Leak!

Trotter

So I looked at the landing ceiling earlier and there was 3 watermarks there that weren't there last week.

I went into the attic and spotted water drops running down the gas flue and dripping onto one spot on the attic floor, soaking the insulation right above the watermark.

I've wrapped the flue in a towel and put a basin underneath so hopefully that will buy me a day or two. The wind and rain has been crazy lately.

Here's a pic of the flue



So the question is.. is this likely to be something serious or easy to fix?

Sleipnir

You'd need to check the flashing around the pipe as that's where the water is coming in probably.
Is that brown packing tape around your gas flue, by the way?

Trotter

Sleipnir wrote: »

You'd need to check the flashing around the pipe as that's where the water is coming in probably.
Is that brown packing tape around your gas flue, by the way?

I wondered that myself but on closer inspection its brown gaffer tape type stuff but its not coming off.

Sleipnir

Trotter wrote: »

I wondered that myself but on closer inspection its brown gaffer tape type stuff but its not coming off.

Well I'm no gas fitter but I would ask someone who knows of such things. It's in the attic so not that risky anyway but worth questioning.

Anyway, leak-wise, you'l really need to check it from the roof itself. If it's dripping down the pipe itself then it's likely that it's the seal around the pipe. So you would need to check how that's done.
Hopefully not gaffer tape!

firesidechat

There is an excellent product which will seal around the flue for ya.
It is a rubber gasket which fits over the pipe and is then sealed to the roof.
What you want is a GATOR. Available from 'Mak Fasteners' They are in dublin and also in cork i think.

Sleipnir

You probably have something like this so for what you seem to have, you'd want to check the top bit, where the flue comes through it.

I'd also have a look at how the rest of the flashing is working though. I see you have a membrane under the tiles and if the flashing is letting water through, the waterproof membrane can mask that (temporarily!)

Trotter

Sleipnir wrote: »

You probably have something like this so for what you seem to have, you'd want to check the top bit, where the flue comes through it.

I'd also have a look at how the rest of the flashing is working though. I see you have a membrane under the tiles and if the flashing is letting water through, the waterproof membrane can mask that (temporarily!)

Possibly a new flashing required so!

Sleipnir

Trotter wrote: »

Possibly a new flashing required so!

Ah, hopefully not. You won't know till you see it but be very careful up there. For one thing, you don't want to break any tiles or slates and for another thing, if you slip.....

It could be easily fixed by sealing around the flue with a bitumen sealant or other roof sealant on the roof but replacing the flashing means lifting tiles and is a whole other body of work.

Roof leaks...they are a right pain in the hole.

Trotter

Here's a picture of a roof in the same estate as mine. I can't get a decent picture of my own.