Flat Roofs Aren’t For Everybody

Flat roofs are quickly becoming a popular choice for builders, and it is easy to see why. Businesses have known for a long time that there are distinct advantages to flat roofs, and now homebuilders have caught on to them as well.

Designers creating stylish modern houses often prefer flat roofs and have created some prolific architecture utilizing them. Frank Lloyd Wright built his famous Fallingwater house, with its iconic horizontal roofline, in 1935 and it has been inspiring homebuilders ever since.

There are some issues that can come up with flat roofs, however. Anyone considering constructing or renovating a building should consider both before they make a decision.

Rain or Snow

Flat roofs that do not take into account their local climate are recipes for disaster. Though they do have somewhat of a slope (flat roofs are not actually flat, they just look like it) they are not as efficient at draining rainfall as traditional peaked roofs. Of course, they are even worse at displacing snow. We can all remember hearing about a mall or a stadium roof collapsing after a blizzard. The weight of the built up snow was too much.

Reinforcement

Similarly, the building the roof is covering has to provide enough support. Flat roofs are not as stable as peaked ones and need to be backed up with more load bearing walls. They are not suitable for every building, you would need to consult a qualified roofing expert before you’d know if a flat roof would work for your project.

Maintenance

It should also be said that flat roofs do require more of your time than other roofs do. Their coating, whether it is torch-on or roll roofing, doesn’t last as long as shingles and pitched roof alternatives. It will need to be reapplied on a regular basis. They also need to be inspected frequently, probably once a year, to make sure that water isn’t pooling anywhere and the gutters are clean.

Flat roofs can be great for some people, but a bad idea for others. At Affordable Quality Roofing, we will help you decide if they will work for your project.