flat roof leaking

[Fred]

Hello,

I have got a carport which consists of felt on chipboard on joists and underneath the joists is plasterboard to make it look pretty. I became aware the roof was leaking when some of the plasterboard fell down!

I have been on a stepladder and removed all of the plasterboard to see how much of the roof is rotten. There is one really bad patch, crumbling and beyond repair in the one corner. However there are two wet patches elsewhere. In these patches the chipboard is discoloured but otherwise ok. Of course I need to fix the leak but do I need to cut these patches out or will they be ok?

I'm tempted to think rather than cut out the bad patches it might be easier and more reliable to rip off the whole roof and start again. Do you agree?

Two other (unexpected) problems I have encountered are:

1. a wasps nest. It looks old, broken, and abandoned. Shall I remove it or is it best to call in the council?

1. Where the joists enter the house the holes in the brickwork are a terrible mess. Someone has smashed holes up to eight inches wide which means there are very big gaps! Should I fill the smaller gaps with mortar or foam? I'm thinking foam because would it be a problem having wet mortar next to the wood? For the larger holes, what is best: should I insert bricks to fill the gaps?

I bought a hard hat to protect me from falling debris whilst removing the plasterboard. Everything went well. When I finished I went inside to have a cup of tea and the hat fell off the kitchen work surface onto the floor. Does that count as a drop? Should I throw it away now?

Thanks in advance.

[Emil Tiades]

Unless you plan to sell your house in a couple of years, it's much cheaper in the long run to rip off the lot and do a proper job.

Lol, do you know how much the money grabging bastards demand for this? Wasps never come back to an old nest, burn it.

Lol, if you are afraid to split open your head, I'll have it (the hat, I mean).

[Fred]

I had heard wasps nests were dangerous things but since this one looked old and seemed cracked along the side, I got a bit more courage and removed it myself. I hadn't realised that the council charged. Isn't it included in the £1000+ council tax I pay, or is that just to get my bins emptied? ;)

Perhaps it's me being paranoid again ;)

I thought these things had to be replaced following a fall but I'm not sure what constitutes a fall? Did mine have a drop rather than a fall? They are only a couple of pounds from the likes of Toolstation so perhaps I should get a new one anyway. It's nice to look the part ;)

I got the yellow, labourer's version, not the supervisor's ;)