A flat roof rarely fails overnight. It usually gives you plenty of warning, if you know what to look for. Spotting the signs early can be the difference between a small repair and a much bigger bill, so here are five things worth checking, and how to tell which ones mean it's time for a new roof.
1. Water coming in
The obvious one, but worth stating: damp patches on upstairs ceilings, tide marks around light fittings, or a musty smell in the room below all point to water getting past the roof. One fresh leak on an otherwise sound roof might just need a repair. Repeated leaks, or leaks in more than one spot, usually mean the covering has reached the end of its life.
2. Cracks, splits or blistering
Get up where you can safely see the surface, or have someone take a photo from a window above. Felt that's bubbling and blistering, or a surface with hairline cracks and splits, has lost its integrity. Blisters trap moisture and burst in a freeze, and once a felt roof starts to go this way it tends to keep going.
3. Pooling that never clears
This one comes with a caveat, because it's widely misunderstood.
If the roof is sound, ponding does no harm. If the surface is failing, standing water simply finds the weak spots faster.
4. It's old, and it's been patched
If your flat roof is felt and past 15 years, or you've had it patched more than once, you're often into diminishing returns. Each patch is a new join, and a roof that's been mended in three places is usually telling you it wants replacing. A one-off repair on a younger roof is money well spent. Serial patching on a tired one rarely is.
5. Sagging or soft underfoot
If part of the roof dips, feels spongy to walk on, or the boards flex, the problem may have gone past the covering and into the deck underneath. Water that's been getting in for a while can rot the timber, and once that happens no surface repair will fix it. This is the clearest sign that a full replacement, deck and all, is the sensible move.
Repair or replace?
As a rough rule: a single fault on a roof that's otherwise in good shape is a repair. Multiple faults, an old and patched surface, or any sign the deck is going, and you're better off with a new GRP flat roof that comes with a 25-year guarantee and won't need thinking about again. If you'd like the longer view on that, we've written about how long a GRP roof actually lasts.
Not sure which way yours falls? That's exactly what a free survey is for. A director will come out, take an honest look, and tell you straight whether it needs a repair or a replacement. Call 07976 730433 or request a quote here.
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