ROOF TILES AND RESULTANT DAMAGES CLAIM

ASSESSMENT

Black Bird Construction was contacted by the client’s insurance company to assess and conduct repair work. An assessment took place at the client’s property in Brackenfell, where various items were inspected and a quotation was then generated and accepted by the insurer and client. Below is a breakdown of what transpired during the claim and excerpts of the assessor’s findings have been included as a means to explain the various building work required to repair the damages. The scope of work has also been included along with photos of the damages before and after the repairs were completed. We hope you enjoy the post and if you would like to learn more about Black Bird Construction please feel free to contact us.

REPORT

Damage Report:

The client complained about a leak at the property. Our team was sent out to assess the issues that occurred at the property. The below is a detailed report and breakdown of the issues that were identified, and the required work need to restore the property back to its original state.

The property suffered water related damages due to a geyser burst nearly one year ago. Due to the nature of the damages sustained at the property, it was incredibly difficult to ascertain the exact amount of moisture that was absorbed by the masonry work making up the walls in the affected area. There is unfortunately no clear way to determine the amount of time it would take for the walls to dry completely. Subsequently, latent damages have developed along the walls and newly installed BICs. A further explanation and breakdown can be found below regarding the damages.

Resultant Damages

As mentioned our team has been to assess the damages and we have requested our plumbing team to check the geyser system as well. Our building team came back to us with the following feedback/breakdown relating to the resultant damages:

Walls:

The walls have blistered due to moisture trapped inside the masonry works.
This was anticipated and we have only charged/quoted for the paint needed to conduct the repairs as the client threw the paint away.
We will need to strip and prep the walls before applying the new paint.
This is the very reason we add notes mentioning the issues relating to latent damages in case of unforeseeable issues arising later.

BICs (Built-in cupboards):

The BICs that have been installed at the property was not installed by us.
This BICs installation was work conducted at the property by the client’s own contractor after our team was finished with the repairs to the resultant damages.
The issues that have arisen relating to the BICs is simply due to the fact that the BICs were installed against the wall and over time moisture that was trapped inside the masonry works of the wall have, over time, made its way along with the BICs and has caused mold to develop.
The affected components that have mold developing on them will need to be replaced with new components. Please refer to the attached SOW document attached to this email.

NOTE: Latent damages

Latent damages are the cause behind the dilemma with the damages that occurred to the property. As mentioned, it is incredibly difficult to determine when the wall is completely dry as much of the masonry work making up the walls are damp in different areas. The core or center of the wall is also not exposed to sunlight or natural flowing air making the drying process even more difficult.
It is crucial that we strip the walls and allow the area to dry thoroughly using dehumidifiers before the BICs are installed.

UPDATE: 2021.10.11

Roofing Issues:

The roof of the affected property was inspected, and a tile was found pushed forward, away from the rest of the tiles. This subsequently created a large gap between the tiles allowing for moisture to enter inside the property and bleed into the area below.
Directly underneath this area is the kitchen and the bathroom. Rainwater has most certainly entered the wall cavity and caused the damages that have occurred.
How this tile was moved is uncertain. The client explained that no one has been on the roof since he has lived there. None of our staff or teams has worked on the roof either. This rules out any recently done work from being the cause.
I find it difficult to think that the roof tile moved on its own, but it is a possibility. It is loose and considering the speed at which winds can travel, it is believable that the tile shifted the way it has. Another probability is whoever was on the roof last to conduct any repairs could have shifted and left the tile as is. I say this because there is a visible pipe protruding from the roof cavity out towards the tiles. Someone may have worked at the property some time ago and shifted the tile to allow for this pipe to stick out as an overflow, but this makes no sense as the pipe is angled in a way where water would not be able to dispense outwards onto the roof tiles.
One thing is for sure is that the problematic tile has been this way for some time. This is evident by the amount of dust and dirt I found stuck underneath the tile as I moved as far back as possible while I was on site.
By moving the roof tile, the way, I did, it has closed the gap. This however is not a fix as the roof tiles need to be repositioned and aligned properly before we can make any amendments to the inside of the property. This is a necessary repair as water is still able to bleed into the home as-is.
This tile will need to be re-fitted correctly and tested properly to ensure a watertight roof before any repairs to the resultant damages commence.

SCOPE OF WORKS

BELOW IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE REPAIR WORK CONDUCTED TO THE RESULTANT DAMAGES AT THE AFFECTED PROPERTY:

Roofing repairs:

Remove roof tiles in affected area.
Correct roofing substructure where necessary.
Remove redundant pipe from roof cavity.
Re-fit existing tiles as per existing layout.

BICs (Built in cupboards) repairs:

Remove and dispose of all affected BICs components.
Supply and fit all new BICs components.
Seal the BICs once the repairs have been completed.
NOTE: Price includes the supply of a dehumidifier for 3 days as well as an additional assessment to measure moisture levels throughout the affected area.

Ceiling paintwork: