Repair flat roof or have a sloping tiled roof put on?

Question

There is a 4 ft extension to the ground floor of my house. Its flat roof is leaking. It looks awkward to repair because the extension has a parapet around it and the edge of the flat roof has lead flashing all the way around, and because the outer edge, just behind the parapet, is shaped into a trough to conduct the water along to an outlet. Very fiddly indeed, I'd say. And the flashing is old and I can already see a split in one place.

In order to avoid the repar, both now and in years to come, I'm contempating having a sloping tiled roof put on, over the extension. The dimensions (looking diectly downwards as in a plan drawing) ae about, 5ft x 15ft. Does anyone have a clue what a builder would charge to construct that? (So I can decide whether to DIM or just try to repair the flat roof.)

Thanks,

John J

BigWallop · Accepted Answer

I honestly think repairing the roof will be the cheapest route to take. You say you can already see a split. Is that on the felt or the lead flashing?

The lead flashing can be soldered back together easily with a flame and a bar or slap pad.

Repairing a narrow split in the felt can be easily repaired with a small tin of liquid felt and some green mineral chippings.

I don't know what the rest of your roof looks like, and if a full replacement or re-modelling would make any difference. Maybe a photo would help. A free web hosting site will let you do this.

JohnJ · Answer

It's a split in the lead flashing. Yes, I suppose the split would be the first thing to repair.

But the other problem is that the plywood under the felt is soft in one area - maybe rotten, but definitely not walkable-on. you can see a

1ft-diameter impression in the felt where someone has trodden on the rotten wood.

It's very hardt to tell if there's a leak in the felt. It is old felt and has had stone choppings spread over it, and I myself added a layer of black liquid flat-roof repair from B&Q, a few years ago, after sweeping away most off the gravel..

I may do this later. Thanks for the suggestion.

JohnJ

The Natural Philosopher · Answer

Flat roofs always go, and when they do they cause reall problems, whereas a sloped roof at least just leaks a tiny bit.

I'd get a builder to look into a fully tiled one.

It sort of sounds like a couple of grand job to me..

andrewd909 · Answer

extension.8' the flat roof was leaking quite badly, i would of liked a pitchedroof fitting instead, however it needed planing permission so wedecided not to waitand had a grp flat roof fitted (=A32,100). The quotefor the pitched roof was =A34,400 this was by a 2 man operation in NorthYorkshire, as with most things i suppose the cost will vary greatly.one point i didnt apreciate at the time was how a pitched roof wouldhave made access to the main house roof difficult

N. Thornton · Answer

Repairing the 4' flat roof is the cheap option. Never stand on a felt roof when it has chipings or stones on it, they are likely to puncture it immediately.

Adding a sloped roof is of course a better option, but far more work. I would expect a 4' roof would be easy to DIY.

If youre cash strapped, tarring the roof is cheap.

NT

Repair flat roof or have a sloping tiled roof put on?

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