A flat roof generally requires more maintenance than a traditional pitched roof.
Why a flat roof.
Have you ever wondered why contractors install gravel on flat roofs.
To weigh down or secure the roofing material as is the case with single ply flat roofs.
But such a low slope holds snow and water much longer than a steeply pitched roof and therefore needs a very different material to stay watertight.
Flat roofs usually come with a 10 to 20 year warranty but can last 25 years if you build the roofs right and maintain them using commonsense rules.
Commercial roofs are flat roofs because they are much more cost effective compared to pitched roofs.
Flat roofs require more maintenance to make sure seals remain watertight.
Flat roofs are durable.
Many flat roofs experience leaking problems because of poor drainage so ongoing maintenance is important.
Shingling these types of roofing systems is usually not a good idea.
There are different types and weights of gravel used on flat roofs for these purposes.
A flat roof offers more wind resistance than a sloped roof and that is important when high winds pick up and blow through your area.
On many flat roof low slope commercial buildings it s common to see gravel on top of the roof.
Flat roofs or low slope roofs are also commonly found on commercial buildings throughout the world.
This is one of the chief reasons why large buildings like malls or warehouses tend to have flat roofs.
The slope of a roof is properly known as its pitch and flat roofs have up to approximately 10.
A flat roof is water resistant so you do not have to worry about water damage.
If you are using a flat concrete roof then you are using a roofing system that holds up against heavy winds.
While standard sloped roofs typically have shingles that are overlapped like fish scales so that water slides over them a flat roof is designed as a continuous or monolithic surface that can hold some standing water for a limited time.
By far the biggest advantage of using a flat roof is the expense.
The risk of a fallout decreases when you opt for a flat roof on your home.
If durability is important to you then a flat roof is just the system for you.
The national roofing contractors association defines a low slope roof as.
A flat roof is a roof which is almost level in contrast to the many types of sloped roofs.
From the initial building and installation to the materials most often used to cover the roof flat roofs are fairly cheap.
Pros and cons for flat roof materials all three types of flat roofing cost 250 to 350 per square 100 square feet but prices vary according to region and size of the roof.
The symmetrical design of the flat roof also allows the flat roof to support heavy equipment like an air conditioning unit unlike sloped roofs.
To protect the underlying layer of roofing materials as is the case with built up roofs burs.
Gravel is used on flat roofs for two reasons.
With an angled roofing system shingles could be exposed to high winds that can cause shingles to lift and create repairs concerns.
It s easier to put a sloped roof on a small residential home but to do the same on a very large commercial building would be impractical dangerous and difficult.
A flat roof can provide space for a c vents and exhaust pipes.
To add a pitched roof to something as large as a mall or other similar sized edifice would be incredibly costly and it s just easier to stick with a flat roof in those cases.
