Canopy

[craft1948]

I had a 30' long cantilever canopy fitted onto my bungalow 4 years ago by Canopies UK.
A couple of weeks ago I noticed that part of it seemed to have dipped and rain was pouring out of the guttering. It is still under warranty and one of the company's fitters came to look at it today.
He says the canopy is fine but my brickwork has failed, i.e one of the bricks has cracked and has been pulled outward by the weight of the canopy when it was covered in snow, therefore it is an insurance job.
My builder says the fault is with Canopies UK as they should never have fitted it in the first place, as the building is a bungalow there was insufficient brickwork between the canopy and the gables to bear the weight.
My brother, who is a building inspector, agrees with my builder, but also says that if the brick has failed (which it definitely has) then the canopy has insufficient bolts to spread the stress along the wall.
Who is right?

[The Builder]

Crafty ........... when, a "conventional" roof is designed. Allowance is always made for windload, snowload, self-weight, everything. I must say that these guys do tend to just bung them up, put in a few fixings to make sure it stays there, and go away.

Before fitting it, they should have made a proper assessment of where the things going, especially whether it's going to be able to take it. They rely on the fact that most customers are lucky, and it stays there. They really should carry the can, as any decent builder would.

[craft1948]

They're supposedly ringing me to discuss it on Monday. The brother has been for a look and says that it is up to Canopies UK to make everything good. Basically he says that the wall had nothing wrong with it before the canopy was fitted, and it only has a problem now due to the canopy, so it is their problem. According to building regs for this area it should be able to support 18 inches of snow, and we've been nowhere near that.
I'm just dreading having a row :-(

[The Builder]

I know, I sympathise. Any decent firm would avoid confronation like the plague. Stay calm, state your case, especially mention what the Inspector had to say, then let him rattle on . If it looks like getting nowhere, end the meeting, and think about getting legal. It might have to be done.

[craft1948]

Thanks Builder x