Flat roofing in Milford on Sea

The perimeter, because that is where it starts. In Milford on Sea, wind lifts a flat roof at the edge and hardest of all at the corners, and what holds it there is a run of trim, a line of fixings and a lap.

So we look at the trim first: whether the fixings are still tight, whether the covering is bonded or mechanically fixed at the edge, and whether the drip and apron really do throw water clear. A lap that has split or a seam that has failed at the perimeter is a different problem from one out in the field, and it is the one that gets worse overnight.

The covering. Repairs are worth doing early in Milford on Sea. A blister lifted off the deck, a crack along a joint in GRP fibreglass, a seam gone in EPDM rubber. Felt is cut out, primed and welded back under a fresh cap sheet; fibreglass is ground out and re-laminated; rubber is cleaned and bonded down. On a full re-cover, rubber gives one sheet with no joints across the field, fibreglass takes foot traffic on a balcony, a built up three layer torch on felt system is still a proper roof, and single ply suits a wide area over a ground floor flat.

The deck and the fall. Plywood, OSB or chipboard, and chipboard this close to the water in Milford on Sea has often taken damp from below as well as above. Firrings over the joists, or tapered insulation in a warm roof build up, put a fall back so water reaches the rainwater outlet. Ponding is not a leak on its own, but it holds grit and salt against the covering and it is where the split appears. A bubble underfoot means the deck is already wet, and standing water in a corner means the outlet and the fall have parted company.

The junctions and the threshold. The upstand against the house wall, the abutment where a lead cover flashing is dressed into a chase, the kerb round a rooflight, and on a balcony the door threshold, which has to be detailed so driven rain cannot get behind it. A parapet, a coping and a cavity tray are formed rather than sealed. A skylight, a lantern, a Velux, a hatch, a soil pipe or a vent pipe each get a collar. The gutter, hopper and downpipe are checked as a matter of course.

The build up. A ventilated cold roof is fine over a garage. Over a sun room we would put PIR insulation above the deck with the vapour control layer under it, so the dew point sits clear of the timbers and you do not swap a leak for condensation and interstitial damp. BS 6229 covers it. A garage is a day, a sun room with a new deck and firrings two or three working days.

A flat roof's area is simple to measure. The price turns on what lies under the covering and what the wind does to its edges.

The deck. Ply in good order can take a new membrane straight on. Chipboard that has been soaking for years, or boards that bounce underfoot, must be replaced, and that swings the price more than anything else. We look before we quote.

Edges in salt wind. Gusts off the sea find any loose edge and peel the covering back from it, and salt eats away at aluminium and steel trims. Trims, drips and upstands have to be fixed properly and made of materials that will last, and BS 6229 is the code they are detailed to.

Fall. A lot of older flat roofs in Milford on Sea were laid close to level. Firrings to give a proper fall to the outlet cost extra, and they stop water standing on the roof and working into a lap.

Neighbours and agents. A garage roof off a tower is straightforward. A balcony over a front room, or a flat roof on a block where the managing agent must approve access and the freeholder may want a say in the specification, takes longer. Under the work at height rules the platform is costed separately.

When comparing, ask: which membrane system, and how many layers? New deck, or covered over? Scaffold and skip included?

Our base in Boscombe is 10.3 miles away, and from it we re-cover flat roofs in the village, Keyhaven, Hordle and Everton. New Forest District Council is the planning authority for all of them. Bournemouth Roofing & Building Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 15471719. Before you book a visit in Milford on Sea, you can read our customers' Google reviews, word for word, on our reviews page.

The business is Thomas Hannen's, and he is the one who inspects your deck and puts the figure together. On Checkatrade, a verified customer rated the firm 10 out of 10. We make no charge to come out, and the written quote, line by line, is free as well.

Most repairs in Milford on Sea 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.