Case Study:How Our Roof Inspection Services Solved a Mysterious Ceiling Collapse

The Spectrum team were called out for an emergency roof inspection in Wimbledon after a collapsed kitchen ceiling. Due to the severity of the issue, we were tasked to find the source of the leak and solution before any more water ingress damage affected the property.

Discover how our roofing and guttering specialists solved this problem efficiently and accurately to deliver a fast and cost-effective result for our client.

The Logistics

The residential five-storey flats with a penthouse are a property familiar to the Spectrum team due to the window and guttering cleaning services we carry out every six months.

So, when one of the residents had their kitchen ceiling collapse, we were asked to complete an emergency roof inspection to get to the root of the unexpected issue.

During our pre-site assessment, we uncovered the following problems:

· The damaged flat was on the fourth floor and lay beneath the penthouse.

· Unknown to the property manager, the penthouse was added as additional development above the original building five years previously.

· Our client has no records of the original guttering system for the building.

When investigating the leak, our team discovered that the flat, now on the 4th floor, used to be on the top floor of the building. The original guttering and gulleys were not blocked off when previous owners added a penthouse to the property!

The Project

With no records of the guttering system, the team needed to know where it was situated and how it was operating after not being maintained for over five years. Therefore, we had no choice but to pull up the penthouse's terrace flooring and inspect the leak issue from above.

The team lifted the timber decking, removing the brackets and deck supports to access the asphalt roofing layer. Once exposed, the team could identify the original gulleys and clear the blockages from within the guttering. 

Gaining access to the original roof, we could see what condition it was in from above. Whilst conducting our roofing services, we found blockages in the hidden guttering that had caused the water to back up and lay stagnant on top of the flat ceiling.

So, the problem was that when they built the penthouse, those responsible failed to block off the relevant water ingress areas. This unfortunate oversight meant the original roof had water flowing through its guttering. With this guttering hidden from sight and impossible to access, it received no maintenance for over five years.

And the weight of five years of water build-up finally proved too much for the kitchen ceiling, which is why the tenant's ceiling collapsed.

However, we still had to investigate the ceiling from below to ensure no other reasons contributed to the leaking. Too often, people assume that once you find the first or obvious issue, the problem is solved. But without investigating all options, further damage and issues can present themselves, which is why the property manager had this issue in the first place. With due diligence, we confirmed the main contributing factor was the hidden guttering on the original roof, with no other problems contributing to the leakage.

The second investigation stage needs to happen before any repair work can begin. This process relies on unblocking or redirecting the gulleys before repairing the ceiling and roof.

The Site

The original building was four storeys, but a fifth-storey penthouse was added. Although this move improved the property aesthetically and financially, not blocking off the gutters on the original roof was the cause of this damage.   

In performing regular window cleaning and guttering services at Durham Close, we were already very familiar with the property, saving time on strategy and access. However, the lack of information on the property provided by the previous owner meant we did not know the layout of the original guttering system.

Challenges

Despite being familiar with the property through our window cleaning and guttering services, not having access to records and information proved challenging. Without records of the original guttering plan, our team were clueless about the position and system of the original roof guttering.

The property manager did not have copies of this information, as the previous owner did not pass on the records. Being without the original guttering documents proved more costly. But luckily, the experience of our technicians still enabled a fast turnaround on the roof inspection. We have also provided a map of the original guttering for the property owner for future reference.

Once located and unblocked, the team turned their attention downstairs. The second investigation was to ensure that no other issues were causing the leakages that may come back later and cause more damage. Fully satisfied, we notified the property manager while fully mapping out the original guttering, giving them a record for the future. Completed in eight hours of one working day, the manager can repair the tenant's roof and return the apartment to its original condition.

The Result

Having a full-scale ceiling collapse meant that time and accuracy were of the essence for this project. Luckily, our experience with the building and leak inspections helped in the roof inspection, even without the information about the original guttering system.

Here is a brief overview of our process for this project:

• We conducted a pre-site assessment to devise the best guttering and roof inspection plan.
• Gaining access to the penthouse, we lifted the timber decking to access the asphalt roofing layer.
• We identified and unblocked the original gulleys and cleared all the blockages throughout the guttering system.
• Completed a second stage investigation from the apartment below to ensure no other issues.
• Finally, we mapped out the original guttering for the property owner for future reference.

In just eight hours, our roofing and guttering experts uncovered concealed gutters covered by the penthouse development. With all investigations completed on the fifth and fourth floor, the property manager could make the necessary repairs and avoid expensive water ingress issues in the future.

If you think your building requires any roof inspection or guttering services, contact Spectrum and receive a free quote today.