Felt Roofing

Modern torch-on felt — the economical flat roof, done properly.

Today's felt is not the sand-faced sheet that gave flat roofs their bad name. A modern torch-on system is built up in layers — vapour control, underlay, and a polyester-reinforced, mineral-capped top sheet bonded by flame — producing a tough, flexible membrane with a realistic 15-to-20-year life. For garages, sheds and budget-conscious extension roofs it remains the sensible economical choice.

Felt earns its keep when it's laid well: full bonding (no air pockets to blister), generous laps, proper drip trims into the gutter, and upstands carried high enough at walls and against skylights. Where felt roofs still fail early, one of those corners was usually cut.

Its honest limitations: a shorter life than EPDM or GRP, joints that eventually become the weak points, and a dislike of foot traffic. Where those matter, we'll say so and point you to the rubber or fibreglass alternatives.

Benefits

Why choose Felt Roofing

Lowest-cost proven flat roof covering
Quick installation, same-day weathertight
Good repairability — patches bond to the same material
Mineral finishes in several colours
Well suited to garages and outbuildings

Features

What's included

Three-layer built-up torch-on systems
Polyester-reinforced cap sheets
Insulated warm-deck build-ups available
Drip edges, upstands and outlet details
Local patch and joint repairs to existing felt

Typical lifespan

15–20 years

Repair options

Repair or replace

Felt is the most patchable of the flat systems — a split or blister on sound felt takes a bonded patch honestly and cheaply, and a failed joint can be re-torched. The line is crossed when the surface crazes or blisters generally, or the mineral face has worn bare: at that point patches outrun their welcome fast, and repair money moves better into a new covering — often EPDM, since if you're paying for a strip anyway, the longer-lived sheet costs little more.

Common questions

Frequently asked

Is felt still worth choosing over EPDM? +

On cost, yes — felt remains cheaper installed, and on a garage or shed whose roof just needs to work for fifteen years, that's a fair trade. On a habitable extension, the maths tilt to EPDM or GRP: longer life over the same disruption. We'll price the comparison honestly.

Why do felt roofs blister? +

Air or moisture trapped beneath the felt expands in the sun and pushes the sheet up. A few stable blisters on a sound roof can be left alone; soft, spreading, or split blisters mean moisture is in the system and the covering is losing its bond — worth an inspection.

Can new felt go over old felt? +

It's done, and we generally advise against it — overlays trap whatever moisture the old roof holds and hide the deck's condition. Stripping to the deck adds modest cost and means the new roof starts dry, flat and known.