;

        How to clean grime from Victorian bricks

A dilute solution of hydroflauric acid is generally considered to be suitable for removing ingrained dirt from the facings of old brickwork. Of course the condition of the bricks needs to be checked before you start as any eroded bricks will be damaged further by the acid. The mortar pointing should also be in good condition. Unfortunately hydroclauric acid isn't nice stuff to use, so protective goggles, masks and gloves etc need to be worn at all times.

Dilute the acid, work in small areas at a time, and then wash it down thoroughly with a high pressure hose (bear in mind that very wet ricks can absorb damp through to the inside of a solid wall, so try not to soak the walls for longer than necessary).

Work from top down, so that the areas you've already cleaned aren't then stained with dirt from above. Don't leave the chemical on the brickwork for too long, as making the bricks 'overly clean' may not look appropriate on a Victorian house. It is essential to carefully mask windows and openings, as the acid can etch the glass making it obscure.

Alternatively, alkali based cleaners can be used, but these are not so and easy quick to use.

          How the judge a roof

       An  abridged  version  of  this  article  first  appeared  in ‘ Build It’  magazine  Feb  2006

There are many challenges that house buyers may be prepared to accept when planning the

refurbishment of an older property. But the prospect of dealing with a dodgy roof can be one

risk too far, enough to deter even the most determined of renovators.

 Roofs have a certain intimidating mystique since everyone knows they are a Big Ticket

Item - get it wrong and your carefully planned budget will be comprehensively trashed. And when

rogue trader  reality-TV programmes seem to invariably feature cowboy roofers, it’s little wonder

that many of us dread the sight of a leaking roof. 

Such apprehension is compounded by the fact that roofers’ estimates are notoriously baffling,

carefully laced with (often inappropriate) technical terms designed to bamboozle the customer

into whimpering cheque-signing submission. So who can you turn to for advice?

Chartered surveyors offer professional  impartial advice, but sometimes suffer from a tendency

to err on the side of caution –  conscious that no one gets sued for being overly pessimistic  - 

so anything that looks a bit dated may get unfairly condemned as ‘nearing the end of its useful life’.

Unfortunately, roofs are more likely to suffer from defects than many other parts of an older

building. Which is no real surprise given that they’ve often had to withstand driving rain, baking

heat, storms and blizzards for a century or more.  Clearly, this is one part of the property

that it is essential to check thoroughly prior to purchase. So what defects should you look for on

an older property?

First, consider what kind of coverings you are dealing with. The traditional roofing material on

many period properties was hand-made clay tiles, or perhaps ‘stone slates’ in some rural areas.

Georgian townhouses popularised the fashion for lightweight natural slate which became almost

universal on Victorian  dwellings until superseded later in the 19^th century by manufactured plain

clay tiles. Large wavy pantiles and Roman tiles were a popular regional variation  in areas such as

East Anglia. From the late 1930s, clay tiles started to be gradually superseded by concrete tiles.

So question number one has to be ‘does the property still have its original roof coverings ?’

If the answer is ‘no’ it may not altogether be good news. Generous Council grants in the 1980s

provided the incentive for many  Victorian properties to be unnecessarily re-clad with large heavy

Redland concrete interlocking tiles – the main attraction of which was their cheapness and ease

of laying. Plenty of cowboy firms failed to beef up the roof structures to take account of the

substantial extra loadings – resulting in extreme sagging, and in some cases, collapse.

Today, modern artificial slates (composite fibre) are generally considered to be a suitable,

cost-effective alternative to real slate, although earlier asbestos fibre artificial slates haven’t

lasted well and may now be due for replacement  (when contractors get wind of the ‘A’ word 

this can prove costly ).

As you can see from the table below, the lifespan of traditional handmade natural roof coverings

was far superior to modern manufactured stuff.  In fact it tends to be the fixings that fail first. 

Slate roofs commonly suffer from corroded nails,  and ancient ‘peg tiles’ or stone slates may start

to slip due to rotten timber pegs. Salvage yards can bear witness to the longevity of such traditional

materials,  normally being well stocked with handmade clay tiles and recycled Victorian slates

awaiting their second incarnation.

A rough guide to the lifespans of different materials                                            

Things to check outside

It will pay dividends to spend a few minutes casting a critical eye over your roof. There are a

number of  clues to possible problems that can be spotted fairly easily:-

1.  Firstly, take a good look down the street at nearby houses of the same age – if  any have new

roofs, there’s a greater chance that yours may also need to be re-clad.

2.  Are the main roof slopes reasonably level and even ? Slight settlement is not usually a problem

and is particularly common next to gable ends where the rafters have settled more than the adjoining

masonry. If  the ‘dishing’ is more pronounced, then it may be the result of  past recladding with

heavy concrete tiles, so you’ll need to check the support in the loft (see below). If the structure is

satisfactory and there’s no leakage, a fair amount of historic settlement can be acceptable.

3.  Are there many slipped or missing slates / tiles, or any that are sticking up ‘proud’ (usually due

to poor repair work)?   The need for some localised refixing is not unusual.  The odd slipped slate

can be re- fixed using small folded metal clips known as ‘tingles’,  but if there are more than about

6 or so tingles on one roof slope, the need for complete stripping and recovering may not be too far off.

4. Pay careful attention to all roof junctions (e.g. where the roof meets a stack or joins another roof). 

These joints are covered with flashings – a major weak point.  The worst offenders are cement mortar

‘fillets’  which are very prone to cracking and should be replaced with lead flashings. But even

good quality original lead or zinc flashings may now be living on borrowed time.  Another weak

point is at the valleys where two adjoining roofs meet (e.g. where a bay roof joins the main slope).

These are typically lined with lead sheet and pointed up with mortar at the sides. The pointing tends

to crack and fall out in lumps and the metal can suffer corrosion from acid rain pollution.

5.  The ridge tiles running along the top of the roof commonly suffer from eroded mortar joints

and may need pointing up, or even re-bedding. They are notably vulnerable to storm damage with

potentially lethal consequences for anyone walking below, and unless well maintained can allow 

damp to enter the roof.  The ‘verges’ at the edge of a roof slope also commonly require routine

maintenance in the form of pointing up with mortar.

6.  You may be (un) lucky enough to own a Georgian-style property with an elegant front facade

concealing an ‘M’ shaped  ‘butterfly’ roof, invisible  from street level. The bottom of the ‘M’

comprises a valley gutter running from front to rear above the bedroom ceilings. Being out of sight,

they are particularly prone to neglect, blockage and leakage with dire consequences for those below.

Anticipate the significant expense of  re-lining and replacement of rotten support timbers.

7.  Victorian flat roofs were commonly clad with  lead, or cheaper zinc, both of which will now be

well past their prime. Modern flat felted roofs can have a lifespan as short as 12 years. Flat

roofs are of course not flat, but need a minimum 1:40 slope to disperse rainwater and prevent

ponding;  many fall short of this requirement and the decks may need upgrading.

Things to check inside

To fully assess the condition of a roof, you cannot overlook the structure. Popping your head into

the loft space (assuming there’s a loft hatch) can tell you a lot about the wellbeing of the property.

* If your loft is draughty and there’s no underfelt below the slates or tiles, don’t be alarmed –

that’s the way it was built. Felt provides a secondary line of defence against driving rain, but

was only widely installed on new houses from the 1950s. Old roofs rely on decent ventilation so

that any rain that blows in can safely evaporate away. There may be small chinks of light visible

between the rows of tiles or slates, which is normally OK. But any larger gaps, particularly at roof

joints can spell trouble.

*  The main rafters on each roof slope  are normally supported by a large horizontal beam called a

purlin, which in turn usually employs a wooden strut for support. If the roof sags, improved support

may be necessary here. This is fairly simple carpentry and shouldn’t be too expensive, if access is

reasonable.

* White powdery salts under the tiles can be indicative of erosion. Especially check the condition of

the projecting ‘nibs’ at the top of each tile (where they are hung from the battens).  

It is also here on the underside that slates tend to first soften and ‘de-laminate’  indicating the

need for renewal.

*  Check  whether the firebreak party walls are in situ. If not they will need to be built up in

thermolite blocks or fire-resistant plasterboard.

Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that many original roofs will exhibit very few of the above defects

and will be perfectly satisfactory with a little routine maintenance from time to time. Premature

replacement is an unnecessary expense and roofers may well utilise inferior cheaper modern materials.

    How to spot a cowboy builder

 Don't take our word for it  - this is what the confederation of

master builders say:-

 Cowboy builders are very much in the minority, but they are out there, so

 how  can you protect yourself. Treat them with suspicion if they:

• EVADE giving you references or details of previous jobs
• OFFER you a 'cheap' deal for cash-in-hand.
• SUGGEST you can avoid paying VAT for cash
• CONFUSE you with jargon and complicated explanations
• INSIST that a written contract is not necessary
• SAY they can start tomorrow (a good builder is usually busy)
• CAN'T give you costings because 'things may change'
• LAUGH when you suggest showing them plans
• GIVE you a surprisingly low quote
• CAN only be reached by mobile and don't have an address on their card
• ASSURE you the details are their problem and you don't need to worry
• KNOCK the opposition                                                                                               

                    asbestos

             The following article appeared in The Observer

A deadly plague in all our houses?

Asbestos could lurk in any home built in the past 80 years, warns Ian Rock

Sunday May 16, 2004
The Observer

The chances are, your workplace incorporates the substance in some form and, if your home was built between the 1920s and the 1980s, you may well have been coming home oblivious to the presence of the 'lurking menace' for years. It seems many of us were raised unwittingly surrounded by the stuff.