Roof leaks during recent heavy rain

Flats on the 5th floor of Ben Jonson House have suffered serious water penetration problems during the storms over the last week.

The house group is aware of a number of flats with this problem but the estate office will not tell us how many flats are having this problem.  The reason given by the BEO for withholding the information from us is the data protection act.

If you live on the 5th floor and are having problems with your roof please let the house group committee know by using the email form at the bottom of the blog page (just scroll down).

Here is a write up by the resident of one of the affected flats.  This particular flat has had water penetration issues since the roof repair works in 2002/3.  The flat had no water penetration problems before the roof works.

NB: Leaking roofs, and the associated costs are currently under review.

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The latest is that both I and my neighbours experienced leaks overnight following the heavy rain on Thursday 23rd. This was the first occurrence since April. A two man team from Structural Renovations had been pre-booked to look into possible sources on 24th (yesterday) and they spent the day carrying out tests which resulted in the replication of leaks at both flats. Steve Murray, who has been overseeing the works over the past 4 years, admitted defeat in terms of finding a permanent solution. He was in agreement with the suggestion of my neighbours that a fresh perspective was now needed in the person of a structural engineer and any other relevant professionals, to analyse and plan whatever was necessary to address the fundamental faults underlying the repeated leaks.  [My neighbours] would be able to put forward a structural engineer who is well acquainted with the structure of the Barbican and listing issues.

It is significant that in the course of their investigation yesterday, the team from Structural Renovations referred to the nature of the paving at level 6, installed as part of the roof works. On other blocks paving stones are loose laid on small sand bags, which means that the entire surface of the balcony under them can take the extra water of heavy downfalls. This was the situation at BJH too before the roof works. The new paving stones are stuck down directly onto the asphalt meaning that heavy rainfall is then confined to the shallow gutter running under the sliding doors to the drain between our two flats and overwhelms the drain. It then finds its way into any minor fault in the seal and draws water into the ceilings by capillary action.

I think we should know whether this system of paving that is both stuck down and raised well above the recommended level was used on the level 6 balconies of any other blocks as part of the roof works. I wonder particularly about Bunyan Court which has the same basic configuration as we have. If our problems are the result of a fundamental design fault, the City should bear all the associated costs over the years and pay a suitable level of compensation for the huge inconvenience suffered by the owners of those properties directly affected for all of 12 years.