Beyond repair?

[MaryPoppins]

Hi all,
We bought our grade ll house in 2019 and are now having it rethatched and the old thatch has been partially removed. Unfortunately, this has revealed that the internal roof structure is so badly damaged that there is no way that new thatch can be put on. The previous thatcher in the 1980s did a real bodge job and made no structural or maintenance repairs at all; the ridge beam was replaced with compacted straw, the rafters were not secured to the (disintegrated) wall plates but wedged in with rubble (most fell out when the thatch was removed), what’s left of the remaining rafters in situ are all broken and we have no purlins. In essence there is no internal roof structure and the structural engineer is trying to draft potential but realistic options, but we have been roofless now since February with no sign of a solution. Can anyone tell me what happens if we are unable to repair the roof? The structural engineer mentioned that we may need to consider whether the roof should be condemned.
Thanks

 

[a twig]

Potentially missing something here - what is stopping you reinstating / repairing all the timber to recreate the internal roof structure? Replace the wall platers, new rafters etc.

Not sure just condemning the roof is overly helpful from the structural engineer.

 

[alexander]

I would contact the local listings officer at your council request a meeting and be asking what he will allow you to replace the roof structure with to be able to have it re-thatched so the structure of the building can be protected against the elements, your structural engineer sounds a nightmare creating more problems than they are solving

 

[MaryPoppins]

There are significant issues associated with any of our roof work. It needs to be entirely replaced and, as I understand it from the builders, supported by a lot of metalwork to replace the ridge beams and purlins. Building Control have visited and advised that the roof space can’t support any weight at the moment (no one is allowed up there except the builders and thatcher due to risk of injury) so any work will have to be managed extremely carefully. As a guide, current estimate of cost of works is £80k.

 

[alexander]

your walls are the support any metal work needs to be secured to direct the weight of the roof to the walls,
while building control are helpful in many ways they are generally not helpful with listed property's and are only there to sign of any work passed by planning so generally try passing this onto someone else planning ect
as its a listed building planning will only pass the work once listings approve it,
so cut out the middlemen go straight to the listings officer for your district get there approval for what is required you may even get the go ahead to start the work before it is eventually passed by planning as long as the planning application is applied for
the fact the roof space is open to the elements does give you a lot of leverage to protect the rest of the structure of the building.
sorry but your builders & structural engineer & planning officers are not living in a house with no roof so have no vested interest to push for a quick solution,
the listing officer may even ask for a site visit to see for themselves what you are up against & what needs done to fix it.