Top Design Considerations for Building a Flat Roof

Posted by roofcoadmin September 18, 2017

Both commercial and residential buildings need to have a good exterior aesthetic. A flat roof offers not just great looks, but years of leak and sag-free cover for your building. The greatest benefit of building a flat roof is that it is more affordable than the other options.

Flat roofs don’t need fancy features like shingles and is faster to install and thus you will spend less on labor. Flat roofs are also resistant to wind and will therefore save you on repair costs if you live in a windy area.

Even with all these advantages of a flat roof, it’s still important to have a good design and use quality materials. Here are top design considerations for building a flat roof.

Top Design Considerations for Building a Flat Roof

  1. Optimize the Roof for Thermal Performance

The thermal performance of a building relates to the total roof cover and not just the roof. You must therefore make good U-value calculations and good insulation. Ensure that the design factors in any cold bridges to minimize any heat loss. Since the entire roof system gives some form of contribution to the thermal performance, it is wise to include cold bridges like thermally broken fasteners that will enhance insulation.

  1. Ensure Compatibility of the Different Components of the Roof

A flat roof assembly involves different components. These should all be compatible to minimize the risk of failure of the roof system, reduce the risk of future breakdowns and enhance durability. For example, if you are building an adhered system, do an external testing of the different insulation parts with the specific manufacturers.

A robust testing will be an assurance that there is no adhesive that will hinder the performance of the insulation and also that all the adhesive bonds are suitable for use.

  1. Hire a Professional Installer

Building a flat roof may seem like an easy task, but there is a need for correct installation of all the comprehensive specifications to enable them to work properly. All product manufacturers also have their trained installers that you can hire for the nstallation work.

These professionals will be able to handle any unique product specification, installation consideration, and challenging details that would otherwise be difficult for an untrained person to handle.

  1. Ensure Your Roof Is Wind-Proof

During the planning stage for building a flat roof, you must do some wind uplift calculations. These calculations take into consideration the height of the building and location which are then used to determine the right materials and methods of installation of the roof.

If the calculations are done right, the waterproofing manufacturer will be able to tell the wind uplift design pressures for the main areas of the roof, corners and the perimeter. They will also use this calculation to choose the right roof system. The choice of a mechanically fastener roofing system, an adhered system or fully bonded system will thus depend on the calculations.

commercial and residential buildings

  1. Have the Flat Roof Slightly Tilted

A good design for a flat roof must ensure that there is enough provision for drainage. Slight tilting of the roof can be done using tapered roof insulation, concrete laid falls or timber fillets. This will ensure no water pond is created that can result in the buildup of algae or fungus on the roof.