Flat Roof Repair and Replacement in Manchester
Felt, EPDM rubber and GRP fibreglass flat roofs repaired or replaced on extensions, garages, dormers and bay windows, with the fall corrected so water actually leaves.
- Honest repair-or-replace answer
- Fall corrected so water leaves
- 20-year manufacturer guarantee
Ponding foundFlat roofs fail slowly and then all at once
Almost every house in Manchester has a flat roof somewhere: over a rear extension, a garage, a bay window, a dormer, a porch. Most of them are felt, most were laid without much fall, and most will fail between ten and fifteen years old. The failure begins with a puddle that does not drain, becomes a blister or a split, and ends with a damp patch on a kitchen ceiling after a wet weekend. If that has already happened, our emergency roof leak team can stop the water now.
This page covers the planned side: repairing a flat roof that can be repaired, and replacing one that cannot with a covering that will last decades rather than years.
Repair where it is honest to repair
A felt roof with a single blister, a lifted lap or a split at an upstand, and a deck beneath that is still firm, is a repair. We cut out the failed area, dry it, and patch with torch-on felt or a liquid-applied system, and we tell you how long we think the rest of the roof has. A felt roof that is crazing across its surface, holding water for days, or soft underfoot is past that point, and we say so rather than sell a patch that will be leaking again next winter.
Replacement with EPDM or GRP
When a roof is replaced, we do three things that the original probably lacked. We correct the fall with firring strips or tapered insulation so water leaves the roof. We bring the insulation up to current standards where the roof is over a habitable room, which is a Building Regulations requirement and makes a cold extension noticeably warmer. And we fit a covering with a genuine twenty-year manufacturer guarantee: EPDM rubber for simple rectangles such as garages and extensions in Sale, Cheadle and Worsley, or GRP fibreglass for the awkward shapes, upstands and balconies on the larger houses of Hale, Bowdon and Altrincham. The comparison below sets out the differences.
Gutters and fascias are often replaced at the same time, because the edge of a flat roof and the gutter beneath it fail together; our guttering and fascias page covers that. If you are not sure what state the roof is in, a roof survey with photographs is the place to start. Our guide on a roof leak in heavy rain explains why flat roofs leak in downpours and not in drizzle, and if a leak over an extension has reached the kitchen lights, why your electrics keep tripping explains why that circuit should be left off and looked at by an electrician. The main Manchester roofers page lists the rest of what we do, or call 07343 065023 to arrange a quote.
Felt, EPDM and GRP compared
The honest short version. We recommend on the roof, not on preference.
Torch-on felt
- Typical life in Manchester weather
- 10 to 15 years
- Manufacturer guarantee
- Usually 10 years
- Best suited to
- Budget repairs, outbuildings
- Joints
- Many, each a weak point
- Can it be walked on
- Occasionally
- Cost
- Lowest
EPDM rubber
- Typical life in Manchester weather
- 25 years or more
- Manufacturer guarantee
- 20 years
- Best suited to
- Simple rectangles: garages, extensions
- Joints
- One sheet, few or no joints
- Can it be walked on
- Occasionally
- Cost
- Middle
GRP fibreglass
- Typical life in Manchester weather
- 25 years or more
- Manufacturer guarantee
- 20 years
- Best suited to
- Complex shapes, upstands, balconies
- Joints
- Seamless laminate
- Can it be walked on
- Yes, with a non-slip finish
- Cost
- Highest
Covering, deck, fall. Repair or replace, said plainly.
One price. Access, insulation and the skip included.
Old roof off, deck sorted, fall corrected. Water leaves.
EPDM or GRP, trained hands, never left open overnight.
Manufacturer's in your name, ours in writing.
How a flat roof replacement runs
From inspection to guarantee.
Signs a flat roof is failing
One of these is worth a look. Three is a replacement.
Flat roof prices
Fixed in writing after inspection. Daytime rates.
- 01Felt patchFelt repair, localised patchFrom£180Where the deck beneath is sound
- 02GarageEPDM replacement, single garageFrom£1,100Including strip-off and disposal
- 03ExtensionEPDM replacement, rear extension with warm-roof insulationFrom£2,400Typical 3m by 4m extension
- 04GRP per metreGRP replacement, per square metreFrom£95Including strip-off, deck preparation and trims
Indicative placeholder — confirm against /pricing before publishing. Scaffold or tower access is priced separately where needed.
Full pricing and what is includedRelated roofing services
Often booked alongside flat roof work.
- Emergency Roof Leak24-hour emergency roof leak repair across Manchester and Greater Manchester. Water through the ceiling, storm damage and lost slates. A roofer on the way within 90 minutes to stop the ingress.within 90 minutes
- 02Roof RepairsRoof repairs across Manchester. Slipped slates, cracked tiles, failed lead flashing, ridge and verge repointing and chimney work on pitched roofs, photographed and priced before work starts.
- 03Guttering and FasciasGuttering, fascias and soffits across Manchester. Leaking, overflowing and sagging gutters repaired or replaced, and rotten timber fascias and soffits replaced in uPVC.
- 04Roof Inspection and SurveyRoof inspection and survey across Manchester for homebuyers, landlords and owners. A written, photographed report on the condition of the roof, with priced recommendations and no obligation.
Ask me anythingQuestion 01 of 05Question 02 of 05Question 03 of 05Question 04 of 05Question 05 of 0501Should I repair my felt roof or replace it?
A felt roof with one blister or a split at a joint, and a sound deck beneath, is a repair. A felt roof that is cracking across its surface, holding puddles days after rain, or soft underfoot has reached the end of its life and is a replacement. Felt lasts ten to fifteen years in Manchester weather. We inspect, photograph and tell you which you have; a repair on a roof that needs replacing wastes your money.
02EPDM or GRP, which is better?
Both outlast felt by decades. EPDM is a single sheet of rubber, quick to fit, flexible, and ideal for simple rectangles such as garages and extensions. GRP is a fibreglass laminate applied in place, which suits complicated shapes, upstands and roofs that will be walked on or used as a balcony. Both carry twenty-year manufacturer guarantees when fitted by trained installers. We recommend on the shape and use of the roof, not on preference.
03Why does my flat roof hold water?
A flat roof is not flat; it should fall towards its outlet by about one in eighty. Older roofs, and roofs built without much care, often have no fall or a fall in the wrong direction, so water sits in puddles and finds its way through the first weak point. When we replace a flat roof we correct the fall with firring strips or tapered insulation, so the new covering drains and lasts as long as its guarantee says.
04Will you add insulation when the roof is replaced?
If the roof is over a habitable room, Building Regulations require the insulation to be brought up to current standards when more than half the covering is replaced, and it makes a large difference to how warm the room is. We fit a warm-roof build-up with insulation above the deck as standard on extensions and dormers. Garages and outbuildings do not need it unless you want them heated.
05How long does a flat roof replacement take?
A single garage takes a day. An extension roof with insulation and a corrected fall takes two to three days depending on size and how much of the deck needs replacing. Work is booked for dry weather and the roof is never left open overnight. Scaffold or a tower is usually needed for anything above ground-floor height and the price includes it.
Get a fixed quote for your flat roof
- Honest repair-or-replace
- Fall corrected
- Guarantee in your name
Flat roofs fail at the edges and the joins. If it's ponding, it's telling you where.
