07460 07229724/7 Available info@stormguardroofing.ukWitney · Oxfordshire · Cotswolds Services Service Areas Our WorkReviewsAboutContactGet a Free Quote - Roofers in Witney - Roofing Services - Felt flat roofsRoofing services # Torch-On Felt Flat RoofingAcross Witney And OxfordshireGuaranteed For 15 Years Modern high-performance felt is nothing like the pour-and-roll roofs it replaced. Laid as a multi-layer system with proper falls, upstands and trims, it gives you a hard-wearing flat roof with a 15-year workmanship guarantee. Get my free fixed-price quote07460 072297 9.83/10 from 159 Checkatrade reviews ## Recent torch-on felt flat roofing work - 15 years Workmanship guarantee on felt systems - 100+ Five-star Checkatrade reviews - 9.83/10 159 Checkatrade reviews - £5m Public liability insurance - Free Quotes and inspections ## What a modern felt roof is Felt roofing today means high-performance polymer-modified bitumen membranes, installed in layers that are bonded together into one continuous waterproof skin. The old three-layer pour-and-roll roofs that gave felt its reputation were a different product entirely, and they are the roofs we are usually called out to replace. A typical build-up is an underlay layer bonded to the prepared deck and a mineral-finished cap sheet torched over it, with reinforced detailing at every upstand, corner, outlet and trim. Because the layers are bonded, there is no route for water to travel between them if the surface is ever damaged. Felt suits roofs with awkward shapes, several penetrations, or upstand details that need forming by hand, the kind of roof where a rigid system would need endless trims. It is also the system that can be repaired locally and invisibly, years later, without replacing the whole roof. Every felt roof we lay includes the parts under the covering: deck repairs, falls corrected to the outlet, and the vapour control and insulation appropriate to a warm or cold deck build-up. ### Who this is for, and when it is needed - Old pour-and-roll roofs at end of life Blistering, cracking, bare patches where the chippings have washed away and splits at the upstands all point to a covering that has run out of life. - Extensions, garages and outbuildings The most common felt roofs in Oxfordshire, and the ones most often replaced with a like-for-like modern system. - Complex roofs with several penetrations Soil vents, flues, kerbs and stepped upstands are all straightforward in felt because the membrane is formed around them. - Budget-conscious replacements Felt gives a long-guaranteed system at a lower cost than a fully rigid alternative on many roofs. - Roofs behind a parapet Parapet gutters and box gutters are natural felt applications, where the covering has to be dressed up and over awkward geometry. ## What a failing felt roof does next Felt fails visibly before it fails completely. Ignoring the visible stage is what turns a re-cover into a deck replacement. ### What it leads to - Blisters and splits let water into the layers, where it spreads sideways and shows up far from the entry point. - Once the deck below is wet, chipboard and OSB swell and lose strength, adding a full deck replacement to the bill. - Wet insulation stops working, so heating costs rise before the ceiling ever stains. - Standing water on a tired covering freezes in winter and prises the surface apart. - Damp at the wall junction feeds mould inside the room below, which returns every time it is painted over. - Water tracking along joists rots timber quietly, and it is only found when the covering finally comes off. ### Common mistakes - Painting the roof with a liquid coating over a wet or blistered surface, it seals moisture in and hides the problem for a season. - Bedding a patch on with cold mastic, which never bonds properly to a weathered mineral surface. - Replacing the covering while leaving the failed falls, so the new roof ponds in the same place. - Terminating the upstand too low, or relying on sealant where a lead cover flashing is needed. - Assuming a damp ceiling is a leak when it is condensation from an unventilated cold deck. The inspection tells us which of those you are dealing with before anything is quoted, so you are not paying for the wrong repair. How we work ## Our process, start to finish - Step 1 ### Free inspection We look at the covering, upstands, outlets and falls, and check whether the deck below has taken on water. - Step 2 ### Diagnosis and fixed-price quote You get an explanation of what has failed and a written quote setting out the build-up and the felt system to be used. - Step 3 ### Strip and prepare Old covering removed, wet or damaged decking replaced, falls corrected, and insulation and vapour control installed to suit the build-up. - Step 4 ### Torch-on installation Underlay bonded to the prepared deck, cap sheet torched over it, with reinforced detailing at upstands, corners, outlets and trims. - Step 5 ### Verification and handover Falls to the outlet checked, site cleared, before-and-after photographic report issued with your 15-year workmanship guarantee. What you get ## The difference it makes - ### 15-year workmanship guarantee Our felt roofing workmanship is guaranteed for fifteen years. - ### Handles complicated roofs Upstands, kerbs, penetrations and stepped detail are formed in the membrane instead of being trimmed around. - ### Repairable in place Local damage years later can be patched into the existing system rather than triggering a full replacement. - ### Hard-wearing surface Mineral-finished cap sheets resist UV and weathering, which is what kills older felt roofs first. - ### Correct falls included We fix the drainage as part of the job, so the new covering does not sit in standing water. - ### Photographic proof Before-and-after reports show the deck condition and the finished system. ## Materials, methods and applications ### Membrane types and layers Polymer-modified bitumen membranes are reinforced with a polyester carrier that gives the sheet strength and lets it move with the deck without tearing. The underlay layer is bonded to the prepared surface and the cap sheet is torched over it, so the finished roof is a bonded laminate rather than loose sheets held down at the edges. Mineral finishes protect the bitumen from UV, which is the main ageing mechanism on any felt roof. On roofs where appearance matters, the finish colour can be chosen to suit the building. ### Application methods Torch-on is the standard method for the cap sheet and gives the strongest bond. Where heat cannot be used safely, close to timber cladding, on a listed structure, or against a combustible detail, self-adhesive or cold-applied membranes are used for those areas, so the whole roof does not have to compromise for one difficult junction. ### Upstands, corners and terminations Upstands are formed with reinforcing at every internal and external corner, taken to an adequate height above the finished surface and terminated in a way that does not rely on sealant alone. Against masonry, a lead cover flashing is chased in over the top of the membrane. That single detail prevents most of the wall-junction leaks we get called to. ### Outlets, gutters and parapets Outlets are dressed with a proprietary outlet detail rather than a folded sheet, and set below the finished level so water actually leaves the roof. Parapet and box gutters are lined as a continuous run with the membrane carried up both sides, and where they discharge through a spout or hopper, that is detailed as part of the same work. ### Deck preparation Felt is only as good as the surface it is bonded to. Wet or delaminated boards are replaced, fixings are sunk, and the deck is left flat and dry before anything is laid. Where the roof was previously ponding, firrings or tapered insulation are added to build in fall. ### Where felt is the right choice: and where it is not Felt suits complex geometry, parapet gutters, dormer tops and roofs with several penetrations. For a heavily trafficked balcony or a roof that needs a completely seamless hard surface, GRP is usually the better answer, and for a large simple rectangle with minimal detail, EPDM often is. We tell you which we would use on your roof and why. ### Residential and commercial Domestic extensions, dormers and garages, and commercial units, workshops and estate buildings, all use the same system at different scales. Larger commercial roofs are phased so the building can stay in use. Questions ## Frequently asked How much does a felt flat roof cost?It depends on the area, the access, the condition of the deck and how much upstand and outlet detail is involved. Inspection and quote are free, and the quote is fixed price to the best of our ability. How long does a felt roof last?Modern torch-on systems are a long way from old pour-and-roll felt. We guarantee our workmanship for fifteen years, which reflects how long we expect a correctly built and correctly drained felt roof to perform. How long will the work take?Most domestic felt roofs are completed in a small number of days. Deck replacement, awkward access or complex detailing adds time, and we tell you that at quote stage rather than mid-job. Is felt better than GRP or EPDM?It is better on some roofs and not on others. Felt excels on complex shapes, parapet gutters and roofs with several penetrations. GRP suits trafficked surfaces, EPDM suits large simple areas. We recommend based on your roof, not a preference. Can you repair my existing felt roof instead of replacing it?If the covering is generally sound and the deck is dry, yes, repairs carry a 5-year workmanship guarantee. If the underlay has failed across the roof or the deck is wet, a repair is money spent twice. Do you replace the insulation as well?Where the build-up requires it, yes. Wet insulation is not worth keeping, and the roof's warm or cold deck strategy is decided and stated in the quote. Will there be standing water on the new roof?We correct the falls as part of the replacement so water reaches the outlet, and we prove the drainage before we hand over. Is torching a fire risk on my property?Heat work is planned around what is nearby. Where a detail sits against combustible material, we use self-adhesive or cold-applied membrane in that area instead. Do you deal with emergency felt roof leaks?Yes. Active leaks and storm damage are made safe and watertight on an emergency call-out, which carries a £150 + VAT fee; any further work is quoted and agreed separately. Which areas do you cover?Witney, Woodstock, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Burford, Banbury and the wider Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire area including the Cotswolds. Related work ## Other services we handle - ### Flat Roofing In Witney Read more - ### Seamless GRP Fibreglass Roofing Read more - ### EPDM Rubber Flat Roofing Read more - ### Roof Repairs And Leak Tracing Read moreWe cover Witney, Stonesfield, Woodstock, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Burford and the wider area. See all roofing services, recent work, or go back to the home page. ## Get a felt flat roof that lasts Free inspection, a written specification, and fifteen years of workmanship guarantee behind the finished roof. 07460 0722979.83/10 from 159 Checkatrade reviews · £5,000,000 public liability · Free quotes and inspections Roofing contractor based in Witney, covering Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Pitched and flat roofing, leadwork, and Grade II listed and conservation roofing across the Cotswolds. - 07460 072297 - 01993 898807 - info@stormguardroofing.uk - 24/7 On The Line - 11 Cockshoot Close, Stonesfield, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 8ED ### Services - Pitched roofing in Oxfordshire - Flat roofing in Oxfordshire - Felt flat roofs in Oxfordshire - GRP fibreglass in Oxfordshire - EPDM rubber in Oxfordshire - Leadwork in Oxfordshire - Listed & heritage in Oxfordshire - Fascias & guttering in Oxfordshire - Chimney work in Oxfordshire - Roof repairs in Oxfordshire - Emergency call-outs in Oxfordshire ### Areas Covered - Roofers in Witney - Roofers in Stonesfield - Roofers in Woodstock - Roofers in Charlbury - Roofers in Chipping Norton - Roofers in Burford - Roofers in Banbury - Roofers in Stow-on-the-Wold - Roofers in Moreton-in-Marsh - Roofers in Bourton-on-the-Water - Roofers in Chipping Campden - Roofers in Shipston-on-StourGet a Free Quote About Stormguard RoofingRoofing ReviewsRoofing ProjectsContact Our RoofersPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms & Conditions© 2026 Storm Guard Roofing Limited. 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