Your Felt Roof is Leaking. What Now? A Local Roofer’s Guide.

If you’re searching for ‘felt roof repairs near me’ and you live in Brighton, Hove, or Worthing, chances are you’ve got a problem. A drip, a damp patch, or a full-on leak. I’ve been climbing onto flat roofs across Sussex for over 18 years, and traditional felt is one of the most common materials I deal with. It does a job, but when it fails, it fails properly. Here’s my straight-talking advice on what to look for and what your options really are.

What are the common signs my felt roof needs repairing?

Before you even see a drip inside, your roof will give you warning signs. Get up there (safely!) or use binoculars and look for:

  • Blistering or Bubbling: These are pockets of trapped air or moisture under the felt. They look like ugly lumps on the surface. When the sun beats down on your roof in Brighton, these expand and will eventually split.
  • Cracks and Splits: Over time, the felt becomes brittle from UV exposure and temperature changes. You’ll see fine cracks or even large splits, especially around the edges or seams. This is an open invitation for water.
  • Lifting Seams: The overlaps where one roll of felt joins another are the weakest points. If the adhesive has failed, the edges will lift, allowing wind and rain to get straight underneath.
  • Ponding Water: If you have puddles of water sitting on your roof 48 hours after it has rained, you have a drainage problem. That standing water will find any tiny weakness in the felt and work its way through.

Can I just paint over the cracks on my felt roof with some black stuff from a tin?

Let’s be blunt. Yes, you can. You can go to a DIY store, buy a tin of acrylic roof paint, bitumen paint, or a fibre-reinforced liquid like Acropol, and paint it over the crack. For a few weeks, or maybe even a few months if you’re lucky, it might stop the leak.

But here’s the hard truth: You’re just putting a plaster on a serious wound. That paint-on solution is a temporary fix. The underlying felt is still old and brittle, and a new crack will appear right next to your patch. Worse, you might trap moisture underneath, causing the roof deck below to rot without you even knowing it. It makes a proper, professional repair much messier and more difficult later on.

So, how do you repair a felt roof properly?

A professional repair isn’t about slapping something on top. It’s about dealing with the source of the failure. My process is thorough:

  1. Clean & Prep: I thoroughly clean the area, removing all dirt, moss, and loose debris. You can’t stick new material to dirt.
  2. Cut Out the Damage: I carefully cut away the blistered, cracked, or failed section of felt, inspecting the timber decking underneath for any rot or water damage.
  3. Apply New Felt: I use a high-performance torch-on felt. This involves using a large gas torch to heat the underside of the new felt until the bitumen melts, creating a completely sealed, waterproof bond with the layer below. I ensure there are wide, properly sealed overlaps.
  4. Check the Details: I pay close attention to the details, like the junctions with walls and the integrity of the lead flashing, as this is where many leaks begin.

This is a permanent solution, not a short-term patch. You can learn more about my approach to flat roof repairs and replacements on my main service page.

My garage roof is felt. Is that different to repair?

The principle is exactly the same, but I see this problem constantly on garages in Worthing and Hove. They are often older, have poor drainage, and are forgotten about until the car gets wet. The repair process is identical, but because the area is smaller, a full replacement is often more cost-effective than patching an old, failing roof. If your garage roof is looking tired, take a look at my specific page on garage flat roof replacement for a better long-term solution.

I have an urgent leak from my felt roof. What should I do right now?

First, limit the damage inside. Put a bucket under the drip. If it’s bad, you might need to pierce the ceiling plaster to let the water out in a controlled way to stop it spreading. Second, get in touch with me immediately. An active leak is an emergency because it’s damaging the structure of your home. I have a dedicated service for emergency roof leak repairs in the Brighton area to get things watertight as quickly as possible.

Ready to sort it properly?

Patching a felt roof yourself might seem like a cheap fix, but it rarely lasts and often leads to bigger, more expensive problems down the line. If you want an honest assessment and a fixed-price quote to repair your roof properly, I’m your man. I don’t use salespeople, just my own experience. I even provide a client portal with daily photo updates of my work so you can see the job being done right.

The best first step is to get a clear picture of the problem. You can book a free roof inspection with me, and I’ll come out to your property in Brighton, Hove, or anywhere in Sussex to give you a no-nonsense assessment.