Felt

Felt is a popular roofing material for flat roofs. It’s most commonly found on shed and garage roofs.

Previously felt was applied to roofs using hot bitumen. This process was labour intensive and produced roofs that didn’t last very long. Now torch-on felt is the material to use. You apply it in sheets by using a blow torch to make one side sticky and then layering it on.

Many people choose to use felt to cover their flat roofs because it’s affordable and lightweight. To help you decide if felt is the right roofing material for you, we’ve compiled a list of its pros and cons.

Pros

Lightweight

Felt is lightweight. This means that it’s suitable for smaller, weaker structures like sheds, as well as stronger buildings.

Affordable

Felt is affordable. It’s much cheaper than other roofing materials like asphalt, rubber, fibreglass and PVC.

Repairable

Felt is repairable. If it becomes worn or torn, a new felt patch can be torched over the damaged area.

Versatile

Felt is versatile. It can be cut or joined together to fit any size or shape of roof. It’s also available in lots of different colours, including brown, green, grey and purple.
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Cons

Short lifespan

Felt has a relatively short lifespan compared to other roofing materials. Felt roofing usually lasts for about 10 years, whereas asphalt, rubber, fibreglass and PVC can last for over 25 years.

Affected by weather

Felt is affected by the weather. In hot temperatures it can become soft and warp out of shape. Cold weather can make it brittle and prolonged sunlight will cause it to fade and degrade.

Repairs can look patchy

Although felt is repairable, the results can look patchy. So while you can keep your roof waterproof by torching patches over repairs, you may prefer to get your whole roof redone, which will cost you more money.

So felt has several advantages and disadvantages. If you’d like to use felt to cover your flat roof, fill in our online form now. We’ll connect you with up to 4 roofers in your local area. If you want to find out about other roofing materials, take a look at our information on asphalt, rubber, GRP fibreglass and PVC.

Price

From £2 per sq m

Installation time

1-2 days


Advantages and disadvantages
  • Suitable for any size of roof
  • Lightweight
  • Cheaper than other flat roofing material
  • Has a short lifespan compared to other roofing materials – about 10 years
  • Can be damaged by extreme hot or cold weather