Flat Roof Construction Uk

Pitched roofs examples of pitched roofs.

Flat roof construction uk.

As with many industries there s a whole world of confusing jargon built up around flat roof construction. A flat roof must be strong durable and stable throughout its lifetime. A typical roof pitch in the uk for a traditional house will be 40 50 but at the extreme can go up to 70 above 70 would actually be called a wall. The reality is that flat roofs are relatively straightforward so we have written this simple guide to help you get to grips with flat roof lingo.

While very common in countries with warm climates flat roofs were only widely adopted in the uk after the second world war. The scottish technical handbook domestic describes flat roofs as roofs the slope of which does not exceed 10º from the horizontal. Getting the balance right here is crucial as too much weight will inevitably lead to an unstable roofing structure. If your main interest is in flat roofs then you can learn more by reading flat roof construction part 4.

What pitch is a flat roof. A roof is defined in bs 6229 as a flat roof if it has a pitch of 10 degrees or less. The steels or rsj s rolled steel joists are often built into one or both walls to give added stability to the roof structure. Although flat roofs are cheaper to build than pitched roofs they have a shorter life span.

Flat roof construction for residential a roof is considered to be flat when it is of a slope of 1 5o to the horizontal. A flat roof usually consists of the following. There is also the scope to incorporate a green roof onto the flat structure. The definition of a flat roof according to bs 6229 is having a pitch less than 10 o to the horizontal however some in the industry would consider up to 15 o as their definition of a flat roof.

Flat roofs were uncommon in the uk until after the second world war. As a mass rebuild of housing got underway it was discovered to be a cheaper alternative to the traditional pitched roof style. It must provide adequate protection against the elements keeping the buildings structure and interior dry. They were seen as a cheaper alternative to traditional pitched roofs.

On a basic level flat roof construction comes in the form of roofing timbers or joists as they are more commonly known or steels that are laid across two uprights walls in most cases. A pitched or sloping roof has a pitch of at least 15 but often much more. Flat roofs are exceedingly popular with those looking to create a cool modern home. When building a flat roof it is vital that a degree of falls is built into the construction to ensure rainwater run off.