Flat Roofing Systems We Install
Three systems cover almost every domestic flat roof in Liverpool. Each has its place, and the right choice depends on the shape of the roof, whether it's walked on, and your budget.
EPDM Rubber Roofing
A synthetic rubber membrane supplied in one sheet large enough to cover most domestic roofs with no joints. It stays flexible from well below freezing to the hottest summer day, is fully bonded to the deck, and manufacturers rate it at fifty years. It's our first choice for plain extension and garage roofs in Liverpool, L1. Full detail on our EPDM page.
GRP Fibreglass Roofing
Laid wet on site as resin and glass mat, then topcoated, GRP cures into a seamless rigid skin that's hard enough to walk on and follows awkward shapes a sheet can't. The better choice for balconies, bay roofs, porches and roofs with lots of detail. See our GRP page.
Felt Roofing
Modern torch-on felt is a long way from the pour-and-roll felt of the 1970s, with a realistic life of fifteen to twenty years, and it remains the budget option. We fit it on request, but on most roofs in Liverpool the small extra cost of EPDM or GRP buys two or three times the life.
Flat Roof Applications
Flat roofs turn up in more places on a Liverpool house than people realise, and each one has its own quirks.
Garage Roofs
The most neglected roof on the property. Usually felt on a rotten deck by the time we see it. Replaced in a day with a new deck and EPDM; see garage roofs.
Extension Roofs
Kitchen and dining extensions across Liverpool, L1 nearly all have flat roofs, often with a lantern or roof window. We build them as warm roofs with correct falls, and fit the lantern at the same time so one contractor is responsible for the whole thing.
Dormer Roofs
Flat-roofed dormers on converted lofts are small, high and awkward, and the junction with the main roof is where they leak. GRP laminated as one piece over the roof and cheeks is usually the answer.
Balconies and Terraces
Walked on, furnished and often over a room below. GRP with an anti-slip finish, proper upstands and drainage is what we fit.
Porch Roofs
Small, visible from upstairs windows and prone to being ignored. GRP in a lead-grey finish looks right on the period houses of Liverpool and lasts decades.
Flat Roof Repairs
Not every flat roof needs replacing. Splits, blisters and failed laps in felt can be patched, GRP can be repaired invisibly with fresh laminate, and ponding is often cured by adjusting an outlet or adding a fall. We repair flat roofs across Liverpool when a repair will last, and we say so when it won't. A roof that's being patched every year is costing more than a new one.
Choosing the Right Flat Roof
There is no single best flat roof; there's the right one for the roof in front of us. On most homes in Liverpool the choice comes down to three things: how the roof is used, how it's shaped, and how long you plan to stay.
For a plain rectangular garage or extension that nobody walks on, a single sheet of EPDM rubber is hard to beat: no joints, very little to go wrong and a long life. Where the roof has lots of corners, upstands, outlets or a lantern, or where it will take foot traffic as a balcony or terrace, GRP fibreglass is the better fit because it's laid as a liquid and cures into one seamless, hard-wearing layer. Modern torch-on felt still has a place on larger commercial roofs and where a client wants a traditional mineral finish.
Warm Roofs, Cold Roofs and Condensation
Many older flat roofs in Liverpool, L1 are cold roofs: the insulation, if there is any, sits between the joists with a ventilated gap above it. They're prone to condensation and the decking often rots from underneath long before the covering fails. When we replace a flat roof we usually convert it to a warm roof, with rigid insulation laid on top of the deck and the waterproof covering on top of that. The deck stays warm and dry, the room below is noticeably warmer, and the job meets current Building Regulations for a replacement roof.
Falls, Outlets and Edges
Most flat roof failures we see in Liverpool are not about the covering at all. Water that sits in puddles for days finds every weakness, so we build in proper falls with firrings or tapered insulation, size outlets and gutters to clear heavy rain, and finish edges with trims and drip details that throw water clear of the walls. Upstands against walls are dressed under proper flashings rather than relying on sealant, which is where many cheap roofs start to leak within a couple of years.
Every flat roof we fit comes with written details of the system, the guarantee that applies to it and photographs of the deck, insulation and finished roof, so you have a record if you ever sell the house.