new to all this so forgive me if I come across novice!

    We are looking at buying a 1950's detached house with solid concrete wall construction, but intend on adding external insulation to solve the heating issue.

    However, the house also was originally designed using flat concrete roof and 10 years ago, a new pitched roof was added OVER the concrete roof. So basically there are now 2 roofs on the house!

    Our issue is, how long can the 1950's concrete flat roof last & since we cannot access the attic space (the space between the roofs) so how would we know if its stable or not, or when there is a leak in the newer pitch roof, as it would settle on the flat roof underneath?

    Should we make a deal with the seller that we have to be able to inspect the attic before purchasing (ie either rip out a hole in the new pitched roof to get in or try to cut a hole in the underside of the concrete ceiling- which doesnt sound like it would do much to help the structural qualities of the concrete roof!)

    We intend getting a full building survey done, but any of the chartered surveyors I've spoken to are conflicted about how to approach the inspection of the roofs internally or even if its possible.

    I know it sounds like a nightmare house, but its a great price in a great location & the house has so much character and is almost Georgian in style internally, so otherwise, its our dream house.
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    Ray Palmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,513 ✭✭✭Ray Palmer


    The fact there is no access to the new roof says a lot. Who ever put the roof up never considered maintenance! Do you think they did a good job with such a massive oversight?

    Is there any explanation for why they put the roof up? If I was going to the expense of a new roof I would make sure I at least got storage space if not a room.

    For weather proofing it would have been much cheaper to just felt it. Cheaper to do and maintain.

    It could just have been very badly thought out but it would make me wonder about the whole lot


  • #3
    haulagebasher
    Closed Accounts Posts: 309 ✭✭haulagebasher


    It sounds like an odd job but that it may have been poorly planned is not anything new. Yes you should have access to attic space imo. You need to check the roofs condition and if insulation is installed over the old flat roof.You could with the owners go ahead have your surveyor drill a few small holes in the ceiling slab and inspect the space with a bore-scope. Even Aldi have a fairly good version of a borescope now.If it is OK and you buy it, it almost certainly would be possible to cut out a section of the slab and install a trapdoor or such as in a normal roof. The old flat roof is no longer needing to carry snow or significant wind loading so removing a section should not cause a structural problem. Your' surveyor or engineer should confirm this but from my experience this will be just fine. It'll give you access to the space for storage use.


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