Megan's Home Haven

A flat roof is often associated with Mediterranean styled homes but over the last few years, builders have realised that flat roofing can offer many advantages over regular roofing.  One of the biggest advantages or benefits of a flat roof is that a lot of money is saved on building costs.  Unlike a pitched roof, there is no need to install pitched roof trusses and this means that less roofing trusses are needed to provide the right amount of roofing support.

Flat roofing requires a lot less maintenance and usually gutters and drainage pipes are integrated into the solid roof structure and the need for gutters are eliminated. A waterproof coating is painted onto the entire area of the flat roof and this is able to last for a number of years and a good quality waterproof coating will prevent any leaks on the flat roof.

One other advantage of a flat roof is that is property owners who are looking to extend their homes can seriously consider building up (especially in cases where the lack of space restricts extensions). Building on top of flat roofing negates the need to remove existing roof trusses. However, for the flat roofing to support the weight of the new structure, a engineer will need to assess the roof and determine if additional reinforcements are need to support the load.

Although this style of roof offers several advantages, one drawback common in flat roofing is that rainwater tends to pool on any uneven flat roofing surfaces and should the water not be able to access drainage points, the water may seep into the roof. This in turn could cause roof leaks. This problem, however can be overcome, by ensuring that the roofing surface is even and that there is sufficient drainage for any collected water. A good waterproof coating will also lower the risk of leaks.

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