If you have a flat roof in Attleborough that needs replacing or repairing, knowing what a properly run job looks like from the first call to the final tidy-up helps you hold any contractor to account.
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Before any price is agreed, the roof needs to be physically inspected. A quote produced from a description over the phone, or from ground level alone, cannot account for what is actually happening on the deck. A proper survey involves getting up to the roof surface, walking it carefully, and checking the condition of the membrane, the deck beneath it, the drainage outlets, the upstands and any flashings where the roof meets a wall, chimney or parapet.
The surveyor is looking for soft spots in the deck - timber that has rotted because of prolonged moisture ingress. A flat roof that has been leaking slowly for some time may look reasonable on the surface while the OSB or plywood deck beneath it is compromised. If the deck is soft, it needs replacing before the new membrane goes down. A new membrane over a rotten deck will fail earlier than it should.
The survey should also confirm whether the drainage fall is adequate, whether existing outlets are positioned correctly, and whether insulation is present and of a type and thickness that suits the specification being proposed. All of this affects the final scope and cost of the work.
On a replacement job, the existing covering has to come off. Old felt is stripped back to the deck using flat ripping bars and, where it has been torch-applied, carefully cut free. This is the point at which the true condition of the deck becomes clear. Any soft or damaged boards are marked and set aside for replacement.
Debris is cleared from the roof and taken away - skips or a trailer, depending on access and quantity. A garage or extension roof that has had multiple felt overlays can produce a substantial amount of waste material. Make sure any quote you receive is clear about whether removal and disposal of the old roof is included. It sometimes is not.
Any rotten or soft deck boards are cut out and replaced with new OSB or plywood of the correct thickness - typically 18mm. New boards are fixed securely to the joists, butted up tightly and checked for level. High spots and gaps between boards create weak points in the finished membrane, so this preparation stage matters.
On a warm roof installation - which is the recommended construction for most flat roof replacements - rigid insulation boards are laid over the prepared deck at this stage. The insulation is mechanically fixed or bonded, depending on the system, and the joints are staggered to avoid cold bridges. Getting the insulation layer flat and consistent is important because any unevenness will telegraph through a single-ply membrane and can cause stress concentrations over time.
For an EPDM rubber installation, the membrane arrives in a roll and is unrolled across the roof, cut to size and allowed to relax before bonding begins. Bonding adhesive is applied to both the substrate and the underside of the membrane. Once tacked into position, the sheet is rolled out and pressed firmly to ensure full contact with no bubbles or voids - trapped air beneath the membrane is a common cause of premature failure on badly fitted systems.
Seams - where two sheets join, or where the membrane turns up an upstand - require particular care. On EPDM, seam tape and lap sealant are used at all joints. A well-installed EPDM roof on a straightforward extension will often have just one or two seams across the main deck area, which is one of the system's advantages over multi-layer felt.
This is the stage that separates a good flat roof installation from a mediocre one. The points where the membrane terminates - at edges, at walls, around pipes and at drain outlets - are where the large majority of flat roof leaks originate. Cutting corners here is what causes a technically decent membrane to fail at its edges within a few years.
Drain outlets need to be properly integrated with the membrane, not just laid over. Upstands - where the membrane turns up a wall - should be bonded and taken up a minimum of 150mm above the finished roof surface. Flashings where the roof meets a masonry wall are typically finished in lead or a purpose-made aluminium trim, chased into the mortar joint and pointed in. Where the existing mortar is loose or blown, it should be raked out and repointed, not just painted over with mastic.
If the job includes a fascia board or drip edge trim at the roof perimeter, this should be fixed securely before the membrane wraps over it, not added as an afterthought after the membrane is down.
Before anything is signed off, the finished surface should be walked and inspected for any areas where the membrane has not fully bonded, any unsealed seam edges, and any debris that should not be there. Outlets should be checked to confirm they flow freely. Where a roof has complex detailing - multiple penetrations, skylights, rooflights - each one should be checked individually.
Some contractors perform a simple water test on completion - running water across the surface and checking for any sign of ingress at the ceiling below. Not all do this on every job, but it is worth asking about on a larger installation.
All off-cuts, packaging, old felt and timber waste should leave the site with the contractor. The gutters should be cleared of any debris displaced during the stripping process. A flat roof job that leaves rubble in the garden or grit in the gutters has not been properly finished.
A straightforward single-storey extension or garage roof of around 20 to 30 square metres, assuming the deck is in reasonable condition, is typically a one-to-two day job for an experienced team. Add a day if significant deck replacement is needed. Larger or more complex roofs with multiple upstands, skylights or drainage changes take longer. Any contractor giving you a completion timescale should be able to explain what is included in each day's work.
We carry out flat roofing work in Attleborough and nearby towns including Wymondham, as well as further afield in Watton and Diss. If you want to discuss a flat roof repair or replacement, call us to arrange a survey at the property.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
