leaky flat roof advice

[andy smith]

Bl**dy rain here in the NW... flat roof on dormer windowed bedroom has started to leak.... I went up there and couldn't find the leak ... but it looks past it best.. (and not particularly well made)... bubbles & puddles and not many stones ... So presume it will need replacing...

I'll have to get someone in to do this job... I'd appreciate advice on any of following ... i) how should I spec the job to help make sure I get like for like quotes... (I.e. what materials ... boarding... / felt qualities / insulation ... techniques) for a decent job (not sure guarantees are worth the paper ... but I'd like it to last 10+ years).. ii) any idea on what sort of price range (approx 14ftx10ft) iii) any recommendations for a roofer in S/Manchester (I'll ask round neighbours but have been fortunate myself not to have needed one previously)

thanks Andy

[Rick Dipper]

Spec it for a fibreglass roof, they make boats out of it, its waterproof - it lasts for ever, it can be made any shape.

I did mime myself, but I have made boats out of it so have a bit of experience.

Rick

[andy smith]

Just has first quote ... £1500+vat (strip felt & decking + replace with 19mm elliotis pine (?), 1 layer 3b felt, 1 layer 2mm polyester felt, 1 top layer 4mm green polyester felt)... seems pretty expensive!?! (anyone got any any comparisons)

Anyway ... I'd like to attempt a temporary fix while I get some more quotes (roofers very slow to come out)... can't be sure ... but.. main problem seems to be about a 2+ft square patch where boarding has gone... existing felt has formed a shallow bowl dip which fills with a couple of inches of water... and seems to leak through... this is in the area that all roof seems to slope to before water runs off the roof...

What's the easiest stuff to get from the sheds to level out bowl dip (a bit of glass fibre?) and get something waterproof over it, "glued" to existing damp felt so that water from rest of roof will not seep under covering.

thanks Andy

[Lee]

For a 7m square asphalt roof we had quotes from ranging from £1000 to £2700 plus Vat. (N Kent/S London area) This was just for re-covering in 3 layer torch-on polyester. We settled on a personally reccomended roofer who charged £1400 inc vat, which also included stripping and reboarding of a 2m square problem area.

BTDTBTTT ;) We tried cold glue and felt, fibre glass, the acrylic repair stuff with fibres etc. The total **bodge** which worked (for a few months) was a sand/cement mix, levelled out and torch on felt over the top.

**Don't** do this though, the language from the roofer when he found this bodge was choice ;) :)

I naturally denied all knowledge :)

Lee