Flat roof repair and replacement in Leeds
A flat roof repair is worth doing far more often than people are told. Flat roofing gets a bad name from the felt roofs of the seventies, and laid properly in the right material a flat roof today will outlast the extension it sits on.
They almost never fail in the middle. They fail at the edges, the upstands and the outlets, which is exactly the detailing that gets rushed when somebody is pricing to be cheapest. That is also why a flat roof repair often is the right answer: the deck under a failed edge detail is usually sound.
I will tell you which material suits the roof rather than which one I would rather fit. Big simple areas suit EPDM rubber. Anything with lots of trims and upstands suits GRP fibreglass. Torch-on felt still has its place on a budget, and I will say so when it does.
- EPDM rubber
- GRP fibreglass
- Torch-on felt
- Corrugated sheet
- Flat roof repairs
You probably need this if
Signs worth acting on
- Standing water still sitting on the roof two days after rain
- Blisters, splits or bubbling in the surface
- A leak that appears in a different place each time
- Felt that has gone brittle and cracks when you press it
How I do it
What the job involves
- 1Strip back and look at the deck
Laying a new membrane over a rotten deck is the most common corner cut in the trade. If the boards have gone, they get replaced.
- 2Get the falls right
Water has to leave. If the existing falls are wrong, firrings go in to correct them rather than hoping.
- 3Detail the edges properly
Upstands, trims and outlets are where flat roofs fail, so that is where the time goes.
- 4Repair where a repair will hold
A flat roof repair to a split, a blister or a failed upstand is a fraction of a replacement, and on a deck that is still sound it is the honest answer. I will tell you which of the two you are looking at before I quote either.
On your street
The flat roofs Leeds actually has
Almost every flat roof I look at in LS6 and LS7 is one of three things: a rear kitchen extension on a Victorian terrace, a dormer on a loft conversion, or a garage. The extensions are the ones that leak into a room you use every day, and they are usually the oldest covering on the house because they were added long after the roof was last touched.
Dormers are the Headingley speciality. So many terraces here have been converted, and a dormer is mostly upstands, cheeks and a junction with the main roof slope, which is exactly the detailing that decides whether a flat roof lasts. When one of these leaks it is almost never the middle of the deck. It is the cheek, the apron flashing or where the flat meets the slate.
One local quirk worth knowing: on a converted terrace the dormer often sits close to the boundary with next door, sometimes with a shared party parapet. That changes how the edge has to be detailed and occasionally who you need to speak to before work starts. Better to find that out at quote stage than on the morning of the strip.
Which of the two you need is usually decided by the deck rather than the covering. If the boards are dry and the failure is at a trim, an upstand or an outlet, a flat roof repair will hold for years. If the deck is soft underfoot, or the leak moves about the room, the covering has been letting water in long enough that a flat roof repair is money spent twice. I would rather walk it with you and say which than quote a replacement on principle.
Not sure if that is what you have got?
Send me a photo. I will tell you what I think it is and roughly what it costs, before anyone comes out.
Call 07770 902292Flat Roofing: common questions
How long does a flat roof last?
EPDM rubber and GRP fibreglass both go twenty years or more when they are laid properly. Torch-on felt is nearer fifteen. Most flat roofs fail early because of the detailing at the edges, not the material.
Which flat roof material is best?
Depends on the shape and what sits on it. EPDM for large simple areas, GRP where there are lots of upstands and trims. I will tell you which suits your roof rather than which I would rather fit.
How much does a roof repair cost in Leeds?
Most small repairs, a slipped tile or a bit of flashing, land between £150 and £400. A bigger job needs a look first. I quote in writing before anything starts, and the quote is the price.
Do you charge for quotes?
No. I come out, look at the roof properly, and tell you what it needs. If it does not need doing, I will say so.
How quickly can you come out?
For a leak, usually the same day or the next morning. I will get it watertight first and sort the proper repair once the weather allows.
Are you insured?
Yes, fully insured for public liability. Ask to see the certificate and I will send it over before I start.
Where I work
Flat Roofing across Leeds and about 15 miles around it.
Other things I do
Get in touch
Get a free quote from a local roofer.
Tell me what you need and I'll get back to you to arrange a look.