Flat felt roofs have a short life span many house insurers refuse to cover older felt roofs.
How to build a flat roof balcony.
The basic construction of a flat roof starts with roofing timber that is laid across two upright items usually two walls.
Building a deck over a flat roof is very similar to building a deck over a concrete patio.
You may be surprised to learn that it can increase the value of your flat by up to one quarter rendering it a sound investment.
For example you need to consider the amount of extra weight your flat roof will need to bear.
Over the years they are affected by the elements blistering cracking and attracting moss and algae.
Whether you are opting for patio slabs or decking it is advisable that you engage the services of a structural engineer to ensure that your flat roof will be able to support.
If it is constructed of traditional felt attempting to upgrade it into a terrace or balcony is not recommended.
For additional stability you can also use steel joists that are built into one or both of the walls.
This will give additional stability to the roof structure.
Creating a terrace or balcony out of a flat roof is easier than you would think as long as you have the right materials.
Flat roofs aren t architecturally logical as rain and snow will shed much more quickly off a sloped roof.
First you must make sure the roof is strong enough to support 55 lbs per square foot.
Of course you don t need to live in a modern house to deal with a flat roof.
Yet for historic modern style buildings like this old house s cambridge tv project flat roofs are at the core of the architecture meant to reflect the broad horizontal lines of the natural landscape.
It can be used to host visitors to unwind or even to work.