After double-gazing it, my bay window roof has started to leak. Installers have been round and suggested that the roof failed some time ago and the water has just been percolating down through the woodwork in the past, and cracks in the paintwork caused by the installers have allowed the water to escape in a more noticeable place. This is reasonable; the windows are under big stone lintels that stick out quite a way and I see no badly fitted joints where water could get in. The leak is very slow- when the rain and wind are just right, you get perhaps a drop a minute.
Installers recommend getting someone in to tar the roof in a few months time. However, the roof was originally lead and there's a black coating, possibly of tar, that is worn off in places revealing the lead beneath. Neighbour re-leaded his bay some years ago because he didn't want to do a quick bodge that would start leaking again. Wife wants the cheapest possible fix. Hence my problem. Is recoating with tar (or one of these "10 year waterproofing paints") a viable option or is it a quick bodge that will give endless hassle?
Is re-leading never going to pay for itself in terms of how many 10 year re-applications of gunk it will save us?
-- Dr. Craig Graham, Software Engineer Advanced Analysis and Integration Limited, UK.