Flat Roof Advice for Newbie

[Goncalo Silva Santos]

Hey all,

We bought a property with an old 30sqm bitumen felt octogonal flat roof above the main bedrooms. It has been described as watertight but with ponding. We are also suffering a lot with overheating in the summer from heat transfer from the roof, and I imagine that the insulation under the felt is also not great given how old the roof is.

I am completely lost as this is the first time I have dealt with roofing. I have done some research, but want to ask the experts:

• What would be some suggestions on hot to improve the reflectivity/insulate? Can I get by by simply coating the existing roof in some reflective paint? Or should I consider a full replacement? The first roofer that came over ofc said that it was urgent to replace but that is expected.

• If replacing, I have been told that fleece backed epdm would be a great option. A lot of people in the UK try to do GPR but I don't want that. I understand that EPDM would not easily paintable and that it is not great a solar reflectivity, what would you do in my case to have a long lasting roof that also has good thermal insulation? Would EPDM + PIR layer between the joists be acceptable?

I'm starting to get companies to come in and give quotes. Any other things I should be asking the roofers?

[flumpery]

For heat management - green roofing is actually a reasonable solution.  It retains more water and absorbs/retains more heat.  GRO (https://www.greenrooforganisation.org/) will have more info on this.

 

GRP is a good material for roofing as it's durable 

 

Issue with fleece backed epdm is that it is vulnerable to being punctured.  Some flat roof systems come with guarantees for 20 years so that may be an option if you want that security.  BBA certificates are a good way of determining longevity and quality too