Residential Flat Roof Detail

A flat roof usually consists of the following.

Residential flat roof detail.

That will help you remember certain factors and details to build the best possible flat roof. Just enough slope to drain water but also flat enough to be a problem if not constructed properly. Of all these membrane types epdm synthetic rubber is the most common single ply membrane roof material in both residential and commercial use. But now flat roofs often are constructed with fewer layers because of improved waterproofing technology.

Flat roofs make replacing a roof a challenge. Flat roofs aren t architecturally logical as rain and snow will shed much more quickly off a sloped roof. However in many u s. Although flat roofs are cheaper to build than pitched roofs they have a shorter life span.

A typical flat roof repair costs at least 350 400 and involves locating sources of leaks and patching the seams or holes. Astm e 1592 physical testing was performed on three test roof assemblies in order to determine the wind uplift resistance of an rsprs installed over existing structural metal panel roof systems fastened directly into purlins. Of course flat roofs are not flat but have a very slight roof pitch of between 1 4 to 1 2 per foot. Waterproof membrane to prevent water penetrating the structure and interior of the.

Of course you don t need to live in a modern house to deal with a flat roof. Most modern residential homes have relatively steep pitches. Pvc membranes are easy to maintain and repair. Yet for historic modern style buildings like this old house s cambridge tv project flat roofs are at the core of the architecture meant to reflect the broad horizontal lines of the natural landscape.

Cities with older housing stock think federal hill in baltimore or alexandria virginia s old town the roofs are often flat or have very low slopes. A roof is considered to be flat when it is of a slope of 1 5 o to the horizontal. There s a lot to know about flat roof systems and how they. The basic construction of a flat roof starts with roofing timber that is laid across two upright items usually two walls.

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. Flat roofs are hard to replace. Some observers suggest it s harder to replace a flat roof than a traditional pitched shingle roof because of the labor required to remove its layers especially on older flat roofs. However depending on the severity of the damage and the type of material installed repairing a flat roof can cost as much as 600 800.

Wind uplift is a primary concern when installing a retrofit single ply roof system rsprs over a structural metal panel roof. Flat roof systems are a bit of an outlier. This could mean flat roofs may not raise the same red flags they used to. Having a manual for warm flat roof construction with details and a summary of rules to follow helps.