Flat Roofing in Brockenhurst

Wind first, because the most exposed side of most buildings in Brockenhurst faces the south westerlies. Wind does not press a flat roof down, it lifts it, and the suction is strongest along the edges and in the corners.

That is why the perimeter fixings and the edge trim matter more than the middle of a sheet, why a trim that has come loose is urgent rather than cosmetic, and why we fix the perimeter at tighter centres than the field. On a mechanically fixed single ply roof the whole fixing pattern is designed around that one fact.

Water second, and it only does damage when it stops moving. Ponding means the fall is wrong or the outlet is blocked, and standing water pushes its way into any lap that is not fully welded or bonded. We re-cut falls with firrings or tapered insulation, put the outlet at the true low point, and clear the hopper, the gutter and the downpipe as part of the work rather than as an extra at the end.

Sun third, and it is the quiet one. Ultraviolet takes the surface off a felt covering until the mineral cap sheet goes bald, then the bitumen underneath hardens and starts to craze. Blisters and bubbles are the same story: trapped moisture expanding under a surface that has lost its flexibility. A single split is a repair, back to sound material with a fresh piece bonded or welded across it. Where the crazing runs right across the roof, patching is only buying months and we will say so.

Movement fourth. An old house with modern additions moves at different rates in different places, and the covering has to absorb that at the upstand. EPDM manages it well: one bonded rubber sheet, no joints out in the field, enough give at the junction. GRP cures into a single rigid fibreglass skin and wants a stable new plywood deck under it, which is ideal on a garage and less so bridging old and new. Three layer built up felt under a torched mineral cap sheet takes traffic best of the four. Welded single ply covers the wide spans.

Then there is what people do to a roof. Ladders leaned on the edge, aerials, a dish, somebody up in boots to clear a gutter. Where a roof gets used we specify a covering that will take it and lay walkway protection out to the rooflight or the flue. And under all of it is the deck, which is what really decides the price: chipboard that has been damp for years comes out and OSB goes back, with the joists checked while the boards are up. If the covering is being renewed, the sensible build is warm, with PIR above the deck and the vapour control layer under it so the dew point stays out of the timber, rather than a cold roof relying on a ventilation gap. BS 6229 covers the construction. Detailing is the last job and the one that keeps you dry: a cover flashing chased in or lead dressed over an apron, coping bedded on a parapet with a cavity tray behind, a drip on every open edge, kerbs built up under rooflights and lanterns so the skylight sits clear of water, and collars on the Velux, the hatch, the soil pipe and the vent pipe.

We do not price a Brockenhurst flat roof by the square metre. The area is the quick part to measure. What is under the covering decides the job.

The deck. A sound deck can be re-covered. Chipboard that has been wet for years, or ply that gives underfoot, has to be replaced, and on older extensions the deck is often softwood boards laid straight onto the joists. Thomas lifts a corner before quoting.

Falls and outlets. Under trees in Brockenhurst a flat roof collects leaves and moss, and a roof laid without enough fall ponds round every clump. Correcting the fall with firrings, and fitting outlets and edge trims that are easy to clear, costs more at the start and saves the roof.

The system. EPDM, GRP and torch-on felt each detail the upstands differently. Against an old brick or rendered wall, the upstand has to tuck under a proper lead or cover flashing. BS 6229 sets the standard.

Access. A garage or lean-to off a tower is one job. A dormer on a two storey house needs a scaffold that stands while the deck is open, and the work at height rules price it.

Ask any other quote which system and how many layers, whether the deck is renewed or covered over, and whether the falls are being corrected.

Thomas Hannen owns the business and comes out to look at the deck and price it himself. We cover Brockenhurst and out to Boldre, Sway, Lyndhurst and Lymington, driving the 12.7 miles over from our base in Boscombe, on the east side of Bournemouth.

The Park Authority in the New Forest decides anything that needs planning. You would be dealing with Bournemouth Roofing & Building Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 15471719, a company you can look up. On Checkatrade, a verified customer marked us 10 out of 10. The visit costs nothing and neither does the written quote, which lists each item. Before you book a visit in Brockenhurst, you can read our customers' Google reviews, word for word, on our reviews page.

Most repairs in Brockenhurst need no application at all. What decides whether a change to the outside of your house does is who the council is, whether a conservation area or a listing applies, and whether the place sits in a protected landscape.