Loose, broken or missing coping stones are a leading cause of damp in the UK, so we offer coping stone replacements, coping cover installations and a range of remedial services to keep your Bristol property damp-free. Visit our website gallery to see examples of the work our roofing contractors have completed.
LEARN MORECoping stones protect the tops of external walls, but when they are continuously weathered over many years, masonry joints break down and start leaking. This is when problems occur. The result is further damage, such as hollow, loose or missing render. Water that is trapped within the wall and behind the render in the winter turns to ice and expands slowly, pushing the render away from the wall. Each year, as the gap gets bigger, more water is able to get in and expand even further. Within a few years, the render is pushed off the wall, leaving it exposed and vulnerable to further weathering and costly damage.
The top of parapets and masonry walls are the most vulnerable point for water to enter a building. When they are damaged and leaking, water enters and runs down the inside of walls to the foundations, where it has nowhere else to go. Render and plaster on either side of the wall will trap the water. Each time it rains, more water runs into the wall, filling up and causing weaker areas of plaster to break down. This is when many homeowners first notice damp.
This is often called rising damp, but is actually filling damp - water does not rise out of the ground, it is being topped up from above.
Wall repairs, such as re-plastering and re-rendering, are often used to try and fix the issue, but this only masks the problem. Damp is likely to move to another part of the wall and might have already spread into another room or even into a neighbouring property.
The other factor is that in the winter when you have your heating on, the water that is trapped in the internal side of the wall is drawn into your property due to the heat. Now there is warm, damp air in your property which rises and condensates on your windows and walls, leading you to think you need more ventilation. A family living and breathing in a house does not cause enough condensation to cause damp walls and windows. The other problem with warm, damp air rising through your property is it can end up in your loft, and if you don’t have a breathable ridge or felt system, it will condensate on your felt, causing the roof timbers to be wet and damp. This leads to a constant cycle of water running in and condensating out again.
Most builders will tell you the problem is the lead soakers between the wall and the tile or the felt is leaking. The most common solution they will advise is to remove the coping stones and reinstall them with lead underneath. This will cost you a lot of money and, in most cases, builders will uncover more extensive problems, meaning more money. They know that when coping stones are disturbed, more damage to the walls and render is inevitable. Thus leading to even more expense and stress for you.
VIEW PROJECTLook up at the coping stones on top of the parapet walls. If you can see black water stains running down the walls between the coping stone joints, or loose, cracked and/or missing stones, then you have one or more water leaks.
Have a good look in your loft as well; if the walls are wet, damp, stained, or all of these, then this indicates the same problem. We can guarantee that these aspects are the root of all your damp issues and NOT the myth that is rising damp.
The roofing contractors at CopingCovers are here to help with new coping stone replacements and coping repairs.
In extreme cases, the render is only masking the problem. As you can see in the images below, the mortar is completely washed out, making the wall unstable. In rare cases, we have seen this occurring all the way down to the foundations, compromising the property. And in time, a disaster waiting to happen!
To resolve this type of damp, we install our coping covers directly over coping stones. This stops water leaking through and prevents further weathering of the joints and mortar. Coping covers add strength to the wall and give it a chance to dry out and stabilise. Remember, a dry wall is a warm wall. Wet walls stay cold.
Coping covers also improve the look of copings, which often become shabby after years of weathering. So, coping covers enhance the look of your property and keep your walls damp-free.
Our standard covers are made of industrial-grade Sintex steel, which is strong, durable and won’t rust. A range of coloured coatings are available to suit your preference, but black and anthracite are the most popular. CopingCovers uses a variety of metal alloys to produce covers in a range of shapes and sizes.
They are supplied in long lengths, are fitted with minimal joints and are watertight. Depending on the size of your property, coping covers can be installed within one day, causing minimal disruption. This cost-effective system guarantees to prevent any further expensive water damage to your walls and property.
You will be amazed at just how affordable our product is! Our roofing contractors also offer group discounts for clients in Bristol and beyond who share the same walls.
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For a FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE or if you have any questions about our coping stone replacements, please contact one of our Bristol-based roofing contractors on 07974 242989 today.
