How long should a new flat roof last?

A well-installed EPDM or GRP roof on a sound, correctly falling deck should give decades of service. What kills flat roofs early is ponding water, poor upstands and being laid over a wet deck — all avoidable.

Do you insulate at the same time?

We can build a warm deck with insulation above the structure, which usually makes sense if the roof is coming off anyway and the room below is cold or prone to condensation.

Is the roof walkable?

GRP takes foot traffic and suits balconies and terraces. EPDM is fine for maintenance access but isn't intended as a walking surface — if you need a usable deck, say so and we'll specify accordingly.

EPDM, fibreglass or felt — which should we choose?

It depends on the deck, the traffic it takes and the budget. EPDM suits most extensions and garages, GRP suits balconies and anything walked on, and felt still makes sense on larger or awkward outbuildings. We'll set out the options at inspection.

Does the exposure here change what you'd specify?

Sometimes. Sheltered streets can run standard details, but shared valleys, restricted scaffold or heavy moss growth all change how we'd approach the work.

Mid Suffolk District Council · IP23

Eye flat roof installation and repair

Roofs in Eye are dominated by historic town roofs and pantiles. Each behaves differently once it starts to fail, which is why our flat roofing & epdm here starts with an inspection rather than a price over the phone. Mid Suffolk District Council covers the area, and we work across the IP23 postcode district.

Send us the details 07437 005301

County: Suffolk
Postcode: IP23
Access: A140
From Diss: ~6 miles

From first call to finished roof

Deck inspection
We lift a section to see the deck; nothing is laid over boards that are soft or damp.
Falls and detailing set out
Firrings, outlet positions and upstand heights are agreed before the membrane arrives.
Membrane installation
EPDM, GRP or felt installed with trims and upstands dressed properly at every edge.
Water test and handover
Outlets checked under flow, edges walked, and the finished roof handed over with the system details.

close-up view of ePDM flat roof with new edge trims on a historic town roof in Eye (IP23) off the A140 — flat roofing & epdm by Larke's Roofs

The work, step by step

EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and felt flat roofs for extensions, garages, dormers and outbuildings, with proper falls, trims and outlets.

EPDM rubber roofs
GRP fibreglass roofs
Torch-on felt systems
Extensions, garages and dormers

Full flat roofing & epdm details

What Eye roofs typically need

Historic town roofs, pantiles and rural outbuildings.

Gutter and fascia neglect
Overflowing gutters soak the wall head and rot the fascia on historic town roofs, which then costs more than the original clearance would have.
Failed ridge and hip mortar
Bedding mortar on historic town roofs cracks and lets ridge tiles move; dry-fix is the usual long-term answer on the exposed side towards the A140.
Split and blistered felt
Old bitumen felt splits at movement joints and blisters where trapped moisture expands. Overlaying rarely fixes either.
Soft or rotten decking
Where the deck has gone spongy underfoot, the boards are replaced before any new membrane is laid.

Eye roofing questions

How long should a new flat roof last?: A well-installed EPDM or GRP roof on a sound, correctly falling deck should give decades of service. What kills flat roofs early is ponding water, poor upstands and being laid over a wet deck — all avoidable.
Do you insulate at the same time?: We can build a warm deck with insulation above the structure, which usually makes sense if the roof is coming off anyway and the room below is cold or prone to condensation.
Is the roof walkable?: GRP takes foot traffic and suits balconies and terraces. EPDM is fine for maintenance access but isn't intended as a walking surface — if you need a usable deck, say so and we'll specify accordingly.
EPDM, fibreglass or felt — which should we choose?: It depends on the deck, the traffic it takes and the budget. EPDM suits most extensions and garages, GRP suits balconies and anything walked on, and felt still makes sense on larger or awkward outbuildings. We'll set out the options at inspection.
Does the exposure here change what you'd specify?: Sometimes. Sheltered streets can run standard details, but shared valleys, restricted scaffold or heavy moss growth all change how we'd approach the work.

Thinking about flat roofing & epdm in Eye?

Tell us what you're seeing and we'll come and look before anyone talks about price.

07437 005301 Send us the details

What goes on the roof

Torch-on felt systems: Multi-layer bitumen for larger or awkward flats where a robust, easily repairable finish is the practical choice.
Warm-deck insulation build-ups: Insulation above the deck keeps the structure warm and reduces condensation risk compared with old cold-deck details.
Falls and firrings: Firring pieces set the fall so water leaves the roof rather than sitting on it.
GRP fibreglass: Laid in situ over a ply deck for balconies and anything walked on, finished with a hard topcoat.

Nearby villages and towns

Eye sits about 6 miles from Diss, so Diss, Stowmarket and Framlingham are all on the same run for us. Flat Roofing & EPDM enquiries here are handled the same way. That includes commercial premises around Eye airfield business park.

Frequently working in and around Eye airfield business park.

What else we handle locally

Book a free inspection

Shelter helps, but a flat roof still lives or dies on its falls and its upstands. That is what we survey first. IP23 addresses are quoted on the same terms as anywhere else in Mid Suffolk District Council.

Thinking about flat roofing & epdm in Eye?

Tell us what you're seeing and we'll come and look before anyone talks about price.

07437 005301 Send us the details