Flat roofing Devon
Flat roofs come with many benefits, for example, the potential to turn them into outdoor living spaces or roof gardens.
There are lots of different products to use, traditional methods have always been the very best lead roofing is by far the best result for performance durability and quality.
They are also very durable and weather resistant.
If there is a downside to flat roofs, it is that water does not effectively drain off them naturally, as it does on a sloped roof. Flat roof drain installations can be undertaken on existing roofs that don’t have adequate drainage, but if you are planning a new build, it is best to think about the type of drainage system you want before constructing the roof.
If water pools on a flat roof, then the added stress from the sustained extra weight of the pooled water could cause cracks, leaks, and eventually structural damage to the roof and to the interior of your property. To avoid unnecessary and costly repairs, take a look at these three recommended drainage solutions for your flat roof.
Interior Drainage Systems Interior drainage systems take a significant amount of work to install, but they are very effective. As the name suggests, a system of pipes is built inside the property, in between the roof and the ceiling. The pipes are connected to a drain on the roof and, on the other end of the system, to a gutter or downspout on the exterior of the property where the water can drain away into the sewer system.
One of the positives of this type of flat roof drain installation is that the majority of the system is inside the property, and out of sight, meaning that the exterior of the property will be more aesthetically pleasing. The system’s interior position also gives it extra shelter from extreme temperatures, making the pipes less likely to freeze or crack.
The downside of an interior drainage system is that they are harder to reach to fix any potential problems, compared to gutters, for example, which are usually straightforward to repair. The rooftop drain must also be fitted with a strainer to prevent any debris such as leaves getting into the pipes and clogging the system.
Have installed miles upon miles & miles of guttering in our 30 years of trading.
Gutters
Gutters are a very cost-effective flat roof drainage solution. Attached entirely to the exterior of the property, they will catch rainwater as it drips off the roof and channel it towards the downspout. If there is no other drainage installed, the water that drips off the edge of the roof will drain down the side of the building and can leak into the building via any cracks or damage in the walls, as well as damaging the exterior.
The best thing about choosing gutters for your flat roof drain installation is their cost. They are very cheap to buy and install, and effective at doing their job. However, gutters do need to be regularly inspected and cleaned of any debris that could block the water from draining properly or cause the gutter to sag or crack from the weight Roofers in Devon s s roofing specialists carry out these works regularly
Gutters also are completely external, so your choice of material and colour will have a visual effect on your property, and while vinyl gutters are the most popular choice, they are available in other materials such as copper and stainless steel.
Scuppers
Scuppers are a very effective drainage solution for roofs. Similar to gutters, they allow water to drain off the side of the roof without touching the outside of the building. The difference is that scuppers are visually subtler, appearing as small gaps, as they are placed in select positions where the water can drain off onto something below, such as a downspout or a garden, unlike gutters, which are placed around the full perimeter of the roof.
Scuppers very rarely get blocked as they are wide, flat, and short, so any debris is washed through the chute and off the roof very quickly. If the scuppers are positioned in line with a downspout, however, the downspout will need to be fitted with a strainer to stop it getting clogged.
certain strainers can be bought but for Lead outlets they need to be hand crafted, our lead roofing specialist here at s s roofing specialists has carried this out with a beautiful finish every time.
The downside of scuppers is that they may not be as effective as other solutions in very heavy rainfall. This is because all the excess water has to funnel through the scuppers, which can only take so much deluging at once. Bear this in mind if you live in an area with consistently heavy rain and are considering scuppers for your flat roof installation.
Flat Roofs
Despite the name, flat roofs need to be built with a slight slant so that water can drain from them. Most properly-installed roofs will already have a slant or ‘fall’, either from one side to the other, or from the centre to the edges. If you are installing a new system, you will have to make sure the fall of the flat roof slopes towards your gutters or scuppers, and if you are installing an interior drainage system, the roof drain will need to be placed at the lowest point of the roof.
Whichever flat roof drain installation you opt for, the fall of the roof must be considered. If you’re still unsure of what kind of flat roof is right for your roof, get in touch and one of our experts will be happy to advise you. contact us
