Flat roofs

Every flat roof covering on the market will last if it is laid well, and every one of them fails early if it is laid badly. So the choice between torch on felt, EPDM rubber and GRP is really about the roof. Felt is well understood and easy to repair. EPDM is a single rubber sheet with very few joints and suits simple shapes. GRP forms a seamless hard skin and suits small roofs with complicated edges. What decides whether the roof lasts is the same in all three cases. Water has to leave, so the roof needs a proper fall to an outlet or gutter, and where the existing roof ponds we correct it with firrings or tapered insulation. The deck has to be sound, so we strip back and replace boards that have gone soft. And the edges have to be right, because upstands against walls, edge trims, outlets and skylights are where nearly all flat roof leaks start. There is a good opportunity at this stage too. Most older flat roofs have little or no insulation, and when the covering comes off is the cheapest time to fix that. A warm roof build up, with rigid insulation above the deck and under the new covering, keeps the timber warm and dry and avoids the condensation that cold flat roofs are known for.

Patch or replace?

A single split or a failed joint on an otherwise sound roof is worth repairing. A roof with blisters everywhere, soft spots in the deck and water staining inside is past it, and patching just moves the leak. We tell you which one you have, and we would rather sell you a repair that works than a roof you did not need.