Flat roofs in Firestone rubber and torch-on felt
Extensions, dormers, garages, porches and bay tops, recovered in Firestone EPDM rubber or high performance torch-on felt with the falls put right rather than repeated. J&L is a Firestone approved installer. Most flat roofs that fail have failed at a joint, an upstand or a low spot that holds water, and getting those three things right is what separates a flat roof that lasts twenty years from one that lasts five.
Every flat roof, covered
The deck comes first
A flat roof is only as good as what it is laid on. Soft or delaminated boards get replaced, fixings checked, and firrings adjusted where the fall is wrong. Laying a new finish over a tired deck is the single most common reason a flat roof comes back.
Firestone EPDM, one sheet, no joints
Firestone rubber goes down as a single sheet bonded to the deck, taken up the upstands and finished into purpose made trims. No seams to open up, no naked flame on the roof, and a manufacturer backed system fitted by an approved installer.
Torch-on felt where it makes sense
High performance three layer felt still has its place, particularly on larger garage roofs and where budget matters. Properly bonded, with mineral cap sheet and correctly formed upstands, it is a serious system rather than the shed felt people picture.
Edges, outlets and where the water goes
Drip trims, raised edge trims, new outlets and the connection back into the gutter all get sorted at the same time. A flat roof that sheds water into the right place stays dry, and the detail at the wall abutment gets the same attention as the middle.
Asked and answered
How long does a Firestone rubber roof last?
A correctly laid EPDM roof on a sound deck is generally good for well over twenty years and carries a manufacturer guarantee when fitted by an approved installer, which J&L is. The two things that shorten that are laying it over a deck that should have been replaced and skimping on the upstand detail, which is why both are in the written estimate rather than optional extras.
Can you go over the top of my existing flat roof?
Sometimes, and we will tell you honestly after we have lifted a corner and had a look. If the deck is dry and firm an overlay can be the sensible economical choice. If the boards are soft or the insulation is saturated, an overlay just buries the problem and we would rather not do it.
My flat roof holds water after rain. Is that a problem?
Ponding means the fall is wrong or has sagged, and standing water finds every weakness eventually. Correcting it usually means adjusting or replacing firrings while the deck is exposed. That work is worth doing once, because otherwise every future repair is fighting the same low spot.
How long does the work take?
A typical single garage or small extension roof is one to two days. Larger roofs, or anything needing the deck replaced, run to three or four. Rubber and felt both need a dry window, so we watch the forecast and would rather move a day than lay into rain.
Do you do dormer, porch and bay roofs too?
Yes. Small flat areas on dormers, bay tops and porches are some of the most common leak sources on a house, and they are usually a one day job. They are also where a proper upstand and a decent lead or trim detail matters most, because there is so little roof to work with.
Flat Roofing across east Surrey
Based in Smallfield, just outside Horley, so most of the work is within half an hour of the yard. If your postcode is not on the list, give us a ring anyway.
Planning a flat roof?
Free written estimate, and nothing to pay until you are happy with the job.