Flat Roof

A flat roof is a roof which is almost level in contrast to the many types of sloped roofs. Flat
roofs are an ancient form mostly used in arid climates and allow the roof space to be used
as a living space or a living roof.
Flat roofs exist all over the world and each area has its own tradition or preference for
materials used. In warmer climes where rainfall is less and freezing is unlikely to occur,
many flat roofs are simply built of masonry or concrete and this is good at keeping out the
heat of the sun and cheap and easy to build where timber is not readily available. In areas
where the roof could become saturated by rain and leak, or where water soaked into the
brickwork could freeze to ice and thus lead to 'blowing' (breaking up of the
mortar/brickwork/concrete by the expansion of ice as it forms) these roofs are not suitable.
Flat roofs are characteristic of the Egyptian, Persian, and Arabian styles of architecture.

flat roofs offer significantly more stability and horizontal surface than sloped
roofs do

Flat roofs are cheaper to re-coat and install than sloped roofs.

Green Design. Flat housetops are ideal for placing solar panels because they
receive a maximum amount of sunshine throughout the day.

Safety and Accessibility. Although no roof is completely flat (flat roofs are
usually about ten degrees in slope for drainage purposes), roof repair,
replacement, and gutter cleaning is easier and safer than sloped roofs.

Improved Interiors. Steep housetops often create awkward wall space that
cannot be used inside the home. Flat styles eliminate this problem.

Options. A nearly even surface opens the possibility of converting part of the
roof into a terrace or garden, if done properly.

Wind resistance The flat and symmetric surface of the flat roof offer less
resistance to the wind as compared to the angled roofing systems. Wind
resistance matters in case of storms that have the potential to replace the
shingles and tiles that are placed on the angled roof structure.

Less Wind Damage-Flat concrete roof stand up well when exposed to

heavy winds. While tile and shingle roof can be easily damaged by
high winds that can catch the edges of shingles and tiles, but a flat
concrete roof does not present this problem

DISADVANTAGES

High Maintenance-The major drawback to a flat roof is that it

typically requires more maintenance than a pitched roof. Because it
is not sloped, the roof does not drain naturally so water can easily
accumulate

Absorbs Heat-All parts of a flat roof are continually exposed to the

sun, so the roof absorbs heat all day long. All parts of a flat roof are
continually exposed to the sun, so the roof absorbs heat all day long.

CONSTRUCTION

Waterproofing Layers (1-2 layers depending on system)

Insulation with Vapour Barrier (this Barrier stops condensation). The

insulation location can vary depending on the system.

The Roof Structure can be either timber or concrete and should

bedesigned to accommodate the loading required by the roof type
and its usage (i.e. Balcony/Sundeck)

MATERIALS

PITCHED ROOF
roof pitch is a numerical measure of the
steepness of a roof.

TYPES OF PITCHED ROOFS

Four main designs of pitched roofs are shown here. Each type can be
built in different ways, and from different materials.
1.

Gabled-The roof slopes around a triangular extension of the end

wall. This piece of wall is the gable.

2. Hipped-A hip is the joint between two adjacent slopes of a roof. Some
complex roofs have several hips.

3. Shed-This simple roof has only one slope. It is commonly used on leanto structures, such as additions.

4.Mansard-A modified version of the pitched roof that creates a spacious

living area in the roof space.

ROOF COVERINGS
Thatch-Thatching is the craft of building a roof
with dry vegetation suchas straw, water reed,
sedge (Cladium mariscus), rushes, or heather,
layering the vegetation so as to shed water away
from the inner roof.

SLATE- Slate roofing is one of the most durable

roofing materials available today. A properly
installed slate roof covering can easily last for
100 years, requiring little maintenance.

SHINGLE ROOFING-generally refers to asphalt

shingles, but encompasses any roof covering
system comprised of tiles or shingles that
interlock or overlap in a way that channels
water off of a pitched roof. Most shingle types
are comprised of materials that are locally
available.
TILES-Roof tiles are designed mainly to keep out
rain, and are traditionally made from locally
available materials such as terracotta or slate.
Modern materials such as concrete and plastic
are also used and some clay tiles have a
waterproof glaze.

ASBESTOS CEMENT SHEET-It is a building

material in which asbestos fibres are used to
reinforce thin rigid cement sheets.

CORRUGATED GALVANISED IRON SHEET-is a building material composed of

sheets of hot-dip galvanised mild steel, cold-rolled to produce a linear
corrugated pattern in them. The corrugations increase the bending
strength of the sheet in