Leaking flat roof on your extension or garage? We install modern GRP fibreglass and EPDM rubber systems that last 25+ years — no more repeated patch repairs on failing felt.
Flat roofing in Reading costs £800-£6,000 depending on size and system. We fit EPDM rubber and GRP fibreglass — both lasting 30-50 years — not short-life felt. Ideal for garages and extensions across Woodley, Earley and the estate suburbs. Free survey. Call 0118 327 2383.
Related guide: What is GRP Fibreglass Roofing?
Flat roofs on rear extensions, side returns, garages and outbuildings are common across Reading's housing stock. When original felt systems fail — typically after 15–20 years — we replace them with GRP or EPDM systems designed to last a generation.
GRP (fibreglass) is the preferred choice for most residential flat roofs in Reading. It forms a seamless, hard-wearing surface with no joints to fail, handles foot traffic well, and is compatible with rooflight upstands and outlet details. A well-installed GRP system carries a 25-year guarantee and needs virtually no maintenance. Most Reading extension flat roofs are good candidates for GRP.
EPDM rubber is better suited to roofs with complex geometry, very large surface areas, or where movement in the substrate is a concern. It's a single-ply membrane with excellent UV and weathering resistance, and installs quickly on large garage roofs. Both systems significantly outperform traditional built-up felt.
Flat-roofed garages are particularly prevalent across Woodley and Lower Earley's 1970s–80s estates, and across the 1960s stock in Whitley and Southcote. If your garage roof has been patched more than once in the past decade, replacement with a modern system will prove more cost-effective long-term.
“Rear extension flat roof had been leaking for two winters. Previous repair hadn't held. Reading Roofing stripped it back to the deck, found the real problem, and installed a GRP system. Bone dry since — should have done it years ago.”
“Garage roof on our 1970s semi in Earley had been patched four times. Finally replaced the whole thing with EPDM. They did it in a day, cleared everything away, and the price was fair. Very happy.”
“Had a GRP flat roof installed on our kitchen extension. Neat finish, clean upstands around the rooflight, and they explained the maintenance — basically nothing for 25 years. Professional job.”
A flat roof in Reading costs £800-£2,000 for a garage and £1,500-£3,500 for an extension in EPDM or GRP. See our full Reading flat roof cost guide for the EPDM-versus-GRP comparison.
Adding light to a loft, landing or flat-roofed extension often means a roof window alongside the roofing work. We also carry out Velux and skylight installation in Reading.
A typical 3m x 4m rear extension flat roof in Reading costs £1,400–£2,200 for GRP replacement including removal of the existing felt. A standard single garage roof (5m x 6m) typically runs £1,800–£2,800. Larger or more complex roofs are priced on survey. We provide free quotes.
A correctly installed GRP system carries a manufacturer-backed 25-year guarantee and realistically lasts 40–50 years with minimal maintenance. This compares to 15–20 years for traditional mineral-cap felt and makes GRP the most cost-effective choice for most Reading homeowners.
It depends on the system age and condition. Felt roofs within 5–8 years of installation and with isolated damage can often be repaired. Felt roofs older than 15–20 years, or those with widespread blistering, cracking or multiple failure points, are typically better replaced — further repairs on an aged system rarely hold long-term.
Yes. We regularly install and replace rooflights as part of flat roof projects. We work with Velux and FAKRO fixed rooflights, and can specify GRP upstands to suit your chosen unit. Rooflights significantly improve natural light in kitchen and rear extension spaces.
If the membrane is sound and the failure is localised — a lifted edge, a single split — repair is usually right. If the membrane is more than 15 years old on a felt system and showing surface cracking or blistering across multiple areas, replacement gives better long-term value. We assess flat roofs across Reading for free and give you a straight answer.
GRP fibreglass is a rigid laminated system that cures to a seamless hard shell — ideal for complex shapes. EPDM rubber is a flexible bonded membrane better suited to large open areas with thermal movement. Both significantly outlast traditional felt. We specify based on your roof geometry.
Like-for-like flat roof replacement does not normally require building regulations approval. If the replacement significantly changes thermal performance, a completion certificate may be required under Part L. New flat roof extensions always need full building regulations compliance. We flag any requirements at survey stage.
Based in Reading, we serve the whole borough and surrounding Berkshire towns. Call 0118 327 2383 to confirm coverage.
More specific coverage for your exact location.
The flat roofing stock across Reading's post-war estate suburbs — Woodley, Earley, Whitley, Southcote and the surrounding areas — represents the largest single maintenance challenge in the Reading catchment. Tens of thousands of flat-roofed garages and kitchen extensions were built between 1960 and 1990 on built-up felt systems with a design life of 10 to 20 years. Many of this stock has never been replaced and is significantly past its design life.
Our flat roofing survey assesses deck condition before any specification is agreed. A flat roof that is leaking because the membrane has failed but the OSB or plywood deck beneath is sound can be overlaid with a new EPDM or GRP system without full deck replacement. A deck that has been repeatedly wetted through a failing membrane may have deteriorated to the point where replacement is necessary — and discovering this after a new membrane is laid is expensive. We assess and advise honestly before a price is agreed.
For straightforward rectangular flat roofs — the standard garage or extension configuration across Woodley, Earley and Whitley — EPDM rubber is our standard recommendation. For complex shapes with multiple drainage outlets, upstands, or penetrations — common on rear kitchen extensions with soil pipe penetrations — GRP fibreglass is the better specification. We set out the reasons for our recommendation in writing.
We are regularly asked to repair or re-felt flat roofs that have already been repaired or re-felted once or twice. The issue is not the quality of the previous repair — it is that felt is not the right material for a flat roof that needs to last. Felt systems have a design life of 10 to 20 years. Every 15 years you are paying for the same job again. Over the 40-year life of a typical Reading garage, a felt system costs two to three times what a single EPDM or GRP replacement would have cost upfront.
We no longer install felt on new flat roof work. Every flat roof replacement we carry out uses either EPDM rubber or GRP fibreglass, both of which carry manufacturer guarantees of 20 years and realistic service lives of 30 to 50 years. The price premium over felt is recovered in the first maintenance cycle you avoid.
No call-out fees. No obligation. A straight answer from a local Reading roofer.
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