Flat roofing in Great Yarmouth

On this coast, a flat roof fails at its edges. Wind gets under the perimeter trim, works at it over a season, and peels the covering back from the outside in. The middle of the roof is rarely the problem, which is why a repair that concentrates on the middle rarely lasts.

Perimeter detail is the job

We fix edge trims mechanically at proper centres, bond the membrane back to the deck at the perimeter, and form upstands high enough that wind driven rain cannot get over them. On an exposed Yarmouth roof this detail is the difference between a covering that lasts decades and one that lifts in three winters.

What is under there

The other half of the work is the deck. Most of the flat roofs we strip in Yarmouth are on rear additions and garages built decades ago, and the boards have been quietly damp for years. We replace what has gone soft and build the fall back in so the roof drains rather than ponds. A new surface over a sagging deck is a cosmetic exercise.

Systems we use

• GRP fibreglass, cured in one piece, walkable, good on extensions and dormers
• Single ply membrane, hot air welded, for larger areas and awkward shapes
• Torch on felt, modern multi layer, on garages and outbuildings
• Warm roof build ups where there is a habitable room below

Weather windows

GRP needs dry conditions to cure and we will not lay it in the wet, so on this coast we plan flat roofing around the forecast and only strip what we can make watertight the same day. It occasionally means a job waits a few days. It is better than the alternative.