Haverhill Roofers carries out flat roof replacements and repairs for homeowners in Sturmer, and this page explains exactly what happens from the first visit to the final tidy-up.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A lot of homeowners ask us what they should expect when a flat roof is being replaced or repaired. It is a fair question. Knowing the sequence of work helps you plan around it, understand what you are paying for, and spot whether a job has been done properly. Below is an honest account of how a flat roofing job runs, from the initial inspection through to clean-up.
Before any price is agreed, the roof needs to be seen properly. A quote given from the ground or from a photograph is not reliable - the deck condition, the fall, the state of the flashings and any drainage details can only be assessed close up.
On the inspection, we check the existing membrane for blistering, cracking, splits and lifting edges. We check the flashings where the roof meets any walls, upstands or pipes - these are a common source of water ingress even when the main surface looks acceptable. We test the deck for soft spots by applying light pressure across the surface, which reveals any boards that have been wetted and are delaminating or softening.
We look at the drainage too: where the water is supposed to go, whether the outlet or gutter is clear, and whether the fall across the roof is adequate. Ponding water is one of the main causes of early membrane failure, and if the falls are wrong, laying a new surface will not fix it.
At the end of the inspection we give you a clear explanation of what we have found and what work is needed. If the roof can be repaired rather than replaced, we say so. If replacement is the right answer, we explain why and what it will involve.
A proper quotation for a flat roof replacement should set out the scope of work in enough detail that you can compare it with quotes from other roofers. It should state the material being used, what will happen to the existing membrane and any waste, whether deck boards are included or whether additional deck repairs will be priced separately if damage is found once the roof is stripped, and how the edges and flashings will be detailed.
A price that simply says "flat roof replacement" without specifying the material or what is included is not a quotation you can rely on. Ask for the detail in writing before agreeing to anything.
On the day work begins, the first task is stripping the existing membrane back to the deck. On a felt roof this means cutting and pulling up the layers of felt, which are removed from site as waste. Any mineral chippings from an older chipping-finish roof come off first.
Once the membrane is stripped, the deck is inspected properly for the first time. Some soft spots that were not apparent under the old felt may become visible at this stage. Any damaged boards are cut out and replaced with exterior-grade plywood or OSB before the new membrane goes down. This is not optional - a new membrane over a soft or rotten board will fail at that spot as the board continues to deteriorate beneath it.
Stripping and deck preparation is physically demanding work and generates a good volume of waste material. A skip or a suitable vehicle for disposal needs to be arranged. On a small garage roof this stage is typically complete in a morning; a larger extension roof will take longer.
Before the new membrane goes down, the deck surface needs to be clean, dry, flat and free from any nails or fixings that are proud of the surface. Any deck boards that were replaced need to be firmly fixed and flush. The falls are checked again at this stage to confirm water will drain correctly across the new surface.
If the specification includes insulation - for example a warm roof build-up - the insulation boards are laid and fixed to the deck at this point, before the membrane. Warm roof construction places the insulation above the deck, keeping the timbers inside the insulated envelope and reducing condensation risk. This adds to the build depth and cost but is recommended for most replacement roofs where the height allows it.
The method varies by material. For EPDM rubber, large sheets of membrane are cut to size and bonded to the deck with contact adhesive. The adhesive is applied to both the underside of the membrane and the deck surface, allowed to become touch-dry, then the membrane is carefully rolled out and pressed down. Once bonded, EPDM is extremely difficult to reposition, so accurate placement before the adhesive sets is important.
Seams between sheets of EPDM are bonded with seam tape or liquid-applied seam adhesive. Edge details - where the membrane folds over a drip edge, into a gutter or up an upstand - need to be trimmed accurately and pressed firmly into place. These edge and seam details are where problems arise if care is not taken.
For torch-on felt systems, each layer is heated with a gas torch until the bitumen flows, then pressed firmly to the surface below. The installer works steadily backwards across the roof, ensuring full adhesion throughout. Laps between sheets must be fully bonded with no voids beneath. The final layer is a mineral-finish cap sheet that provides UV protection.
Neither system should be rushed. Poor adhesion or voids beneath the membrane will cause early failure regardless of the quality of the material itself.
Where a flat roof meets a wall, a parapet or a chimney, the junction is waterproofed with flashing. Lead is the traditional choice and remains excellent in this application - it is soft enough to be dressed into mortar joints and shaped around corners, and it has a very long service life. On EPDM roofs, EPDM flashing strips can be used at upstands and trimmed into the wall above.
Flashings that are not properly bedded, not chased into the mortar joint or not fixed down at the top edge will lift in the wind and allow water to track behind them. This is one of the most common causes of flat roof leaks on a roof that otherwise looks sound. Where old lead flashing is being reused, it is cleaned and re-dressed; where it is cracked or has reached the end of its life, it is replaced.
The gutter or drainage outlet that takes water off the flat roof is checked and cleared at the end of the job. Debris from the stripping work can block outlets if they are not covered during the job. If an outlet collar or gutter bracket has deteriorated, this is the right time to replace it - before the new membrane is finished around it.
On a new installation, the outlet is integrated into the membrane detail so that water discharges cleanly into the drainage without pooling around the edge of the outlet collar. A poorly detailed outlet is another common leak point that is straightforward to get right and important not to overlook.
Once the membrane, flashings and drainage are complete, we check the whole surface. We look for any areas of membrane that are not fully bonded, check every seam and edge detail, and make sure no fixings have been left proud that could puncture the surface. Any felt off-cuts, waste material and general site debris is removed.
We also do a final check of the drainage fall by pouring water on the surface and watching where it goes. If it sheets off cleanly to the gutter or outlet, the job is done. If it pools in any area, that needs to be addressed before we leave.
A properly finished flat roof has a clean, continuous membrane with no visible voids, bubbles or wrinkles. Edges are neatly trimmed with no membrane overhanging loose. Flashings are firmly bedded with no gaps at the top edge. The drainage fall is visible to the eye - the surface is not level but has a perceptible tilt toward the outlet or gutter.
If any of those elements are missing from a job you have had done, it is worth having the roof inspected before the first winter comes around.
Whether you need a flat roof replacement or a repair to a garage, extension or dormer, call Haverhill Roofers to arrange an inspection in Sturmer. We will walk you through exactly what the job involves and give you a clear, itemised price before any work starts.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
