Flat Roof structure or perhaps a Pitched Roof? One of many really important tasks of any property construction or restoration is to make sure you have the appropriate roof structure. Not only do you need to contemplate your own requirements and even the desires of the homeowner but you should in addition consider the environment and the type of building.

1. Should you choose a flat roof or a pitched roof?
If you are asking yourself the question of it you should be using a flat roof or a pitched roof then you
probably are in need of the services of a professional contractor.
However if you are looking for some further information before contacting someone or are looking
to complete the job yourself then you have come to the right place.
You can of course choose which you want but each one comes with its own positive and negative
aspects. For example the costs, maintenance and how much room you have available, will all
contribute to your final decision.
Looking at the costs it is almost a weighing up between initial costs and long term maintenance
costs. For example building a flat roof is a lot cheaper than building a pitched roof initially. However
flat roofs aren’t as efficient in draining the water (as you can imagine from being flat) and unless
they are inspected regularly they could become damaged and end up leaking.
Regardless of which method you choose, in the end you still have to protect the roof anyway. A
pitched roof is more difficult to access due to the fact it slopes. So that may need to be a
consideration.
But even if you choose to go for a flat roof initially you don’t have to be stuck with one forever. After
all it is possible to buy the materials to turn your flat roof into a pitched one without too much
trouble at all.
Not sure if a pitched roof would look good on the house? Well you can now get computer programs
that can artificially render images of your property with the new pitched roof on it so you can
imagine what it would look like as well as see how if it would cause any issues to your neighbours.
If you have just purchased the property and are wondering about what roof you should have then
another consideration is the value of the property. After all if you have spent a whole lot of money
on buying the property then you may not have too much remaining to turn the roof into a pitched
one. However should you have extra budget, then this is something to think about as the cost of
transforming a flat roof into a pitched roof could be very small when compared to how much the
increase in the property value is.
Before you go about building your new roof frame, don’t forget to check with your local council or
planning office. Most flat to pitched conversions are straight forward but depending on your
property (for example is it listed) then you may have restrictions on what you are allowed to do to
the property.
Don’t think you can just change the roof and then get the permission afterwards. Planning officers
have been known to submit legal action to make the roof back to it’s former glory but of course you
will be the one funding the project!
For more information on a flat roof visit http://www.ucrs.co.uk