Flat Roof Specialists in Chester.

Flat roofs on Chester extensions and terraces carry a planning dimension that the non-conservation areas do not. Within the Chester Rows and the inner conservation area, any flat roof extension that is visible from the street requires planning consideration, and the materials we use on the upstands and parapets need to be compatible with the host building. Outside that constraint, Hoole and Newton terraces are a regular source of single-storey rear extension flat roofs where the original torch-on felt from the 1990s is at end-of-life. These are straightforward CURE IT GRP jobs on most visits: small area, multiple upstands, one-day cure. Saltney and Upton modern estate stock has more garage and carport flat roofs, which suit EPDM sheeting as a single bonded membrane. Our Chester Team covers all CH1 and CH2 flat-roof work on 01244 879719.

Flat roofs are not inherently bad. A flat roof installed correctly with the right system for the deck type will outlast most pitched repairs on the same property. The problem is the stock of 1970s and 1980s felt-over-board flat roofs that are now failing across the mid-century estate housing belt from Ellesmere Port and Runcorn through to the Wirral south and into the Chester suburbs. That generation of felt is done.

We replace failing flat roofs with either Firestone EPDM rubber or CURE IT liquid glass GRP, depending on the deck condition and the roof geometry. Both carry independent BBA certification. Both are warrantied to 20 years. The choice is not arbitrary; it depends on the size and shape of the roof and whether any upstands, outlets or penetrations make a torch-on system a fire risk.

Materials we run

Firestone EPDM is our first choice on larger flat roofs with simple geometry. It goes down as a single bonded sheet, which means no seams across the field of the roof. The Firestone system has been BBA approved since 1993 and carries a 20-year product guarantee, with tested lifespans beyond 50 years in commercial applications.

CURE IT GRP (glass-reinforced polyester) is the call on smaller or more complex roofs where flashings, upstands and multiple outlets make sheet laying difficult. It goes down as a liquid, sets hard, and bonds directly to the deck. The CURE IT system is BBA certified and carries a 20-year material guarantee when applied by an approved contractor. We are an approved CURE IT applicator.

On the deck itself, if the existing boards have any delamination or softness, we board over with 18mm WBP plywood before laying either system. A flat roof system is only as good as the substrate under it.

When you need a flat roof replacement

If the existing felt is blistering, ponding water is pooling more than 25mm deep for more than 48 hours after rain, or you can feel the deck flex underfoot, the system has failed. Strip-and-recover is the correct answer. Patching failed felt with a torch-on patch buys time, not a solution.

Garage roofs, bay window tops, flat dormers and single-storey extensions are our most common flat-roof calls. All are straightforward one-day strip-and-recover jobs where the deck is sound.

What it costs

A typical single-garage flat roof replacement in EPDM runs between £900 and £1,400 plus VAT. A larger rear-extension flat of 30 to 50 square metres runs between £2,200 and £3,800. GRP on a complex geometry with multiple upstands and outlets adds 15 to 25% over EPDM on equivalent areas. We quote fixed-price after measuring.

What we back it with

Both EPDM and GRP installs come with a 10-year workmanship guarantee from Stockholms and a 20-year manufacturer material guarantee from Firestone or CURE IT respectively. The workmanship guarantee is insurance-backed through Q Assure.