Flat roofs are everywhere in West Yorkshire, on rear extensions, garages, dormers, porches and bay windows. When one starts leaking, the first question is usually which material to replace it with. There are three main choices, and each suits different jobs.
EPDM rubber
EPDM is a synthetic rubber membrane laid as a single large sheet, so there are very few joints for water to find its way through. It stays flexible, copes well with our temperature swings, and moves with the building rather than cracking.
It suits:
- Larger roofs, where one sheet can cover the area with few or no seams
- Awkward shapes and roofs with several outlets or upstands
- Homeowners who want a low maintenance finish and are not worried about looks
Its plain black finish is practical rather than decorative, which does not matter on most roofs because nobody sees them.
GRP fibreglass
GRP is laid as a liquid resin with a glass fibre mat, which sets into one seamless, hard wearing layer. It is finished with a top coat that comes in different colours, and it is detailed with preformed trims for a very neat edge.
It suits:
- Garage roofs, dormers and small to medium extensions
- Roofs that will be seen from upstairs windows, where a tidy finish matters
- Roofs that need to take occasional foot traffic for maintenance
Because it is laid wet, it needs dry weather to install, so timing matters more than with the other options.
Torch on felt
Modern felt is a long way from the old pour and roll roofs many properties still have. Today's systems are built up in layers of polymer modified membrane, with a mineral finish on top.
It suits:
- Homeowners looking for the most cost effective option
- Roofs where a proven, traditional system is preferred
- Repairs and extensions that need to match an existing felt roof
What matters more than the material
The honest truth is that most flat roofs fail because of how they were installed, not what they were covered in. A flat roof is never truly flat. It needs a fall so that water runs off rather than sitting on it. When water ponds, every material suffers.
Before we lay any covering, we check:
- The fall, and whether it needs rebuilding with firrings
- The condition of the deck boards underneath
- The drainage outlets and gutters, so the water has somewhere to go
- The upstands, trims and edges, which are the usual weak points
- Insulation and ventilation, to avoid condensation under the roof
Get those right and any of the three materials will serve you well. Get them wrong and none of them will.
Thinking about a pitched roof instead?
On some extensions and garages, the structure allows a flat roof to be converted to a pitched roof. It is a bigger job, but it can change the look of a building and removes the flat roof question entirely. We can tell you whether yours is suitable.
Find out more about our EPDM and flat roof work, or get in touch for a no obligation quote.