A felt roof is a great way to protect your home from the elements. The material offers excellent insulation and can be installed on buildings of all shapes and sizes. In this blog post, we will cover how to maintain a felt roof so that you can enjoy it for years to come!
Regular Checks
It is important to carry out the following checks every 3-6 months to ensure that your roof is in good shape.
- Check your roof for holes or tears. These can be repaired easily with a strong adhesive and some felt patches.
- Inspect the nails that hold it down, ensuring they are secure and won’t come loose in high winds. If any need to be replaced, use galvanized steel instead of copper or lead ones.
- Remove any debris such as leaves, moss, dirt, and twigs that may have accumulated on your roof. You can do this by hand or with a hose, but take care not to damage the felt.
- Hose down any moss you find growing on your roof if possible as this will prevent water from finding its way in under the insulation layer of your building.
Common Felt Roof Issues to Look Out For
In some cases, felt can be damaged by animals. This is especially the case with birds that are able to peck through it or find their way into your roof space. You may also notice signs of rodent activity in your attic if this has happened before.
Mould Growth – Felt roofs are often susceptible to the growth of mould. This is because the insulation layer has broken down and moisture can get in between it and your roof tiles, leading to mould infestation which can be very difficult to treat.
Rotting Wood Beams – The beams and frames that hold up your roof are also susceptible to damage. If they have been affected by water or mould, this will weaken them and cause the timber to rot away over time.
Damp – A damp feeling inside your home, specifically on the higher levels of your house, is often a sign of water damage. If you notice this, it could be because the felt on your roof has decomposed and broken down, leading to leaks that are difficult to spot with the naked eye.
Not every imperfection on a felt roof means that replacement is immediately necessary. During inspections, experienced roofers often find small surface cracks, minor blistering, or localised lifting that can be repaired successfully before they develop into more serious problems. The greater concern is when several warning signs appear together, such as deteriorating joints, widespread loss of mineral finish, soft areas beneath the felt, or repeated water ingress after rainfall. Looking at these issues in combination provides a far more accurate indication of the roof’s remaining service life than assessing a single defect in isolation. Drawing on over 30 years of roofing experience, Multiform Roofing takes this practical approach when inspecting felt roofs, helping homeowners prioritise repairs where appropriate and avoid replacing a roof that may still have many years of reliable service remaining.
Get in Touch With a Professional
If you’ve decided to maintain your felt roof yourself, we hope the information in this blog post has helped. If you don’t know how to maintain a felt roof yourself, contact our team at Multiform Roofing who can do it for you, reach out today!
Frequently Asked Questions About Felt Roof Maintenance
How can you tell whether a felt roof leak is coming from the felt or another part of the roof?
The point where water appears indoors is not always directly beneath the defect because moisture can travel along the roof deck before becoming visible. Common sources include damaged felt, failed joints, deteriorated flashing, and poorly sealed edges around roof penetrations. Checking your roof after rainfall can help identify patterns, but walking on a wet or weakened flat roof should be avoided. Persistent leaks are best investigated across the entire roof rather than repeatedly patching the area where damp appears indoors. Finding the actual entry point early can prevent moisture from reaching insulation, decking and supporting timbers.
Why does water sometimes pool on a felt roof?
Standing water usually develops when the roof does not have sufficient fall, drainage outlets become restricted, or sections of the supporting deck begin to deflect. Small amounts of temporary surface water after rainfall are different from persistent ponding that remains for extended periods. Repeated pooling places additional stress on the felt and can accelerate deterioration around seams, joints, and already weakened areas. Clearing outlets and debris may solve a drainage restriction, but structural movement or an inadequate roof fall requires further investigation. Addressing the underlying cause is more effective than continually repairing surface damage caused by the same drainage problem.
When should a felt roof be professionally inspected?
A professional inspection is sensible when you notice recurring leaks, widespread blistering, soft areas, lifting seams, or several defects developing across the roof at the same time. An inspection is also worthwhile after severe weather if the roof has been exposed to unusual wind, falling debris or prolonged heavy rainfall. Older felt roofs can benefit from periodic assessment because deterioration beneath the surface may not always be obvious from ground level. Our expert roofers can assess the felt alongside the decking, edges, flashing and drainage to determine whether local repairs remain practical. We help homeowners address developing problems before moisture damage turns a relatively manageable repair into more extensive roofing work.
