Flat Roof Repair & Installation in Erdington

The forgotten flat roofs on a terrace

On an Erdington terrace the flat roof is rarely the main thing, it is the bit you cannot see from the street, over the back addition or the bay. That is exactly why it gets neglected until the ceiling below stains. The old felt on these areas cracks at the edges, blisters in the sun and lifts where it meets the brickwork, and once water is in it tracks along the joists before it shows.

Bay roofs and rear additions

The lead or felt tops to the bay windows on these terraces are a classic leak point, often dumping water straight down into the bay below. We strip the failed covering, sort the timber if it has gone soft and relay in a covering that suits the area. For the rear outrigger and kitchen extension roofs, EPDM rubber is usually the sensible choice, running around £80 to £120 per square metre fitted, with very few joints to fail.

• Bay window roof renewal in lead or modern membrane
• EPDM, GRP or felt to rear extensions and outriggers
• Correct upstands and flashings where the flat roof meets the brickwork
• Renewal of soft or rotten roof timber found when we strip the old covering

Why old felt fails on these roofs

The flat roofs on Erdington's back additions were nearly all done in three-layer felt, and felt has a hard life on a small roof like this. The sun bakes it and makes it brittle, the cold cracks it, and the constant expansion and contraction eventually splits it along the seams and at the upstands. Once it goes, the flat tops on these terraces have very little fall and water simply sits, working its way through any weak point. A modern membrane like EPDM handles that movement far better, which is why we tend to move people off felt when a back-addition roof comes up for renewal.

Catch it before the ceiling goes

Because these flat roofs leak quietly, by the time you see a stain the timber is often already affected. We will inspect properly, fix the cause and replace any decking that has gone. We are NFRC, TrustMark and Guild of Master Craftsmen accredited, and every flat roof carries our lifetime workmanship guarantee.