Tips for Choosing the Best Surrey Roofing Material for Flat Roofs

Posted by: Brunwin Professional Roofing Services Ltd

Date Posted: June 22, 2015

Once you find that you’re spending more on roof repairs, you may as well replace your old flat roof with a new one. Years ago, homeowners only had a few choices when it came to flat roofing materials, usually a good quality metal sheet or even reinforced concrete reinforced with asphalt. Now, homeowners can choose among these three other roofing materials for their new flat roof that can better protect their homes from any weather conditions.

Artificial or EPDM Rubber

This material has been among the most popular choices for flat roofs ever since it was first introduced in the U.K. EPDM, or ethylene propylene diene monomer, is a durable rubber roof that is often installed in one complete layer, doing away the need for joins that depend on size.

Installing a rubber roof ensures that you have not only an elastic, lightweight and tough roof, but also a roof engineered to withstand even the harshest of sunlight. Rubber or EPDM roofs are often glued down to the decking, but it can also be ballasted with stone or mechanically anchored with fasteners.

Torch on Felt

Flat roofs made of bitumen felt still have a bad reputation for becoming unreliable during the next few years, yet efforts had been made to improve them, making the roofing felts more flexible and durable. Generally, installation involves the application of a three-layer system, usually consisting of a vapour control layer, a 2 mm layer of reinforced felt, and a 4 mm layer of felt known as a cap sheet. A cap sheet can either be a plain black bitumen, making for a solar reflective paint finish, or a mineral fleck finish that comes with various colours.

Fibreglass

People don’t usually go for fibreglass flat roofs, but what they don’t know is that with the only things they have to worry about are faulty installation and ignorance- which can easily be countered by hiring professionals. With proper installation, fibreglass roofs offer what the other two materials can do, and more.

How Often Should I Replace my Roof?

Each material has its own lifespan. EPDM roofs, with proper care, can last for over 30 years (though others claim they can last for 50). The same applies to a well-cared torch on felt roof while a fibreglass roof can last for 25 years. Whatever material your new flat roof will be made of, have a roofing expert in Surrey or Croydon, like those from Brunwin Professional Roofing Services, Ltd, install them to help you make the most out of your new roof.

Sources:

Flat Roof Replacement, Fixmyroof
Surveying a Flat Roof, Homebuilding & Renovating