New Roofs & Roof Coverings
Flat roofs that drain, and details that hold
Flat roofs get a bad reputation from bad installations. A correctly falling deck, the right membrane for the use, and properly formed upstands and outlets will give you decades — the same roof done carelessly leaks within two winters.
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Flat Roofing: the short answer
Flat roofing covers the installation and repair of EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass, TPO single ply and torch-on bitumen systems on extensions, dormers, garages, porches and commercial roofs. Failure is usually caused by ponding, poor detailing at upstands and outlets, or a system laid over an unsuitable deck.
Who this is for
- Homeowners with extension, garage, dormer or porch roofs
- Property managers with flat-roofed commercial and industrial buildings
- Anyone with ponding water, blisters or a recurring flat-roof leak
- Balcony and terrace projects needing a walk-on finish
Signs you need this work
Standing water 48 hours after rain
Ponding indicates inadequate falls and accelerates the failure of every system.
Blisters and bubbling
Trapped moisture or air under the membrane, expanding in sun and stressing the material.
Splits at upstands and corners
The detail, not the field, is where nearly all flat roofs fail.
Sagging or soft deck underfoot
The deck below is already wet and probably needs replacing.
Blocked or undersized outlets
One blocked outlet turns the whole roof into a tank.
What causes it
Insufficient fall
Flat roofs are not flat. Without a designed fall to an outlet, water sits.
Poor detailing
Upstands too short, no proper termination, laps not bonded.
Wrong system for the use
A membrane not rated for foot traffic put on a roof people walk on.
Trapped moisture
New membrane laid straight over a saturated deck, which then blisters.
Your options
Localised patch repair
Compatible patching where the deck is dry and the failure is contained.
Detail renewal
Reforming upstands, outlets and terminations without recovering the whole roof.
Overlay
A new system over a sound existing one where the deck is dry and falls are adequate.
Replacement options
EPDM rubber
Single-piece membrane on domestic roofs, very few seams, long service life.
GRP fibreglass
Seamless, hard-wearing and walk-on capable; needs dry conditions to install.
TPO single ply
Hot-air welded, lightweight and reflective — a common commercial choice.
Torch-on bitumen
Multi-layer built-up system, robust and repairable, well suited to larger areas.
Keeping it right afterwards
- Clear outlets and gutters twice a year — a blocked outlet is the leading cause of flat roof failure
- Inspect upstands and terminations annually
- Keep foot traffic off membranes not rated for it, and use walkway protection where access is needed
- Remove moss and debris that hold water against the membrane
Helpful roofing advice
Independent guidance from our advice centre — what the symptoms may mean and what your options are, before you commit to any work.
How it works
Our process, step by step
Survey the deck and falls
Testing for trapped moisture and measuring actual fall to the outlet.
Specify the system
Chosen for use, traffic, insulation strategy and the existing build-up.
Strip or prepare
Wet deck replaced; sound deck cleaned and primed.
Correct the falls
Tapered insulation or firrings added where drainage is inadequate.
Install and detail
Membrane laid, upstands and outlets formed, trims and terminations fitted.
Why it matters
What you get from doing it properly
Falls corrected, not ignored
We fix the drainage rather than laying a new membrane into the same puddle.
System matched to use
Walk-on areas get a system rated for it.
Details formed properly
Upstand heights, terminations and outlets to manufacturer specification.
Common questions
Related
Work that often goes with this
Roof Leak Detection
Roof leak detection traces water back from where it appears inside to where it actually enters the roof. Water frequently travels along battens, rafters and purlins before it drops, so the ceiling stain is often several metres from the defect. Detection combines internal tracing, external inspection, drone imagery and, where needed, controlled water testing.
Commercial Roofing
Commercial roofing covers survey, repair, recovering and planned maintenance on non-domestic buildings — offices, schools, churches, retail units, industrial premises and public sector estates. The work differs from domestic roofing chiefly in scale, access, programming around building occupation, and the documentation required.
Roofline — Fascias, Soffits, Guttering & Bargeboards
Roofline covers the fascias, soffits, bargeboards, guttering and downpipes at the edge of the roof. These components carry the gutter, close the eaves and manage all the water coming off the roof, so their failure causes damp, rot and pest access even when the covering itself is sound.
Roof Repairs
Planned roof repair fixes an identified defect — slipped slates, cracked tiles, failed flashings, valley or ridge problems — before it becomes water ingress. Repairs are appropriate where the covering and structure are otherwise sound and the fault is localised.
Coverage
Flat Roofing across our patch
Carlisle and north Cumbria are our core area. We work regularly across the rest of Cumbria and southern Scotland, and take planned projects further afield.
Not sure what your roof needs?
Tell us what you are seeing and we will tell you honestly whether it is a repair, a maintenance job or something that needs replacing. Consultations and written quotations are free.