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I've recently had a builder / roofer do some work in my house. The builder installed a bathroom fan and also installed some ducting for the kitchen extractor hood to vent to outside. And builder subcontracted out major roof works to a different roofing company.
The ducting work has been done to a terrible standard. Used duct tape to join parts together and has gaps so air can escape, not installed back draft shutters even though I asked, not removed blanking plates in the exit grill so effective output is half the size of the ducting .... It's generally a bit of a bodge and I'm not happy.
While the roof work was done by a different team to the fan and ducting work ... they are all mates and so I've lost confidence that the roof is done to a good standard.
How do I go about finding out if there is a problem or not? Whats the job title of the person who could check these things and give me confidence? Is it a house surveyor or building inspector or something else?
Building surveyor or a structural surveyor I guess, unless you know another roofer type person who could give you an appraisal?
The ducting work has been done to a terrible standard. Used duct tape to join parts
Just me? 😉
A surveyor will do a roof inspection but usually that's just sending a drone up and studying the pics afterwards. If you want them to properly look at details, materials used etc then find a local company and give them a call.
When looking for this myself, I found 2 types of company offering roof inspections: chartered surveyors and roofing contractors. Both seem to offer proper reports that are accepted by insurance, mortgage or whatever.
Pros and cons of both (in my opinion only) is that the surveyors are more likely to know regulations in line with building control etc and the roofers are more likely to know practically if it's a good job and done properly or not. Though the roofers might be looking for work, as well...
The going rate for an inspection seems to be anywhere between £250-450 around here.
Just me? 😉
No. If there's one place where a duct tape fix is appropriate... 😉
You can do a quick visual inspection of roof. Check from outside all tile spacings are equal going up, amased how many aren't, it shows roofer measured and made all overlaps equal. Check ridgeline is straight not sagging in middle. Then go in loft and make sure membrane, if he replaced is nice and tight all over. On a windy day there should be air movement in loft, not the same as outside.
If theres any valleys, make sure the lead isn't in one piece, it should be in sections, overlapping of course.
And it shouldn't leak.
We had ours done 2 years ago and were impressed with the work.
Just me? 😉
oi you missed this bit! 😛
and has gaps so air can escape
It was the haphazard nature of connecting things poorly that was my concern. It's a pretty simple job to make sure there are no air gaps, just use a few more wraps of tape. So if they didn't do that well it puts doubt over other aspects.
thank you to the others who gave some helpful input.
Yeah it's called duct tape for a reason, lol!
But there's no excuse to do a bad 'wrap' or if you do, it's not like it's expensive stuff... just wrap a bit more round so it's sealed properly.
What works has the roofer done? Repairs or full roof replacement. If it just repairs would a survey be interested. I would get a 2nd opinion form a respected/trusted local roofer(not checkatrade).
Regards the ducting, some guys just bodge, when 5 minutes more effort makes a job. I see it all the time in my trade. Big money for little effort.
Regards the ducting, some guys just bodge, when 5 minutes more effort makes a job. I see it all the time in my trade. Big money for little effort.
I'd say its more like pure laziness... what does an extra foot of duct tape cost...about 30p? plus an extra 20 seconds of time to ensure it's not going to let loads of air out.
Could be worse, the builder who installed my brother's extractor and vented it to the outside, complete with nice smart looking external vent cover, didn't actually bother to core the hole through the wall!
Could be worse, the builder who installed my brother’s extractor and vented it to the outside, complete with nice smart looking external vent cover, didn’t actually bother to core the hole through the wall!
So it's just venting against a solid wall behind the extractor/cooker hood?...wow!
Could be worse, the builder who installed my brother’s extractor and vented it to the outside, complete with nice smart looking external vent cover, didn’t actually bother to core the hole through the wall!
I have seen this once, they guy actually knew the builder too.
duct tape fix is appropriate
Common misnomer though isn't it as most people call 'duck tape' derivatives "duct tape", but tape you use on duct work is called aluminized foil tape, not duct tape.
Gaps, no good. Here building code would be min 4x sheet metal screws at each joint in round tube then foil taped air tight.
imnotamused
Free Member
Could be worse, the builder who installed my brother’s extractor and vented it to the outside, complete with nice smart looking external vent cover, didn’t actually bother to core the hole through the wall!
So he actually faked the vent basically, have I got that right? 😑
Mate had a 'fake' vent in his 400k new build, found out when it started going mouldy round the vent and he removed the grille.
^^ Mad. Just how little pride in your work do you have to have to do such a blatant bodge?
Point of correction 'duct tape' is a bit of a colloquialism...
Aluminium tape is the propper stuff to use, but 'gorilla tape' or simmilar will do the same job for all intents and purposes.
In fact, for all intents and purposes, it's about £5 per roll for a consumer, probably get it a bit cheaper with a trade account but it's immaterial.
It's pure laziness on the part of the installer that causes these problems...you can buy cheap decent duct tape from Amazon/screwfix/tool station/B&Q etc..
It's not a special product.
For example...
Anyone who calls it ‘duck tape’ shouldn't be allowed to operate a screwdriver, or even a pair of safety scissors, UNLESS UNDER CLOSE SUPERVISION!!
Gaffer tape is another word for the same thing (in this particular context), to be fair, so I'll allow you to use a screw driver, as long as you put it back in the tool box when you are done with it! 😉
Which leads me to another annoyance, but it's more a social one... never lend a tool kit to a friend, as you can guarentee the most usefull socket or driver will mysteriously dissapear....
..like 'poof' it's like it never even existed in the first place.
but ‘gorilla tape’ or simmilar will do the same job for all intents and purposes.
no, it wont, not for more than a short while anyway.
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Darn that pesky duck, his days were numbered when the gorilla showed up.. now the T-Rex is here and theres a new apex tape.
Yep, a cooker hood, no carbon filters, no hole in the wall to the outside and a vent cover stuck onto the wall where the hole should be 😂