Garage roof repairs across Devon
Garage roofs are often overlooked until a leak appears, yet they take just as much weathering as the roof over the house. Many garages have a flat roof covered in old felt, while others have a pitched roof finished in tiles or corrugated sheet. Whatever the construction, a garage roof in poor condition can let water into stored belongings, damage the structure, and in some cases allow damp to spread into an attached house.
Bramwell Roofing Devon repairs and replaces garage roofs throughout the county, from single detached garages to integral garages built under a bedroom or attached to the side of a house. We look at the roof honestly and recommend a repair where that is the sensible option, rather than suggesting a full replacement when it is not needed.
Flat garage roofs
Flat roofs are the most common covering on garages, and they come in a few different materials. Older garages usually have a bitumen felt roof, which can last well for a number of years but eventually blisters, splits, or lets water pool in low spots. Newer flat roofs are often finished in EPDM rubber or GRP fibreglass, both of which give a longer-lasting, seamless surface when installed correctly.
Common problems we see on flat garage roofs include:
- Perished or torn felt letting water through at joints and upstands
- Ponding water sitting on the roof after rain, caused by poor falls
- Cracked or crazed GRP fibreglass where the surface has aged
- Failed flashing where the roof meets the house or a side wall
- Blocked or damaged guttering causing water to back up under the roof edge
In many cases a flat garage roof can be repaired rather than stripped back completely, particularly where the damage is localised. If the covering has reached the end of its life across the whole roof, a full replacement in felt, EPDM, or GRP is the more sensible long-term option. Our guide on flat roof repair or replacement explains how we judge which approach a roof needs, and our flat roofing service covers all of these coverings in detail.
Pitched and tiled garage roofs
Some garages, particularly those built alongside a house, have a pitched roof finished to match the main property in tiles or slate. These roofs tend to be more durable than flat coverings, but they still suffer from slipped or cracked tiles, damaged ridge tiles, and failed mortar bedding over time.
Where a garage roof is pitched and tiled, the same checks apply as to any pitched roof repairs job: we look at the condition of the tiles, the state of the felt or membrane underneath, and the flashing where the garage roof meets a wall or the main house roof. Our tiled roofs and slate roofs pages cover the materials and repair methods we use in more detail. Flashing failures are a particularly common cause of leaks around garages built against a house wall, and our guide to roof flashing problems explains what to look out for.
Corrugated sheet garage roofs and older materials
A good number of older garages, particularly detached garages built several decades ago, have a roof made from corrugated cement sheets. These sheets can contain asbestos, so they should not be assumed safe to drill, cut, or remove without being tested first. If you have an older garage with a corrugated roof and you are unsure what it is made from, we will advise on this as part of our assessment. We do not remove asbestos ourselves, but we can help you understand what you are dealing with and point you towards next steps if testing or specialist removal is needed before any roofing work goes ahead.
Where a corrugated sheet roof is confirmed free of asbestos, or has already been replaced with modern sheeting, we can carry out repairs or a full re-roof using up-to-date materials that give better performance and a tidier finish.
Leaking garage roofs
A leaking garage roof is often more noticeable after heavy rain or a storm, when water tracks across the ceiling or drips visibly from a joint. The source of the leak is not always directly above the stain, so it is worth having the roof looked at properly rather than guessing at a patch repair. Our guide on what to check after storm damage is a useful starting point if your garage roof has started leaking after bad weather.
Where a garage is attached to or built under part of the house, a leak can also affect the main property, so it is worth getting this looked at sooner rather than later. A roof survey can establish exactly what is happening and what work, if any, is needed.
Fascias and guttering on garages
Garage roofs often have their own run of guttering, separate from the house, and this is easy to forget about when it comes to maintenance. Blocked gutters on a garage cause water to overflow down the walls or back up under the roof covering, which can lead to rot in timber fascias and, eventually, damp inside the garage itself. Our page on why gutters block in autumn covers this in more detail, and our gutter repairs and cleaning and soffits and fascias services cover garages as well as houses.
Garages attached to the house
Where a garage sits under a bedroom or is built as part of the main house, the garage roof and the house roof often meet at a junction that needs careful flashing and weatherproofing. Leaks at these junctions can sometimes be mistaken for a problem with the house roof itself, when the actual cause is further down at the garage roof line. If you have a chimney nearby as well, it is worth reading our guide on causes of chimney leaks, as the same principles around flashing and junctions apply.
We carry out garage roof work alongside our wider range of roofing services, including conservatory roof repairs and chimney repairs, where these are relevant to the same property.
Covering garages across Devon
We carry out garage roof repairs and replacements across all the areas we cover in Devon, including Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Paignton, and Newton Abbot. If you are in Plymouth or Torquay, our pages on roof repairs in Plymouth and roof repairs in Torquay have more local detail.
Arrange a garage roof inspection
If your garage roof is leaking, showing signs of wear, or you simply want an honest opinion on its condition, call us on 01392 308173 or 07598 001 200. You can also get in touch through our contact page and we will arrange a convenient time to take a look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a flat garage roof be repaired instead of replaced?
Often yes, particularly where the damage is limited to a small area such as a split seam or a damaged upstand. We will only recommend full replacement where the covering has reached the end of its useful life across the whole roof.
My garage roof has corrugated sheets, is this a problem?
Older cement corrugated sheets can contain asbestos, so they should be tested before any cutting, drilling, or removal takes place. We will advise on this as part of our assessment, though we do not carry out asbestos removal ourselves.
Why is my garage roof leaking only in heavy rain?
This usually points to a flashing or junction issue, a blocked gutter causing water to back up, or ponding water finding a weak spot in the covering. A proper inspection will identify the exact cause rather than relying on guesswork.
Does a leaking garage roof affect the house if they are joined?
It can, particularly where a garage is built under a bedroom or shares a wall with the house. Water can track along joists or down internal walls, so it is worth having an attached garage roof checked promptly.
Do you work on both detached and integral garages?
Yes, we repair and replace roofs on detached garages as well as integral garages built as part of the main house, including the flashing and junctions where the two structures meet.
