Flat Roof: The many options
The decision about how and when to replace your worn or damaged flat roof can be a daunting one, with many options to choose from.
The choice you make will be a very personal one as it needs to satisfy factors such as how long you’d like your new flat roof to last, how much you have to spend and the flat roof installation process.
Our wide range of traditional and fibre glass or GRP flat roofing solutions can be used on a variety of buildings such as garages, extensions, porches, canopies. No size is too big, or too small.
Here are a few simple explanations to help you on your way:
Flat roofs
Can be made of felt or, more recently, fibre glass or GRP. The flat roof is laid over joists and, although the name suggests otherwise, the roof should run at a slight gradient to ensure easy drainage. Traditional flat roofs made of felt can expect a five to ten year life expectancy, while the newer fibre glass GRP flat roofs should last upwards of twenty years.
Re-tiling
Can be done using slate or tiles. The damaged roof tiles are removed, battens are replaced and a breathable membrane is laid under tanalised battens before the new tiles are laid on top. This avoids condensation, which is caused by poor roof ventilation. The re-tiling process generally takes longer than a flat roof installation - felt or fibre glass - due to the size of the individual tiles. You can have your whole roof replaced or just concentrate on certain areas.
Slating
Slate roofs follow the same process as tiled roofs. Again, you can replace the whole roof or just certain tiles.
Re-felting
It is possible just to replace certain areas of a damaged roof, rather than re-felt the whole area. This is known as patching. Whether you decide to re-felt the whole roof, or just a defined area, the process is the same. The battens are checked for damage and replaced as necessary, a membrane is laid under the battens before the tiles or slates are replaced.
Battening
In most cases battens will be replaced at the same time as your new roof installation. This is to ensure the soundness of your roof and validate your guarantees. It is very difficult to replaced damaged battens without removing the whole roof and so by replacing the battens you can ensure your roof will be problem free for many years.