Flat roof

[Trav]

I'm thinking of buying a flat roof house in sunny canberra. The roof looks like it is in good nick and the fascia and bargeboards are also pretty good.

However, there is absolutely no insulation in the cavity at the moment and I'll hvae to pull up the roofing sheets to put some in. Pain in the ***** if you ask me.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on flat roof houses? Apart from aesthetics etc?

Trav

[jackiew]

Is it actually flat or does it have a minimal slope?

My understanding is that ultimately all flat ( or flattish ) roofs leak. I've a suspicion that they are designed either by tight wads who don't want to pay for the extra roofing material or by architects who don't intend to live in the property themselves.

[beejay1]

Doesnt matter what theyre covered with or how theyere constructed.Flat roofs always leak sooner or later.

beejay1

http://community.webshots.com/user/eunos9

[journeyman Mick]

The trouble with near flat roofs is that they always end up leaking. A tiny bit of uneven shrinkage in one of the battens or a bit of a bow in a rafter amd you'll find that water is ponding on the roof, leading to rust and then leaks. In a heavy downpour the water won't get away fast enough and will get under the sheet laps or the screw heads (trimdek), so more leaks and rust.

Mick

[Woodlice]

How old is the house, and how old is the roof. If the house is old and the roof is new, leave the place alone. Its already had atleast one replacement. Been there, done that.

J!

[Trav]

thanks everyone.

The house is 30n years old and the roof is original. I got up and had a look on the roof (quickly) and there does not seem to be any rust. I've checked for water damage pretty carefully and it seems to be OK. There is a decent slope and the gutters seem to be functioning ok, so I think it might be alright.

I guess a flat roof isn't ideal, but I think this one might be OK.

Trav

[numbat]

Has the house got heating and cooling in place? If not running it in the roof is the normal procedure - which you cant do in this case.

That leaves the floor - is there room for ducts in the floor space?

Having lived in the tropics I am very wary of flat roofs - for the leakage reasons.

More importantly is there room for a big workshop?

Cheers

[Trav]

that is the only reason I am interested in the place! A big workshop. Plenty of room to park cars where they should be (on the driveway), leaving a triple garage oops, I mean, workshop for me!

Heating is already ducted through the floor, so no dramas.

Trav

[simon c]

There is a decent slope and the gutters seem to be functioning ok, so I think it might be alright.

Aha - there seems to have been some confusion about what a flat roof is.

You mean that there is no roof cavity whereas everybody else has thought you meant that it is not pitched ie it ia a horizontal roof which will allow water to pool and eventually leak.

[numbat]

Heating is already ducted through the floor, so no dramas.

Trav

Yeah - but what about cooling? Even with insulation in the roof it will get bloody hot. We have a pitched roof, with insulation and friends have commented that the house is cool (in summer) but it can still get hot enough to turn on the evaporative cooling. Also what about the hot humid nights?

For those not in Canberra - yep it gets crisp here in winter - but equally it can be bloody hot and sometimes humid.

Whilst a workshop is important - so is being comfortable in the house. Find a nice house with a big block and build your own nice shed. I had a chat with the president of the ACT Woodcraft Guild who spent $20k building a nice big shed (can put in a mezzanine level in) before I decided that extending our rear terrace and putting in a basement workshop is the answer for us. Its over $40k at the moment and work starts on Monday .

But this solution gives us a nice big rear terrace for entertaining, I get a basement workshop and there is no big dominating structure in the garden taking up a heap of room.

Cheers