Roof repair

[Welshmally]

My daughter is looking to re-felt/repair her roof: it's a wooden top which is largely sound but has an annoying leak. The current material is some sort of felt - any advice on materials would be very helpful. We suspect that the leak is at the edge where it meets the wooded rail - would ordinary sealant be acceptable as an interim measure?

Many thanks

[Tony Brooks]

Do you mean a wooden handrail or a wooden batten along the top of the cabin side to hide the  edge of the felt.

 

If you mean the handrail, then I fear it may be a handrail off job to reseal beneath it and then goodness knows what you will find.

[koukouvagia]

4 hours ago, Welshmally said:

My daughter is looking to re-felt/repair her roof: it's a wooden top which is largely sound but has an annoying leak. The current material is some sort of felt - any advice on materials would be very helpful. We suspect that the leak is at the edge where it meets the wooded rail - would ordinary sealant be acceptable as an interim measure?

Many thanks

I had a very similar problem with the wooden roof on our butty.  Over the years I have used all sorts of sealants, but they are, at best, a bodge. Sikaflex is probably the best.  The leaks were finally cured by using a fibre glass mat sheet and resin. (Google West System).  However, even this lasted only a few years because the underlying wood dried out and became friable causing the fibre glass shell to crack.  However, you say your roof is largely sound, so you may be OK.

The permanent solution in may case was to rebuild the back cabin in steel.  

For details of how I did the fibre glass and resin go to https://www.buttyhampton.com/engine-and-hydraulic-drive (scroll down the page).

 

[Welshmally]

Thank you both: yes, I think that it's coming in by the handrail: it will require a closer inspection before she decides what to do

[Tony Brooks]

They are typically screwed upwards from inside into the wooden handrail. If, and it's a big if, the handrail wood is in good condition so it holds screws you may find taking the rail off, sealing and refitting would do the trick but I think I would make gaskets from closed cell neoprene foam, you can get self-adhesive.  I fear you may find the wood of the roof itself has rotted around the screw holes where it has been constantly wet. In that case, you might be able to bodge it by fitting wooden pads on the ceiling to spread the load over the non-rotten areas and use longer screws.

[blackrose]

On 26/09/2021 at 18:04, Welshmally said:

My daughter is looking to re-felt/repair her roof: it's a wooden top which is largely sound but has an annoying leak. The current material is some sort of felt - any advice on materials would be very helpful. We suspect that the leak is at the edge where it meets the wooded rail - would ordinary sealant be acceptable as an interim measure?

Many thanks

 

If by ordinary sealant you mean silicone then no. Silicone is fine for bathrooms, etc, but for anything more permanent/exterior use a PU sealant: Marineflex, Stixall, Sikaflex, etc.

[Opener]

On 26/09/2021 at 18:04, Welshmally said:

My daughter is looking to re-felt/repair her roof: it's a wooden top which is largely sound but has an annoying leak. The current material is some sort of felt - any advice on materials would be very helpful. We suspect that the leak is at the edge where it meets the wooded rail - would ordinary sealant be acceptable as an interim measure?

Many thanks

Have a look at  " 151 Stop That Leak Spray " available via Amazon. There are a lot of reports from dissatisfied users who have tried to use it on everything but the stated purpose. I've used it on a felted garage roof on leaky joins and overlaps. So far the work appears successful. Needs to be a dry location so that it can adhere, sprayed in the right place so that you are sealing the actual leak but only comes in 'BLACK' (a la Henry Ford) so a repair may look a bit conspicuous. As a user reports, the can is not designed for accurate application - but you will get a wide 'field of fire'. Good luck.

[Tony Brooks]

If the leak is from the handrail fixings, I very much doubt the above will work for any length of time. The chances are the rail is a little loose, so will work as it's used and split any  seal applied externally. The only longer term cure is rail off and get good fixings.

[MtB]

On 26/09/2021 at 18:04, Welshmally said:

My daughter is looking to re-felt/repair her roof: it's a wooden top which is largely sound but has an annoying leak.

 

This is normal for wooden roof, in my experience. 

 

Also, where the water emerges inside can be metres away from where it is getting in on the outside. Best advice is sell the boat and buy one with a steel cabin. 

[dmr]

30 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

This is normal for wooden roof, in my experience. 

 

Also, where the water emerges inside can be metres away from where it is getting in on the outside. Best advice is sell the boat and buy one with a steel cabin. 

 

Dealing with rust is just so much more exciting than messing with rotten wood 😀