Why Should You Choose a Flat Roof for Your Home?

The flat roof is a commercial staple that you’ve probably seen on more than a few office buildings, warehouses, and retail spaces. Even though this roof enjoys grand commercial popularity, it isn’t only a business design solution.

This stylish roof is also an option for residential structures. If you’re re-roofing your home, considering a major structural change, adding a porch (or room addition), or are currently in the market for a new home, understanding the advantages of a flat roof is absolutely essential.

The Benefits of a Flat Roof Home

Why choose this type of roof for your home? Take a look at the top benefits that this roofing system provides.

Modern Design

Your home’s aesthetics are important. That’s why you spend time and money maintaining the outdoor area. Whether it’s the paint color you choose, the type of windows you select, or your landscaping design, careful planning can help to increase the curb appeal of your home.

An old, worn roof is a major visual distraction. It can also make your home look outdated and ruin the overall design scheme. If you’re going for a clean, sleek, modern look, a flat roof provides a crisp, contemporary feel. Along with the pristine appearance of a new roof, the flat style adds a modern touch that a shingled sloped model won’t.

Affordability

In general, flat roof systems tend to be more economical than pitched or sloped roofs. The lower price point of a fully installed flat roof is not indicative of a cheap product. A flat roof that is properly installed and maintained should be just as functional as any other type of roof.

The price difference between a flat and sloped roof is due to the additional shingles or to extra or decorative materials. Instead of a solid membrane or material covering the roof surface, a sloped roof typically requires shingles. While there is a price range when it comes to shingles (with asphalt being the least expensive and materials such as clay or tile costing more), flat roofing materials simply cost less.

Added Space

A flat roof may add extra square footage to your home. A traditional sloped roof covers your home, protecting it from the elements. But it does nothing to create more usable space. You can’t put an air conditioner’s condenser on a pitched roof. But a flat roof can hold air conditioners or other items, such as solar panels, depending on what local building codes allow.

If your home’s structure supports it, you may even be able to add a rooftop garden, or at least a few planters, to the space.

Convenient Access

Going onto a roof is typically a job for professionals. A sloped roof is dangerous for a novice homeowner to walk onto. Between the angle of the slope and the height from the ground, walking on a pitched roof is an accident in the making. You could easily slip and fall, sliding down the roof and off of it onto the ground.

In contrast, flat roofs are much safer to walk on. Keep in mind that if you don’t have easy access to the roof, this could still be a dangerous activity. If you don’t have the right equipment or knowledge, always defer to a professional roofing contractor.

Damage Resistance

While no roof is 100 percent damage-resistant, this type of roof is durable and can often withstand heavy winds and wild weather in a way that the sloped version just can’t. Again, a flat roof doesn’t have shingles covering it. The surface, like the name says, is flat — meaning that there are no smaller pieces to tear off and fly away in heavy winds or during a major downpour.

Call Your Arizona Roofing Experts

Even though a flat roof can sustain damage if a branch tears the covering membrane or a similar incident happens, these types of systems are typically fairly easy to repair.

Do you need to install a flat roof or have it repaired? Contact the expert team at SUNVEK for more information or an inspection.