Roofing service
Flat Roofing in Carlisle and Cumbria
Flat roofing covers extensions, dormers, garages and small commercial roofs using single-ply EPDM, GRP fibreglass, liquid-applied or hot-melt systems. Modern systems are laid as a continuous waterproof layer with falls designed to clear water to the outlet.
Flat Roofing in Carlisle and across Cumbria
Old mineral felt roofs failed so often that flat roofs got a bad reputation. Modern systems are a different proposition: single-ply membranes, fibreglass laminates and liquid coatings are laid as one continuous waterproof layer, with laps welded or bonded rather than nailed.
The two things that determine whether a flat roof lasts are falls and detailing. Water must reach an outlet, and upstands, kerbs and abutments must be dressed properly. A perfect membrane over a roof that ponds is still a roof that will fail.
When to call us
- Water standing on the roof days after rain
- Splits, blisters and bubbles in old felt
- Leaks at the junction between the flat roof and the house wall
- Rotten timber decking, felt as a soft or springy surface underfoot
- Failed outlets and blocked rainwater pipes
- Condensation forming inside a cold, unventilated flat roof
- Damage from foot traffic on a roof that was never designed for it
- Dormer and box gutter details letting water track inside
How we approach it
Seam-free waterproofing
EPDM and GRP can be installed with few or no joints on typical domestic roofs, removing the seams where felt used to fail.
Designed falls
Firrings and tapered insulation are used to create a positive fall to the outlet so water leaves the roof rather than sitting on it.
Warm-roof construction
Insulation above the deck keeps the structure warm and dramatically reduces the interstitial condensation that rots cold-deck roofs.
Long service life
Modern single-ply and fibreglass systems are specified for decades of service rather than the handful of years typical of old felt.
What happens, step by step
1. Inspect the deck and falls
The existing covering is checked for trapped moisture and the deck is assessed for rot. Falls and outlet positions are measured.
2. Choose the system
EPDM, GRP, single-ply, liquid or hot-melt is selected based on roof size, shape, detailing, foot traffic and budget.
3. Strip and rebuild the deck
Failed covering and decking are removed, rotten timber replaced, and firrings or tapered insulation installed to create the fall.
4. Insulate
Warm-roof insulation is laid above the deck with a vapour control layer beneath it where the construction requires one.
5. Waterproof and detail
The membrane or laminate is installed, then upstands, kerbs, outlets, trims and abutment flashings are completed.
6. Test and hand over
Falls and outlets are checked with water, the roof is photographed, and system guarantee documentation is provided.
Properties we work on
- Rear and side extensions
- Dormer windows and dormer cheeks
- Garages, porches and utility rooms
- Balconies and roof terraces
- Bay window roofs
- Flat-roof link sections on bungalows
- Shops, offices and small industrial units
Materials and systems we use
- EPDM rubber
- A single-piece synthetic rubber membrane, highly flexible and well suited to typical domestic extension and garage roofs.
- GRP fibreglass
- A glass-reinforced laminate cured in place to form a hard, seamless surface with colour-matched trims — good where the roof is visible or takes light traffic.
- Single-ply membrane
- Mechanically fixed or adhered sheet membrane with hot-air welded laps, used on larger and commercial flat roofs.
- Liquid-applied systems
- Cold-applied coatings that follow complex shapes and details, useful on roofs with numerous penetrations or awkward upstands.
- Hot-melt
- A monolithic system used on structural concrete decks and inverted or green roof build-ups.
- PIR insulation boards
- High-performance insulation laid above the deck for warm-roof construction, available in tapered form to create falls.
Your options
Warm roof
Insulation above the deck. The preferred modern build-up, keeping the structural deck warm and dry.
Cold roof
Insulation between joists with a ventilated void above. Cheaper but far more prone to condensation problems if ventilation is compromised.
Walk-on finishes
Non-slip surfacing, paving supports or decking for balconies and terraces that will be used regularly.
Rooflights
Flat-roof rooflights or lanterns installed into the new roof with correctly formed upstands.
Mistakes and shortcuts to avoid
Overlaying a wet roof
New covering laid over a saturated deck traps moisture, which then blisters the new membrane. Wet decking must come out.
No fall to the outlet
Ponding accelerates the ageing of any membrane and magnifies any small defect. Falls must be built in, not hoped for.
Insufficient upstand height
Upstands that are too low let driven rain and snow over the top of the detail at the wall junction.
Cold roof with blocked ventilation
Insulation pushed tight against the deck stops the airflow a cold roof depends on and causes condensation and rot.
Flat Roofing: common questions
Where we carry out this work
We are based in Carlisle and cover the city, the wider county and across the border into South West Scotland.
Related services
- Roof RepairsA roof repair fixes a localised fault — slipped slates, cracked tiles, failed flashing, a leaking valley or a split flat-roof seam — without replacing the whole roof. Most Cumbrian domestic repairs are completed in a single visit once the true cause of the leak has been identified.
- New Roofs and ReroofingReroofing means stripping the existing covering back to the rafters and rebuilding the roof with new membrane, battens, fixings and coverings. It is the right choice once slates or tiles are failing across whole slopes or the underlay has perished.
- Fascias, Soffits and GutteringThe roofline — fascias, soffits, bargeboards and guttering — carries rainwater away from the building and closes off the eaves. When it fails, water runs down the walls and into the wall head, causing damp and rot far below the roof itself.
- Drone Roof InspectionsA drone roof inspection surveys a roof using a camera-equipped UAV, producing high-resolution photographs and video of every slope, chimney, valley and gutter without scaffolding, ladders or anyone setting foot on the roof. It is faster, safer and cheaper than traditional access, and produces evidence you can keep.