Flat roofs are generally preferred in arid climates in contrast to sloping roofs. But there are also flat roofs for colder areas this all depends on how they are built. The most significant benefit of it is that it can act as a living space or rooftop gardens. The flat roofs provide cheaper, easier and less dangerous way to put roofs on buildings. They can be relatively easier to carry and move due to their weight. Especially for commercial buildings flat roofs provide more space to do tasks. Generally, PVC, EPDM, TPO, Modified Bitumen, BUR, Spray on Coating. These cheaper and easier to install roofs can easily last for 25 years if they are artfully constructed and maintained. As mentioned above for people living in arid climates these come as blessing keeping the rooms cooler in hot summers rather compared to traditional roofs.
Flat Roofing Options
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DIY ROOFS
The base of the roof stands upon steel joists or RSJ.These joists form the skeleton of the roof. They are laid upon each other or cut through with even spaces for laying the flat boards of timber or plywood. According to the material for the board you can add a water proof layer on it to prevent any leakage. It is important to know that flat roof does not refer to being leveled because this would generally lead to water accumulation over the roof prom drainage pipes so this requires a certain technique.
Winter has so many effects on flat roofs. As snow falls, it can accumulate on the surface of the roof which eventually puts so many burden on roofs. This will result in lowering the roof and hence the roof will break at a point. Also too much snow can affect the material of roof too. Accumulation of snow result in water when it melts which in the main reason behind pondering. Water thus seeps into the cracks of roof but because of cold temperature it freezes again and hence it increases the number cracks in the roof. Another problem due to ponding is that it results in leakages in the roof.
Other Problems with Flat roofs:
The biggest problem with flat roofs is that there is no proper drainer and consequently this leads to blockage of drainage pipes. Thus, rain can cause devastation to a flat roof. So even though practical and cheaper, their maintenance is not something that can be done again and again after every rain. Similarly, for people living in areas where it snows heavily, the snow can accumulate over the roof causing leakage. This leads to another of its problem that flat roofs have a shorter lifespan which means along with constant maintenance during rainy seasons they are to be change regularly, which can be difficult to do.
The thing about flat roofs is that they are for areas with a relatively dry and constant weather. They can be very useful for such areas. You can use the space to store extra luggage, build roof top gardens and can even use it as a space to breathe in fresh air for buildings that are not ventilated properly.
Hence, it can be inferred that flat roofs and can very useful in respect to efficient use of place and can be cost effective. But, for people who remain busy it can be a nuisance to maintain and change them regularly.Ask for a professional roofer to get free assistance for the roofing options.