Flat roof - again.

EPDM really is the way to go.

Seems odd none of those I've been in contact with have suggested it.

And remember I'm old. The quote I've got says a 15 year warranty. Likely to see me out.

Dave Plowman (News) formulated the question :

If a 15 year warranty is part of the deal, best make sure the company will still be around in 15 years - or it is an insurance backed warranty.

So like me you have a lifetime of dealing with crap tradesmen surely ?

The reason no one has suggested it is because "they've always done it that way" and see no reason to change. F*ck off with that. That's why we took over 40 years to start seeing decent (half turn or whatever) taps in the UK.

Reverse your approach and see who fits EPDM in your area and try them. I'd be surprised if they do things "the old way" so you should see some new faces.

Every single company we approached for slabbing recently was talking about "five blobs of compo" - which I learned on this newsgroup 20 years ago was old hat in the 1960s.

Having seen a few examples of the professionals doing decking recently on TV I wonder how long those structures are going to last. Given that many in here have had experience of "treated" wooden fence posts rotting at the air ground boundary would you lay the deck support beams directly on bare earth (with or without a weed membrane). Alternatively, raising the deck on short supporting posts but having cut the wood to reveal that the treatment is only skin deed just use them as found to sink then into the earth.

Not really. I mostly DIY. But not roofing - and that seems to have more than its fair share of con-men.

My architect seems to keep up with worthwhile developments.

Trouble is time was of the essence. Not something you want when looking for best quality/value.

I don't know how bad it is, but would it make sense to patch it again and then book in the job for the summer months? That way you get to pick someone decent, and they aren't under pressure with hopefully better weather and more hours of daylight?

I understand 'just want it done' but seems to me that doing it now is a route to a quick bodge job in the gaps in the weather?

(also, I don't know if roofers are busy dealing with storm damage etc at the moment)

Theo

I've been putting it off for a couple of years now. Waiting for a recommended tradesman to be free. And patching it again might give me a false sense of security - and just move the problem down the line.

Not a great deal of storm damage round here.