There are two major categories in roofing, on a basic and shallow level, of course.
There are advantages and disadvantages to either way of roofing. In this article, however, I will discuss the advantages of flat roofing, as well as the best materials used to make your flat roof the best yet.
One major advantage of building a house with a flat roof is the expense. A pitched roof can cost a homeowner up to twenty percent more than a flat roof. That comes out to a hefty price, when multiplying those little numbers by a few thousand.
Another huge advantage of building a flat roof is usage. When building a pitched roof, pretty much all you are able to use it for is a small attic window and beautiful red roof tiles. Or any tiles and shingles you can get your hands on. But in general, that is the limit of your roof related usage. A flat roof, however, can be used for practically anything. You can install your air conditioning units and store them on your roof. You can build a fence, and voila, your roof is now a porch. You can put a swing on it. You can plant a garden on your roof, or even build a pool for your family, away from prying eyes. Another very helpful item to install on your flat roof is a solar panel, which saves you electricity as well as keeps the environment one step greener. And I’m sure that if you brainstorm, you will think of many more helpful solutions and ideas for your flat roof.
Another advantage of having a flat roof, yet maybe not as major as the others, is interior spacing and sizing. When building a pitched roof, the walls slope upwardly inwards. That causes a change in physics, as most pre-built furniture is shaped to fit square and oblong shapes. The triangular and circular shapes are harder to find in furniture, and the most common solution is getting your furniture custom built, which can poke a sizeable hole in your pocket. Having a flat roof gives you a flat ceiling, which in turn insures you a fairly dimensioned room, and an easier time at IKEA finding a closet and bookshelf.
The last advantage I will speak of is accessibility. A flat roof is easily accessible when you need to clean your gutter, rainpipe, or just to clean the roof. It is also easier to fix, if something breaks on the roof.
Putting regular materials on a flat roof, such as you would put a pitched roof, is almost guaranteed to spring leaks, because when there is no slope on the roof, everything sits, and begins to leak after a bit. You need special materials for a flat roof. If you neglect the quality of your materials the winter will wreck your flat roof.
The 6 main flat roofing materials:
We recommend you check out photos of these roofing materials on Instagram or YELP so you can decide which one of them is aesthetically pleasing to you.
The most popular of these is the first one, PVC. The reason being, it is stronger than most materials. PVC can hold a minimum of 300 pounds, whereas the minimum of other materials is 200 pounds. Plus, both private and public PVC projects usually come with a warranty, for life.
