Are you among the people wondering what the best way of roofing a garage is? Are you unsure whether your should go with a flat roof or a pitched roof? And what about the roofing material? A garage may seem a simple thing to build – but building is never simple. Let us try and clear up some of the questions that arise.
Garage with flat roof
Looking to get a garage with flat roof? It’s a good idea, whether you have one custom built or choose a prefabricated model. The simplest flat garage roofs are very cheap to build, while still good looking. A roof like that has subtle presence – one that does not compete with, or steal the picture from your home. A flat roof can be cheaper in materials, but this does not mean you should skimp on quality – because there are some inherent risks connected with building a flat roof. The grand enemy number one of any roof – or building – is water. Any water – usually rain – which falls on a roof, should ideally drain off completely and instantly. The longer a volume of water is left standing on a roof surface, the greater the risk that some if it will either find its way through the surface and into the underlying construction, or that it will simply find a soft spot on the outside to damage. Needless to say, a flat roof will drain water more slowly than a pitched roof – and if that flat roof is of the type that has a parapet around its perimeter to create the illusion of complete flatness (a “flat” roof always slopes a few degrees), then there is really only one way for the water to go – into a downspout in one corner of the roof. On one hand, a flat roof demands more attention when you build it and afterwards, but on the other hand, it is easier to get up on the roof to inspect or perform repairs and it certainly is quite possible to keep such a roof in good shape for decades. The fact that flat roof repair is so much more accessible certainly doesn’t hurt in this respect.
Pitched garage roofs
The best way to drain water off a roof is by pitching the roof surface. You can go with the traditional dual sloped roof, which is what most people think of when we talk about pitched roofs – or you could build a single slope roof – sort of like a flat roof, but much steeper. The latter is a very interesting option, since it is a simple way of getting the advantages of a pitched roof design. Basically, if you have to opposing walls which are offset in height, you can simply place wooden beams spanning the walls, put up the rafters or underlayment, lay the roof and you are done. If you are re roofing a garage with a flat roof, you could probably easily modify the construction to a steeper pitch, if you wanted to. There are no mitered joints or complicated framing to do as with a dual sloped roof. On the other hand, if the span of the roof is substantial – like on a two car garage – the wooden beams needed for a single slope may need to become quite heavy so as not to sag over the gap. In this case, you may prefer to erect a dual slope roof instead. There is nothing wrong with that of course – the traditional dual slope pitched roof provides excellent protection of the rest of the building, since its overhangs can be made quite deep if needed. This is something to consider in areas with frequent and heavy rainfall, since it help a lot in keeping the walls and vulnerable elements like window frames dry.
Flat roof materials and pitched roof materials
Finally, let us discuss roofing materials. These can differ, depending on whether the roof is flat or pitched – so the point is to get the right material for the construction. Pitched or flat? This should be the first question you answer before choosing roofing material. Some types, like clay tiles or slate and wood shingles are not meant for flat roofs. They do not provide a roofing surface that can be considered watertight, if the slope is too shallow. Use these materials on pitched roofs instead, where gravity will pull the water off the individual shingle or tile faster than the wind can press it in betweeen them. On a flat roof construction, you can use roofing felt and roofing sheets, which usually require less of an angle to work. Roofing felt can give you a completely sealed surface – like it was a single membrane. Roofing sheets cannot quite match this, but they can be used at such shallow angles, that they fall under the category of flat roof materials. Of course, these materials can also be used on pitched roofs without a hitch – just to confuse things for you!
Also read about: Roofing Felt and Garage Roofing
Category: Garage Roofing
