flat roof leaking
 

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 a

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

2. 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.