Torch-On Felt Roofing
Torch-on felt is the workhorse flat roof — tough, repairable and 20-year reliable when it's installed as a proper three-layer system. We fit it on garages, extensions and dormers across the North East, and we'll tell you just as honestly when GRP or EPDM is the better answer for your roof. Family-run, Checkatrade verified score of 9.86 from 120+ reviews.
What a modern torch-on system actually is
A proper torch-on roof is three layers, not one. A perforated base sheet goes down first with a partial bond — that detail matters, because it stops deck movement from stressing and cracking the layers above. Over that goes a polyester-reinforced underlay, then a mineral-finished cap sheet, each fully torched to the layer below with 100mm laps. The system is torched to itself, never to the timber. Done that way, it outlasts most owners' interest in the property; done as a single cheap layer, it's the roof that gives felt its bad name.
Where felt still wins
Very shallow-pitched roofs — falls of 1:60 or worse — are where felt earns its keep: with proper primer it copes where GRP struggles. The same goes for roofs with complex detail around parapets and upstands, and for anyone who specifically wants the traditional look. It's also the most forgiving system to repair later: a patch weld, done hot, is invisible and permanent.
When we steer you elsewhere
If you want a hard-wearing surface you can walk on regularly, GRP is usually the better spec. If the roof is large and simple and you want the fewest joints and the longest life, EPDM wins. We install all three systems, so there's no reason for us to push the wrong one — we'll quote the honest option for your roof and explain why.
The deck check comes first
The classic five-year felt failure has one cause: torching onto wet timber. Ply and OSB decks that have been sitting under a leaking roof hold moisture, and a new membrane sealed over a damp deck is doomed from day one. We lift a corner and check the deck before we quote — if boarding needs replacing, it's in the written quote, not discovered as an extra on the day. The same goes for the finish details: aluminium drip and trim at the gutter edge rather than a felt turn-down, and upstands dressed to a minimum of 150mm against any abutment.
Torch-on felt FAQs
Isn't felt the stuff that fails in ten years?+
That's the reputation of pre-1990s single-layer pour-and-brush felt on timber decks with no primer — and it earned it. Modern three-layer SBS-modified torch-on is a different generation of product: same category, completely different performance.
How long does a torch-on felt roof last?+
A properly installed three-layer system carries a 20-year manufacturer's guarantee on the membrane, and routinely lasts longer. The failures we strip out are almost always single-layer or torched onto a damp deck.
Can you repair felt, or does damage mean a new roof?+
Felt is the most repairable flat roof system there is — a damaged area can be patch-welded and it's as good as new. That's one of the reasons it still earns its place.
Felt, GRP or EPDM — which should I choose?+
It depends on the roof, not on fashion. Shallow falls and complex detail favour felt; a hard-wearing single-piece finish favours GRP; the fewest joints and longest life favour EPDM. We spec by roof and quote you the honest option.
Need Roofing Work You Can Rely On?
Contact Stoker Property Solutions for new roofs, flat roofing, repairs and maintenance across Newcastle, Sunderland and the wider North East.