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Felt vs EPDM — Is Torch-On Felt Still Worth It?
Modern three-layer torch-on felt is a world away from the single-layer mineral felt that gave flat roofs their reputation. It still has a place — but there are properties where we won't use it.
- Three-layer felt is a genuine system, not a patch
- EPDM avoids hot works entirely
- Felt is easier to detail into awkward junctions
- Rubber handles standing water better
- Neither survives a rotten deck
- Both quoted with a stripped-back deck inspection
Where felt still makes sense
Torch-on felt is laid in overlapping layers and bonded with heat, which lets it be dressed into complicated junctions, gullies and awkward abutments far more easily than a sheet membrane. On a roof with several changes of level, a chimney passing through and an old parapet detail, a skilled felt roofer will produce a tighter job than a rushed rubber install.
Where we won't use it
Hot works next to timber cladding, thatch, or under a low soffit are an avoidable risk. On those roofs we quote EPDM or a cold-applied system instead. We also avoid felt where the roof holds water — ponding accelerates ageing at the laps.
- ▸Close to combustible cladding or timber
- ▸Roofs with known ponding
- ▸Properties where hot works insurance is restricted
Cost over the life of the roof
A good three-layer felt roof will run 15–20 years; EPDM realistically 20–30. Felt is usually a little cheaper on day one. If you plan to sell within a few years the difference matters less than the paperwork — we supply the specification and guarantee either way, which is what a buyer's surveyor asks for.
FAQs
Is single-layer felt ever acceptable?+
Not on a roof we're replacing. Single-layer mineral felt is why flat roofs got their bad name. If a quote is unusually cheap, check how many layers it includes.
Can felt be repaired?+
Yes, and cheaply — a lap or a blister can be re-dressed. Whether it's worth doing depends on the age and state of the rest of the roof.
Do you use hot works on domestic jobs?+
Only where it's safe and appropriate, with the usual hot works precautions and a post-work watch period. Otherwise we quote cold-applied.
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