To peg or not to peg!

[jocelyn plummer]

Our catslide roof of norfolk pantiles is not pegged----but recently we have had a few slip in the high winds. One or two were just about to part company with the roof altogether so I had to do something PDQ.

I nabbed a roofer who is working on a nearby property and he 'popped' them back, muttering about pegs. having paid him £100 to push back the rogue tiles I subsequently discovered that he is considered to be ' 6 months short of his apprenticeship' ! ( lovely phrase for a school, report!).

Anyway, seriously, since some more have become dislodged over the weekend, am I to believe that our Vendor spent his days putting them back every time we had a high wind, or, better still, get a decent local roofer in for an opinion? I do not believe that it is necessary to peg them, but I certainly do not want to keep calling somebody in to put them back each time the wind blows.

Pegging would probably cost a HUGE sum, it is a very big roof.

 

[Penners]

Joss - I've always assumed that pantiles aren't pegged. All the ones I've seen hang on nibs. But I'm a very long way from being an expert on this - maybe some pantiles are drilled, rather than having nibs.

Are you able to see how yours are secured? Do they hang on nibs, and/or are they perhaps bedded in mortar?

If the former, then there doesn't appear to be an obvious reason why they should suddenly have started slipping (as they have presumably been like that for a long time), unless you've had one or more battens fail. If they're bedded, could the mortar have started to loosen and crumble?

I can't remember whether your roof is felted under the tiles. If not, it should be easy to see the situation from inside the attic.

 

[Flyfisher]

It's all too easy to see the tiles from our attic and they all seem to just hang on the nibs. It's difficult to be totally sure, but I don't recall any particular problem with winds dislodging the tiles. Most of our roof problems seem to be a result of poor maintenance leading to water ingress leading to failed battens leading to slipped tiles leading to water ingress . . . . a vicious circle I'm planning to fix when the better weather arrives.

 

[Penners]

Pity though, Flyfisher. The view of the surrounding countryside through your roof is wonderful....

 

[Flyfisher]

True, but I'm sure the timbers are now bored of the view after all these years. Time to wrap them up just a little bit, I think.

 

[biffvernon]

Yes, pantiles don't have pegs, they just rest on their nibs and the downward force of gravity usually exceeds the upward force of the wind. Adding lime mortar to the cracks makes the roof much less draughty and stops snow blowing in and probably also helps prevent wind damage. Its called 'torching'
This SPAB leaflet may help.

 

[Geoff Flegg]

Not sure about pantiles, but plain tiles are usually nailed every fifth course. Those in between just rest on their nibs.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Thanks folks. Your explanations are a help.

The other half will go up and investigate what is underneath the felting, which is pretty good, check the battens, and hunt for the nibs. Will also check out the SPAB leaflet.

As I have remarked to Penners, the 'roofer' is a million years off his apprenticeship, not very helpful when I am a 'learner' on matters of tiles and roofs.

Will keep you posted

 

[Moo]

Joss - how will he investigate what's under the felt without damaging the felt in the process?

ps - I was in The Shed this afternoon during a mini-gale and although I began to feel a bit like Dorothy pre-Oz, it stood firm as a rock.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

That's what worries me, but we will have a think first, and if necessary replace sections of felt if necessary. We can't have pantiles slipping down into the road or on top of someone, so they'll have to be checked.

 

[Penners]

If it's any comfort, we had a few pantiles slip in the recent gales. We've been in the house for over 3 years - in a windy location - without any dislodged tiles before these.

Fortunately they ended up in a roof valley, so didn't hit the ground (or any passing civilians). Replacing them was a 5-minute job - once I'd contrived to squeeze my oversize frame through the small opening casement in an adjacent window.

Equally fortunately, there was felt under the tiles. So no rainfall in the kitchen.

 

[andrew gayton]

if the nibs on th eback of the pantiles are worn, they will slip off th ebatten; this can be overcome by drilling a 4mm hole 20mm down from the centre of the nib (half the width of a batten) and fixing down with a screw.......................