Extension and dormer owners
The most common flat roofs in local housing, and the ones where a leak lands directly in a kitchen, bedroom or bathroom below.
Flat Roofing · Burnley & Lancashire
Flat Roofing in Burnley Laid With Proper Falls and Proper Edge Detail
Extensions, dormers, garages and porches re-covered so water leaves the roof instead of sitting on it: with the upstands, trims and outlets detailed correctly, because that is where flat roofs actually fail.
Over 10 years' experience · £1 million public liability · fixed price in writing before anything starts
10+ years' experience
Domestic and commercial flat roofs
£1m public liability
Insured on every job
Fixed-price quotes
Free, written, no obligation
Workmanship guarantee
Confirmed with your quote
What it involves
Flat Roofs Fail at
the Details, Not the Middle
Almost no flat roof leaks in the open field of the covering. They leak at upstands, abutments, outlets and edges, the places that take skill and time, and the places a cheap job rushes.
Flat roofing here covers full re-covers and repairs to extension roofs, dormers, garages, outriggers, porches and small commercial units, in EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass or torch-on felt depending on the roof, the budget and how it is used. Most of the flat roofs on the older housing across Burnley, Nelson and Colne are original felt long past its service life, or a later overlay laid on top of it.
The specification matters less than the preparation and the detailing. A sound deck, a genuine fall to the outlet, correctly formed upstands at every abutment and properly fixed edge trims will outlast an expensive membrane laid over a soft deck with ponding water and mastic at the edges.
You get an honest assessment of whether a repair is realistic or whether the roof is due a re-cover, a fixed written price either way, and a clear explanation of which system is recommended and why. Quotes are free and there is no obligation.
Garages and outbuildings
Old felt garage roofs that have blistered, split or lost their chippings, where the contents matter more than the building.
Landlords and small commercial
Units, workshops and rental property where a flat roof needs to be reliable, priced clearly and completed without repeated call-outs.
When this work is needed
- Water pooling on the roof for days after rain
- Blisters, splits, or cracks across the covering
- Felt that has gone brittle, or chippings washed into the gutter
- Staining on the ceiling below an extension or dormer
- Edge trims loose, lifted, or missing altogether
- A deck that feels soft or springy underfoot
What happens if it waits
Water Sitting on a Roof
Will Find the Way In
A flat roof is designed to shed water quickly. When it stops doing that, because the fall is gone, the outlet is blocked or the deck has sagged, standing water works on every seam and every fixing until it finds a route through.
Ponding and UV
Standing water accelerates the breakdown of felt and coatings, and sunlight does the rest. A roof that ponds ages far faster than one that drains.
Blisters and splits
Trapped moisture under the covering expands in heat, lifts the membrane into blisters and eventually splits it, opening a direct path to the deck.
Rotten decking
Once water reaches timber decking it stays there. The deck softens, sags and creates a deeper pond, which makes the leak worse, a loop that only ends with a full re-cover.
Damage to the room below
Flat roofs usually sit directly over habitable space. Leaks land on plasterboard ceilings, insulation and sometimes lighting, turning a roofing bill into a decorating and electrical one.
Failed abutments
Where a flat roof meets a wall, the upstand and flashing do the work. Sealed with mastic instead of detailed properly, they fail and let water in behind the covering where it cannot be seen.
Overlay on overlay
Layering new felt over old buys a season or two and adds weight over a deck that may already be damp. Each overlay makes the eventual strip-off dearer.
Mistakes that cost people money
- Patching with bitumen paint or mastic instead of finding the actual entry point.
- Laying a new covering over a soft or damp deck, so the new roof fails from underneath.
- Leaving no fall, or a fall running to a blocked or badly placed outlet.
- Forming upstands too low at abutments so driving rain gets behind them.
- Omitting or badly fixing edge trims, letting wind get under the membrane.
- Choosing a system on price alone without matching it to the roof's size, shape and use.
Flat roofs are entirely reliable when the deck is sound, the fall is real and the details are formed properly. Nearly every failure traces back to one of those three being skipped.
Our process
From First Look
to Guaranteed Finish
Inspection
Covering, deck condition, falls, outlets, upstands and edge trims all checked, along with the ceiling below where a leak has already shown.
Honest recommendation
You are told whether a repair is genuinely worth doing or whether the roof is due a re-cover, and which system suits the roof and its use.
Fixed price
A written fixed-price quote covering strip-off, disposal, deck repairs, the covering and all detailing. Free, with no obligation.
Strip, repair, re-cover
Old covering removed, decking repaired or replaced where soft, falls corrected as needed, then the new system laid with upstands, outlets and trims detailed properly.
Check and guarantee
Drainage checked, site cleared, waste taken away, and a workmanship guarantee confirmed with your quote.
What you get
The Difference a Proper
Job Makes
Water actually leaves the roof
Falls and outlets addressed as part of the job, not ignored because the new membrane looks smart on day one.
A sound deck underneath
Soft or rotten decking is replaced before the covering goes on, so the new roof is not laid over the problem that caused the last failure.
Details done right
Upstands at correct height, flashings dressed in, edge trims mechanically fixed, the parts that decide how long a flat roof lasts.
The right system for the roof
EPDM, GRP or torch-on recommended on the merits of your roof, its size, shape and whether anyone walks on it.
One fixed price
Strip-off, disposal, deck repairs and detailing are all in the quoted figure, so the bill does not grow once the old covering is up.
Clean site
Old felt, chippings and timber removed and taken away rather than left stacked in the garden.
In detail
Flat Roofing
in Detail
Three systems cover almost all domestic and light commercial flat roofing. Each has a place; the right choice depends on the roof in front of us.
EPDM rubber
EPDM is a single-ply rubber membrane, usually laid in one piece on a domestic roof so there are no seams in the field at all. It is flexible, handles temperature movement well and has no hot works involved.
It suits simple rectangular roofs, such as extensions, garages and dormers, where a single sheet covers the area. Detailing at upstands and outlets is done with bonded corners and trims made for the system rather than improvised.
GRP fibreglass
GRP is laid wet as glass matting and resin, curing into one seamless, rigid surface with trims bonded in. It gives a hard, walkable finish and takes complex shapes and awkward penetrations well.
It needs a suitable deck and dry conditions to lay properly. Where a balcony or a roof that gets walked on is involved, GRP is usually the sensible recommendation.
Torch-on felt
Modern high-performance torch-on felt is a multi-layer bituminous system, nothing like the thin single-layer felt on old garage roofs. Properly laid in two or three layers it is durable and cost-effective.
It remains a strong choice on larger or irregular areas and on garages and outbuildings, and it can be detailed neatly around abutments and outlets.
Decking and falls
The deck is the foundation. Soft, delaminated or rotten boarding is cut out and replaced before anything is laid over it, covering a bad deck simply buries the fault.
A flat roof is never truly flat; it needs a fall to move water to the outlet. Where the original fall has been lost through sagging, firrings are used to reinstate one so the finished roof drains rather than ponds.
Upstands, abutments and trims
Where the roof meets a wall, the membrane is carried up an upstand of adequate height and weathered with a flashing chased into the brickwork. Mastic on the wall face is not a substitute and never lasts.
At open edges, drip and gutter trims are mechanically fixed and the membrane bonded over them, so wind cannot get underneath and water is thrown clear of the fascia.
Outlets, drainage and repairs
Outlets are sized and positioned so the roof empties, fitted with leaf guards where trees are close, and connected properly into the rainwater system rather than discharging onto the wall.
Where a roof is otherwise sound, targeted repairs are done: cutting out and patching splits, re-forming a failed upstand, renewing a trim, and you are told plainly how much life that is likely to buy.
Where we carry out flat roofing
Based near BB8 0JP, this work is carried out across East Lancashire and West Yorkshire, from stone terraces in Burnley and Colne to hillside properties around Skipton and Keighley.
Related services
Most roofs need more than one thing looking at. These jobs are often quoted alongside flat roofing.
Straight answers
Flat Roofing
Questions, Answered
Anything not covered here, ring Samuel on 07534 748896 and ask. You will get a straight answer rather than a sales pitch.
How much does a new flat roof cost?
It depends on the area, the system chosen, how much decking needs replacing and how the roof is accessed. Samuel measures it up and gives you a fixed price in writing, free of charge and with no obligation.
Which is best, EPDM, GRP or felt?
It depends on the roof. EPDM suits simple rectangular roofs with a seamless single sheet, GRP suits roofs that get walked on or have complex shapes, and modern torch-on felt is durable and cost-effective on larger or irregular areas. You will get a recommendation with the reasoning.
How long does a flat roof last?
A properly installed modern system on a sound deck with a genuine fall lasts a long time relative to the old single-layer felt it usually replaces. Ponding water, a soft deck and poor edge detailing are what cut that short.
Can you repair my flat roof instead of replacing it?
Where the deck is sound and the failure is localised, yes, and you will be told honestly how long that is likely to hold. Where the deck is soft or the covering is at the end of its life, a repair is money wasted and we will say so.
Why does water sit on my flat roof?
Either the original fall was inadequate, the deck has sagged, or the outlet is blocked or badly placed. All three are addressed as part of a re-cover rather than covered over.
How long does a flat roof re-cover take?
A typical domestic extension or garage roof is usually a matter of days rather than weeks, weather permitting. The expected duration is confirmed with your quote.
Do you replace rotten decking?
Yes. Soft or rotten boarding is cut out and replaced before the new covering goes on. Where it can be seen in advance it is in the quoted price; where it is only discoverable after strip-off it is discussed with you before any extra work is done.
Can you fit a roof I can walk on?
Yes, GRP gives a hard walkable finish and is the usual recommendation for balconies and roofs with regular foot traffic. Tell us how the roof will be used and it will be specified accordingly.
Do you work on commercial flat roofs?
Yes, alongside domestic work: small units, workshops and rental property are all covered, with the same fixed-price approach.
Which areas do you cover?
Across East Lancashire and West Yorkshire from BB8: Burnley, Nelson, Colne, Clitheroe, Blackburn, Accrington, Preston, Skipton, Keighley, Bradford, Halifax, Leeds and Huddersfield.
Get the Flat Roof
Priced Properly
Send your postcode and rough dimensions, or a photo of the roof if you can take one safely. Samuel will tell you whether it needs a repair or a re-cover, and price it as one fixed figure.
- Free fixed-price quote
- £1 million public liability
- Workmanship guarantee on all work
- Over 10 years on local roofs
Request your free quote
Send your postcode and a short description of the job. Samuel will arrange a look and price it properly.
Free, no-obligation quote. Your details are only used to price and discuss your job. Prefer to talk? Call 07534 748896.