If your flat roof in Littleport is leaking or has been damaged, knowing what to do in the hours and days before a roofer arrives can prevent a manageable problem from becoming a serious one.
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A damp patch on the ceiling. Water dripping into a garage. A stain spreading after heavy rain. These are the signs that something has failed on the flat roof above, and the instinct is often to try and fix it immediately. In most cases, what you do in the next few hours matters less than what you avoid doing, because well-meaning but poorly executed DIY on a flat roof can make the eventual repair harder, more expensive, or both.
This page explains how flat roofing works, what typically goes wrong, what to do while you are waiting for a professional to attend, and which actions to steer clear of entirely.
A flat roof waterproofs your property through a continuous membrane - either EPDM rubber or mineral felt - laid across a timber or concrete deck. The membrane is bonded or mechanically fixed to the deck, and its edges are turned up at every wall, parapet, and kerb to form upstands that stop water finding a route in at the perimeter.
When a flat roof leaks, the entry point is almost always one of a small number of locations: a split or blister in the main membrane surface, a failed upstand where the membrane has separated from a wall, a deteriorated lead flashing where the roof meets a vertical surface, or a blocked or poorly sealed outlet. Less commonly, the deck itself has softened or deflected, creating a low point where water pools and the membrane eventually cracks under the weight.
Identifying which of these has failed is not always straightforward, because water entering at one point can travel across the deck or through the roof build-up and emerge some distance away. The damp patch you see on the ceiling is often not directly below where the water got in.
If water is getting into the building, the priority is to limit damage to the interior while you wait for professional help. These steps are safe and sensible:
This is the section that prevents most of the DIY damage we see on flat roofs. The products that appear to offer a quick fix - roof sealant paints, waterproofing compounds sold in tins, self-adhesive flashing tape - can all cause problems if applied without proper preparation and knowledge of what is underneath.
Applying a liquid sealant over an area of blistered or saturated felt, for example, seals moisture into the deck and accelerates the rot that was already beginning. When a roofer eventually strips the surface, the deck damage is worse than it would have been if the roof had been left alone. The sealant may also prevent proper adhesion of the correct repair material.
Self-adhesive flashing tapes are occasionally useful in experienced hands on a well-prepared surface, but on a dirty, damp, or oxidised membrane they simply peel away, sometimes pulling surface material with them. A patch that has failed and been partially removed is harder to repair cleanly than the original defect.
Do not walk on the flat roof surface. Even if the membrane looks sound elsewhere, a deteriorated felt roof can be fragile, and foot traffic causes additional stress at upstands and lap joints. An EPDM membrane is more tolerant of foot traffic but still does not benefit from it, and if there is any softness in the deck beneath you, walking on it risks breaking through.
A heavy-duty tarpaulin weighted and secured over the affected area can limit water ingress while you wait for a roofer, particularly if a repair cannot be carried out for several days. This is a sensible temporary measure provided the tarpaulin is secured at the edges rather than simply laid flat, so that wind cannot get under it and lift it - a loose tarpaulin in strong wind can cause more damage than the original leak.
Temporary measures are appropriate for buying time. They are not a substitute for identifying the root cause, and they are not a solution to a roof that has reached the end of its life. If a roofer tells you a temporary measure is holding the situation, ask what the permanent fix will involve and get a written quote before agreeing to proceed.
The more information you can give, the faster the fault can be located. Useful things to note and pass on include:
Once the roof has been inspected, you will be faced with a decision about whether a repair or a full re-roof is the right course of action. For a roof that is relatively young and has a localised defect, a properly executed repair in EPDM or felt will restore performance. For a roof that is old, has a compromised deck, or has already had multiple repairs, a full re-roof is usually the more sensible investment.
A flat roof replacement on a typical garage runs from around £1,200 to £2,500 depending on the system and deck condition. EPDM rubber is widely used for new and replacement flat roofs because of its flexibility and long service life. Torch-on mineral felt in a proper multi-layer system is also a reliable option when installed correctly. Any reputable contractor should explain the choice clearly and in writing before starting work.
Mildenhall Roofers carries out flat roofing repairs and installations across Littleport and the wider area, including Mildenhall, Soham, Ely, and other towns and villages in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. If your flat roof is leaking or you are unsure about the condition of the membrane, call us to arrange an inspection and we will give you a straight assessment of what it needs.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
