Fixing a flat roof - shared with neighbour.

[FakeStanley92]

We have a shared garage roof and the slope or lack of means we have a fair amount of water pooling on it.

the drainage is meant to run to ourside so which means that I can’t increase the height of the roof on ourside without impacting our neighbours.

the garage next door is owned by the council and rented to a tenant somewhere, not actually a direct neighbour and they have advised that the roof is not leaking. I’ve been trying to find out who was responsible for the garage for over a year as we had a leak that we fixed but it was a temp fix with a view of putting a rubber membrane down after putting some timber firrings on top of what we have and reboarding, this also gives me the chance to put insulation on the top of the roof as is.

however the council have pretty much said as it’s not leaking on their side they don’t want to repair. I’m concerned that if I do any repair to my side and I cause their side to leak they’ll hold me responsible, ive circled the pooling water on ourside that I want to sort but think the only way I can fix this is a temp fix of applying lots of roof liquid stuff to bring the height up.

any other advice or ideas? Would rather do a permanent fix but as the pooling as been going on for 2 years I’m fairly sure the roof felt will eventually give on our side and leak so I need to do something just to get us through.

from the deeds it’s not obvious if we have to maintain drainage for next doors garage. Much as I’m tempted to do an upstand to stop the water coming across I’m mindful that this may end up with me paying to fix their roof still so would rather it fail on their side before I even repair mine…

Any other ideas?

We have tried to get the person who rents the garage to speak to us but we’ve never seen them go in the garage…

 

[Bosswhite]

You should not be held to ransom by the Council, your roof is your responsibilty , a good roofer should be able to sort your problem out by fixing a new ridge that divides the two Garages , should the roofer find an age related problem on your neighbours roof he can put it in writing and you can inform the Council ,

 

[FakeStanley92]

When you say ridge are you meaning something to stop the water coming over our side?
The council side has no drain, both roofs use our sides drain pipe so we need to allow water to pass over on to our side.
the roof doesn’t currently have enough of a gradient on it. Pretty much all the garages by us are the same so I’d rather do it right and if it was a case of they had drainage their side I wouldn’t care. there repairs company apparently have been out and inspected visually from above and said their side is fine despite the big puddle on their side that has no where to drain to.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

Ricky - FOAD.

 

[Jackrae]

I would suggest that, unless your title deed contains a caveat of responsibility for the council section of the roof then the half of the roof you own is your roof do what you want. It's the council's responsibility to maintain and drain their roof.

 

[algas]

Poke a hole in the councils side yours can drain through it, the tenant can inform the council that the roof is leaking, that may get them moving

 

[Eccles]

1. Don't worry about the puddles, there are flat roofs with puddles all over the country because the so called roofers fail to create a slight slope when building them but they really doesn't matter if you have a decent water proof material up there.
2. A few years ago my daughter's flat roof began to leak and as there was a kitchen and bathroom below it caused a panic until I got up there and laid a couple of coats of this stuff:- https://www.toolstation.com/black-bituminous-paint/p88792 It's been up there for ten years so far.

 

[albaPhenom]

Is the roof leaking or is the concern simply the water pooling on the roof?

Id agree with the others, the council are being belligerent here, it’s a full roof area with one outlet so it’s everyone’s responsibility.

if they want to play that game then fine, it’s your outlet on “your side of the roof” so you can do what you want with it, they can create their own outlet on “their side of the roof” if they want.

you could get a price for a tapered insulation scheme which will put a fall in the roof draining to that outlet point from different angles, that way you can put any thickness of insulation you like depending on your budget.

it’s generally expensive on the face of it but since you intend to put insulation boards down anyway you have to offset that against the cost of fitting timbers and boarding.

Then just kerb upstand it along the line separating the two sides of the roof.
They can then deal with the resulting ponding on “their side of the roof” however they please ... not your problem.

It shouldn’t be this way but it seems the way they want to see it.