How to Solve Flat Roofing Nightmares

When choosing a roof for areas such as extensions and garages, saving space and finding a compact, affordable design are usually high on the priority for many homes. That’s why flat roofing is a popular choice in London, Surrey and surrounding areas.

However, flat roofs aren’t indestructible with age, lack of maintenance and a battering from the elements all playing a part in creating issues for unsuspecting homeowners, creating a pretty stressful experience. Luckily, if you spot these signs early, you can prevent damage occurring to your property and ask a professional to repair the problem.

Here are some the nightmares experienced and how they can be solved.

Flat roof guides: common issues & how to solve them

Nightmare 1: Leaks

Water ingress is a common problem, usually caused when flat roofing hasn’t been installed or maintained properly. If left, this can cause issues within your home, including damp, mould, flooding and damage to your property. The solution lies in identifying the source of the leak so that the right part of the flat roof can be repaired. Sometimes, this can be due to damaged flashing which seals the edge of the roof to the brickwork of the property, but you can ask a professional to carry out repairs on this for you.

Nightmare 2: Deterioration

Over time, old flat roofing can deteriorate, as seen on this flat roof in Merstham. Flat roofs in poor condition risk ripping, especially if any boarding underneath has become saturated due to leaks. Another sign of deterioration is a term called ‘blistering’ or ‘alligatoring’

which is when old asphalt loses its elasticity and starts to form cracks and bubbles. If you think your flat roof needs to be replaced, the solution is to choose a new, quality material such as high performance felt or a GRP (glass reinforced plastic) fibreglass flat roofing system. Both of these materials provide benefits such as resistance to rips, heat, moisture and movement, all of which can cause cracks to form in low quality materials.

Nightmare 3: Water Pooling

If your flat roof has poor drainage, you may find water pooling on top which can cause the roof to start to bow under the extra weight and enable leaks if there is any space for the water to get in. Flat roofs should have a slight slope to help with this, but another solution is to ensure your guttering adequately drains water from the area and is regularly cleaned and maintained.

Solving Flat Roof Issues

Luckily, flat roofs which are well maintained and installed should not encounter such nightmares, but if you do experience any issues, ensure you enlist a professional roofer to help rather than attempting DIY repairs. Without the right training, you could be putting both your safety and the roof at risk, and you may end up repairing the wrong part, causing problems to get worse without the correct remedial work.

Here at Collier Roofing, we have decades of experience installing and repairing flat roofing systems, using high quality materials and craftsmanship to ensure there are no future leaks, rips or movement. Whether you’re in Redhill, Banstead, or other areas surrounding Surrey or London, get in touch with our roofing specialists.