Flat Roof Design

Sizes of joists needed for flat roof construction.

Flat roof design. Of course you don t need to live in a modern house to deal with a flat roof. Flat roofs offer more stability and horizontal surface. 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. Get along with the benefits of flat roof design.

But now flat roofs often are constructed with fewer layers because of improved waterproofing technology. They re simple in form and function and are a good example of the modernist principle of clean lines. So any timber joists that are used need to be strong enough to support this weight. Additionally the clipped ends provide more headroom in the loft than a traditional hip roof.

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 cost from initial installation to maintenance is cheaper. If your home s design is modular more a collection of boxes or right angled shapes giving it a flat roof keeps a consistent eye. Above all the major benefit is being simple in construction process.

Flat roofs aren t architecturally logical as rain and snow will shed much more quickly off a sloped roof. 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. Nevertheless since the early twentieth century flat roofs have been used more and more in large buildings and some domestic settings. If your house s architecture is modern then a flat roof home design is basically expected.

Old asbestos roofs are often replaced with flat roofs. Flat roofs are hard to replace. The shed roof is a very simple roof. The reason to use a flat roof rather than a pitched one is largely aesthetic.

This said even with contemporary technology flat roofs aren t easy to design with success. Modern architecture has traditionally been characterized by flat roofs flat roofs create long horizontal planes reminiscent of the broad horizon line seen often in nature. 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. It allows for vaulted ceilings or an upper floor for part of the home depending on the slope and design of the home.

Set a mini mcmansion like suburban home and its steeply pitched roof against a low lying glass clad modernist masterpiece and most design enthusiasts architects and non architects alike would agree that the latter is a purer architectural form. Some people still use sloped roofs on such houses but the clean geometry of a flat roof can really help your place stand out before you build take a look at some flat roofed house pictures and discuss things with your architect. The modern flat roof. As you may imagine there is a fair amount of weight involved here in terms of boards felt etc.