Flat roof felting.

detfil

I am hiring a Roofer who is reassuring me that it is okay to install two new layers of felt over the existing old felt by Torch on. This is a Concrete roof which is currently leaking. Is this usual practice or recipe for disaster? Please advise.

Doozergirl

It doesn't sound like best practice, put it that way.  

Mistral001

The felt needs to be stuck down to something solid to prevent it from lifting with the wind.  Sticking it down to existing perished felt will not be good enough to be long-lasting.  It needs to be stuck down to the concrete.  The cost of removing the existing felt and disposing of it is not insignificant and the contractor is saving a lot by doing it the way he is proposing.  Get another price from a contractor who is proposing to do it properly.

PS.  I would look into replacing with EPDM rubber rather than bitumin felt.  

Belenus

Mistral001 said:

The felt needs to be stuck down to something solid to prevent it from lifting with the wind.  Sticking it down to existing perished felt will not be good enough to be long-lasting.  It needs to be stuck down to the concrete.  The cost of removing the existing felt and disposing of it is not insignificant and the contractor is saving a lot by doing it the way he is proposing.  Get another price from a contractor who is proposing to do it properly.

PS.  I would look into replacing with EPDM rubber rather than bitumin felt.  

I agree with that suggestion.

canaldumidi

If you've already had more than one quote (which as a sensible customer you must surely have done) I imagine his quote was (by far?) the cheapest.

Now you know why.