The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Real Estate and Landlording => Topic started by: Travis on September 06, 2016, 12:39:07 PM
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I was walking through my neighborhood this weekend and noticed about one house in 20 do not have a traditional raised/slanted roof. At first I thought they were having their roof replaced, but a few had satellite dishes right on top as if they weren't going anywhere, but the vents were raised a good 2-3 feet up in the air as if there was a traditional roof at some point in the past. Are all of these homes getting new roofs at the same time or is this a normal thing with some homes? If so, what is the logic behind removing your roof in favor of a flat surface?
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Do they get much snow in your area? A mostly flat roof is a great idea for extra space as long as it's not going to collapse under a couple tons of frozen water during the winter . . .
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We get quite a bit, but if it's in direct sunlight it doesn't stay more than a day or two. I'm tempted on our next walk to just knock on someone's door and ask them if this is a temporary situation or they're choosing to not have a traditional roof. Of all these homes, only a couple appear to have equipment staged in their yards as if they're getting a new roof.
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Are the houses of a style that suggests they're supposed to have a sloping roof, or are they Modernist or Pueblo Revival or something?
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Are the houses of a style that suggests they're supposed to have a sloping roof, or are they Modernist or Pueblo Revival or something?
Some of them have an adobe-style finish, but right next door is a house with the exact same layout, but different siding and a real roof.
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They probably have a real low slope roof draining off the back of the house.
EPDM rubber or a similar single ply membrane is typically used for this type of roof.
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Are the houses of a style that suggests they're supposed to have a sloping roof, or are they Modernist or Pueblo Revival or something?
Some of them have an adobe-style finish, but right next door is a house with the exact same layout, but different siding and a real roof.
Yep, the house pictured definitely has a flat roof on purpose. It's not an example of great architecture IMO (it's trying to be Pueblo Revival, but didn't quite get there), but it isn't "wrong."
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Yep, the house pictured definitely has a flat roof on purpose. It's not an example of great architecture IMO (it's trying to be Pueblo Revival, but didn't quite get there), but it isn't "wrong."
That's if you trust a flat roof. They scream "leak" to me, especially in areas of snow load (like Colorado at 7000 feet).
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Yep, the house pictured definitely has a flat roof on purpose. It's not an example of great architecture IMO (it's trying to be Pueblo Revival, but didn't quite get there), but it isn't "wrong."
That's if you trust a flat roof. They scream "leak" to me, especially in areas of snow load (like Colorado at 7000 feet).
Well, I meant that it isn't "wrong" stylistically, not that it isn't "wrong" practically....
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FYI - Nobody ever builds a "truly flat" roof. They are generally very "low slope" 1/8" to 1/4"-12" or so, and if installed properly, using the correct materials, they can perform very well.
In the case of the home in photo, I'll bet it is low slope, either shedding water off the back side out of view, or has interior drains that the roof is sloped to.
Many public buildings, offices, schools, court houses, libraries, large manufacturing buildings, etc. are built this way.
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We have a "flat" roof and live in very snow Québec. As fishindude said, it's actually a very low slope roof that drains in the back. Wind generally keeps snow-loads off, but very occasionally we'll shovel off the roof. We've only done this twice in four winters here though.
Stylistically you may love or hate "flat" roofs but they maximize space. They cost slightly more because you need thicker trusses and plywood and a thick rubber membrane, but some of that cost is offset by the lower square footage of the roof (a "flat" roof will always have less surface area than a similarly size roof with any pitch) and the simplicity of re-roofing. As an added bonus, you can put a roof-top terrace on a "flat" roof. When done correctly a "flat" roof should last as long as any other kind of roof.
Look around in urban areas where space is an issue and you'll notice a lot of the units will have these "flat" roofs because space is a premium and land is expensive.
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Don't have to worry about ice sliding off, ripping off the gutters, or falling on someone either.
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Many homes have flat roofs in my area... it is to get 2 floors in a low building height areas, and the low building height is to allow more people to have views. (Hillside)