To ask if this is an unusual expectation from a roofer

[Staycalmandscream]

Extension roof badly fitted some yrs ago. Original builders went bust so no come back there. Leaking like a colander in this weather.

Had lots of roofers out & several only want to patch it up with no guarantee it'll stop leaking. Obviously I'm not going in that direction.

2 have said I need a new roof. I tend to agree. Sadly, as this is the expensive remedy. However I thought spending 1.5-2k on a roof it would be standard the work would be insurance backed guarantee. Not just incase they go under but they could get killed by lightening tm! Both the roofers who seemed most knowledgeable and who I had recommended say their guarantee is company based. Their companies have been around for a long time but equally that means they're older gentlemen so longevity of them personally backing their work is a concern.

I spoke to a friend who told me I was being unreasonable to expect insurance backed guarantee on this sort of job. Am I?

I'm nervous about how to proceed after a very bad experience with the original builders. Our leaking roof isn't straightforward in its design (ie the original builders balls'd it up) so I need someone who knows more than a textbook approach to watertighting a standard roof.

There's a bedroom window above where the roof meets the house so raising the pitch would cost a fortune (new window & associated internal works).

I've had 2 roofers quote for redland regent tiles which claim a minimum pitch of 12.5° at 100mm overlap. Does anyone have any experience with these? Another roofer talked about Wessex tiles but he's not followed through with a written quote.

I've wondered about converting it to a pitched roof (ridge running down the middle perpendicular to the main house) as the pitch would drop over about 2.5m rather than 3m which should push it over 15°, although I haven't fully calculated the numbers. And I've no idea the cost as that would involve new joists & brickwork to build the front apex.

something what was your roof situation? And did you solve it?

Yes - in the end (as ours was an extension at the back of the house) and backed on to fields so wasn't visible they ended up putting some kind of layers over the top like you would use on a flat roof!!! After many many attempts. Fortunately though we had had a fixed price for the extension and the builder just kept coming and trying different things free of charge until it was sorted!

something ours is at the back too. It's gone through my mind that I may not care what it looks like as long as it's watertight. Better to look good on the inside than outside if it comes down to a choice.

Were the flat roof type layers put on top of the tiles?

Yes and painted over with black stuff!! So for up to 2 years after the extension we suffered from many leaks, investigations etc and in the twelve years since they did this no leak, no stain block, no repainting ceilings (other than when generally decorating anyway).

Oh wow that's properly a belt & braces approach. I'm not sure where is stand with this roofer if a leak occurred again.

I think I might be best to wait for the structural engineer to give his recommendation. Although we can't raise the roof height joining the house I wondered how tricky / feasible it'd be to do it the opposite way. By removing a row of bricks from the front side of the extension to increase the slope that way instead.