Torch-on felt roofing in Nottinghamshire

Torch-on felt remains the workhorse of flat roofing in the East Midlands, and for good reason: it is proven, repairable, and considerably cheaper than the alternatives when the deck beneath it is sound. What separates a felt roof that lasts two decades from one that fails in five is almost entirely down to preparation and detailing — which is where most cheap quotations quietly cut corners.

What a properly installed felt roof involves

We start by stripping the existing covering back to the deck, because a membrane is only ever as good as the surface under it. Any soft or delaminated boards are replaced, and firrings are fitted where standing water has been sitting — ponding is the single most common cause of premature felt failure.

The system is then built up on site: a venting or base layer mechanically fixed and partially bonded, followed by a cap sheet. Each layer is heat-fused to the one below with a controlled torch, so the finished roof is one continuous bonded sheet rather than a series of panels that can lift in the wind.

Detailing is where the work is really judged. Upstands, upstands to rooflights, ablutments, rainwater outlets, drip trims and fascia junctions all receive the same treatment, with the membrane dressed and sealed by hand rather than dressed with mastic and hope.

Felt versus the alternatives

If you have been told you need a new flat roof, it is worth knowing what the options actually cost and how long each one realistically lasts. We install two systems, and we will tell you if a third is not worth the money on your roof.

Guide pricing for 2026 in the East Midlands, including labour and materials. Scaffolding, timber deck repairs, insulation upgrades and waste removal are priced separately and always itemised on our quotations.

Felt is the right call when the roof is straightforward, access is reasonable and the budget is a genuine consideration. Liquid systems come into their own on complex or cluttered roofs, and over existing coverings where strip-out is undesirable.

Why we are asked to redo other people’s felt roofs

Most of the failed felt roofs we are called out to share the same handful of causes: no venting, so trapped moisture blows the membrane from underneath; laps torched cold so the seam never actually fuses; insufficient fall, so water sits on the roof all winter; and upstands dressed too low, so water tracks behind the covering.

None of those are expensive problems to avoid. They are simply the difference between a crew that understands flat roofing and one that is going through the motions.