How do I know a felt roof has failed?
Blisters, standing water, felt split where it turns up a wall, or a drip into the room under a dormer or a bay. A stain in a dormer cheek is often the upstand, not the middle of the felt.
Hessle, East Yorkshire
Felt roofs for dormers, extensions and bays
Flat and low-pitch roofs on dormers, extensions and bay windows. A felt roof fails at the details: the upstand, the outlet and the drip into the gutter.
In plain terms
A felt roof, explained
Felt is for flat and low-pitch roofs: dormers, rear extensions and bay windows. It fails at the edges more often than in the middle. The upstand against a wall, the outlet, and the drip into the gutter are what keep the room below dry.
If the deck is spongy, the boards are replaced. New felt over rotten timber traps the problem. Where the roof is being renewed and the falls allow it, we build a warm roof, with the insulation above the deck so the timber stays on the dry side.
We do this from Hessle, across Hull, Beverley, Anlaby and Anlaby Common, Willerby, Woodmansey and the villages in between. Call 01482 627895 or use the form further down. We look at the roof before we price it. A written quote is available if you want one, and the work we agree is guaranteed for at least 12 months, and often for longer depending on the job.
Paul Southwell, director, is the contact named on our National Federation of Roofing Contractors listing. Updated 19 October 2026.
The job
What you might be seeing
- Ponding water and blisters in the felt
- A drip into the room below a dormer cheek
- Felt that has split where it turns up a wall
- A bay roof that soaks the ceiling in the window
What we do
- Check the deck. Spongy boards get replaced, not covered
- Build a warm deck where the roof is being renewed and the falls allow it
- Dress the felt into the outlet and up the walls, with a proper cover flashing
- Leave a fall to the gutter, not a puddle in the middle
On the board
Materials
High-performance torch-on felt, in capsheet colours that suit the house. Insulation goes above the deck on a warm roof so the timber stays on the dry side.
Before you call
Questions we get
Straight answers about felt roofing for houses in Hessle, Hull, Beverley and the villages around them.
How long should a felt roof last?
A properly detailed felt roof often lasts a couple of decades. The outlets and the upstands decide that, more than the name on the roll. We will not put a year on a roof we have not seen.
Should I choose felt or fibreglass?
Felt suits many dormers and bays. GRP suits a deck we can get dry and rigid, with a fall. We say which after we have seen the roof. Both are described on this site if you want to compare them before we visit.
What is a warm roof?
The insulation sits above the deck, so the boards stay on the warm, dry side. We use that where the roof is being renewed and the falls allow it. A wet deck is not buried under insulation.
Do you felt bay windows and dormers?
Yes. Bay roofs that soak the ceiling in the window, and dormers that drip at the cheek, are regular jobs on houses around Hull and Hessle. The wall and the gutter matter as much as the felt itself.
Can you repair a small split, or does the whole roof need replacing?
A small, recent split in otherwise sound felt can sometimes be repaired. If the felt is blistered across the roof, or the deck has gone soft, a patch will not last. We say which after we have looked.
Also
Related work
- GRP fibreglass A fibreglass flat roof in one piece, on a dry deck with a proper fall.
- Leadwork Lead where the roof meets a wall, a chimney or a valley.
- Fascias, soffits and gutters Fascias, soffits and gutters, including timber that has gone soft.
- Areas we cover Hessle, Hull, Beverley, Anlaby, Willerby and Woodmansey, from the yard in Hessle.
Quote
Tell us about the roof.
We come out and look before we price it. A written quote is available if you want one.