Extension Reroof and New EPDM Flat Roof in Rugby

Extending a property often creates more than one roofing challenge. The new structure needs a completely weatherproof roof of its own, but it also has to connect correctly with the existing roof around it.

If those junctions are poorly designed or installed, they can become some of the most vulnerable areas of the entire building. At this property on Furrow Close in Rugby, Roof Maintenance Leamington completed roofing work to a new extension alongside a wider reroof around the property and the installation of a new HERTALAN EPDM flat roof.

The result brought the different roof areas together into a more complete and dependable roofing system.

The work at Furrow Close involved several different roofing elements rather than a single isolated repair. A new extension had been built onto the property, creating new roof areas that needed to integrate with the existing house.

At the same time, the surrounding roof was reroofed and a new HERTALAN EPDM membrane system was installed across the flat roof section. Treating the work as one coordinated roofing project meant the different roof types and junctions could be considered together.

That is particularly important on extensions, where pitched roofs, flat roofs and existing roof coverings can all meet within a relatively small area.

The existing pitched roof areas surrounding the extension were reroofed as part of the work. Rather than leaving ageing sections beside newly completed roofing, the wider reroof provided an opportunity to improve the overall roof covering around the new structure.

The photographs from the project show the tiled roof areas surrounding the newly installed flat roof membrane, illustrating just how closely these different roofing systems need to work together.

Correctly detailing these junctions matters because they are natural collection points for rainwater. A roof can have perfectly serviceable tiles or membrane in the middle of each section, but if the transition between them is poorly executed, water can still find a route into the building.

One of the key features of the project was the installation of a new HERTALAN EPDM flat roof. EPDM is a synthetic rubber roofing membrane commonly used for flat and low-pitched roofs.

Unlike roofing systems made from numerous individual tiles, an EPDM roof uses large sheets of flexible waterproof membrane to create a continuous covering across the roof. For homeowners, one of the main attractions is the relatively small number of joints across the finished surface.

The photographs from Furrow Close show the new dark membrane forming a broad, continuous roof covering across the flat section of the extension.

Flat roofs present different challenges from pitched roofs. On a pitched roof, gravity naturally encourages rainwater to travel quickly down the roof covering. A flat roof still needs a slight fall to move water towards its drainage points, but water travels across it more slowly. That makes the quality of the waterproof layer particularly important.

EPDM membrane roofing is commonly chosen for extensions, garages and other flat-roofed areas because it creates a flexible and highly water-resistant covering when correctly installed. It is also well suited to larger uninterrupted roof areas such as the one created at Furrow Close.

The large central area of a flat roof is only one part of a successful installation. Some of the most technically important details occur around its perimeter and where the flat roof meets surrounding tiled sections.

The photographs from this project show careful detailing around the edges of the new membrane and its transitions with the adjoining pitched roof. These areas need to prevent wind-driven rain from getting underneath the roof covering while also allowing water to move away from the roof effectively.

Good flat roofing therefore depends just as much on the detailing around edges and junctions as it does on the membrane itself.

Modern extensions frequently use more than one type of roof. A project may contain a traditional pitched tiled roof in one area and a lower-profile flat roof somewhere else to suit the layout or design of the extension.

There is nothing inherently problematic about combining the two. The important part is ensuring the roofing systems are properly connected. At Furrow Close, the new EPDM flat roof sits alongside the surrounding pitched roofing, creating a good example of how different roofing materials can form part of the same overall roof.

Flat roofs have something of an unfair reputation. Many homeowners associate them with leaks because older flat roofing systems were sometimes repeatedly patched rather than properly renewed.

A modern flat roof that uses an appropriate membrane, correct falls, properly formed edges and well-detailed junctions is a very different proposition. The key is not simply choosing a material such as EPDM. The quality of the installation around the complete roof system matters just as much.

Homeowners should consider having a flat roof inspected if they notice issues such as persistent leaks, lifting or damaged roof coverings, water pooling for long periods, deterioration around roof edges or signs of damp inside the property.

Not every problem requires a complete replacement. Some localised defects can be repaired successfully. However, if the existing covering has reached the end of its useful life or has widespread deterioration, installing a new roof system may provide a more sensible long-term solution than repeatedly patching individual leaks.

Roof Maintenance Leamington carries out flat roof replacement, EPDM roofing, extension roofing, pitched roof replacement and full reroofing in Rugby and the surrounding Warwickshire area.

Projects involving both flat and pitched roofing need particular attention around the areas where different roof coverings meet. It is those seemingly small junctions that often determine how successfully the complete roof keeps water outside where it belongs.