For non-professionals, flat roofing is associated with the negative legacy of the Soviet past, when office buildings of this type had an unsightly, gloomy appearance, and the upper floors of high-rise buildings suffered from constant leaks. Over the past 10-15 years, the production of roofing materials has undergone significant changes, thanks to which it has been possible to create a new generation of durable, strong and reliable polymer coatings. From this moment on, house projects with flat roof began to gain popularity.
One-storey houses are a traditional architectural form of southern seaside towns, resorts and luxurious Art Nouveau villas, where a mild climate without a lot of rainfall prevails. The main part of the territory of Russia is located in the zone of increased snow load, therefore, such a construction technology began to be introduced recently, when modern roofing materials with improved operational characteristics appeared. Over the past ten years, one-story buildings with flat roof tested in the harsh Russian winters and demonstrated the following advantages over pitched counterparts:
- Saving space. One-story houses with a flat roof, built according to frame technology, due to rational use places are a compact structure that can be placed on a small building site within the city or in the suburbs. This quality is relevant in the context of a constant increase in the value of building land.
- Saving materials. A flat roof does not have a slope, therefore, less roofing material is spent to cover this type than to equip pitched counterparts. During the construction process, less wood is used for the truss frame, which reduces costs. Also, flat roofs small size you can do it yourself without spending money on hiring professional roofing masters.
- The possibility of expanding the area. A one-storey house with a flat roof can become a transitional option until the moment when the need and financial possibilities arise to build on the second floor. This versatility will be an added advantage for young families, whose composition may soon change.
- Wide range of roofing possibilities. If a cottage equip with a flat exploited roof, on it you can equip additional space to meet a variety of needs: equip sports grounds, recreation areas with barbecue, swimming pools, lay out lawns, beds or flower beds. For homeowners concerned with conservation natural resourceshouse designs with flat roofs, on which solar panels are installed to provide "clean" energy, are suitable.
Note! Roofing materials based on cardboard and bituminous impregnations, used in the past, had a service life of only 5-8 years, were damaged by the action of sunlight, and cracked during sudden temperature changes. But coatings made from fiberglass and synthetic rubber with polymer resins will protect the home for 50 years. New generation materials are not needed for flooring gas-burnerso they are suitable for DIY mounting.
A flat roof is called a roof that does not have a slope; it rests on all 4 load-bearing walls of the house. This design is a multilayer coating of roll or bulk waterproofing materialslaid on a prepared base. Do-it-yourself installation of a flat roof is performed by layering, pouring or gluing in the following sequence:
- Base. The first layer of a flat roof is a base made of concrete slabs, wooden beams or corrugated board, which are specially prepared. A primer is applied to it to reduce surface roughness and increase material adsorption.
- Screed. Screed from cement-sand mortar serves as a leveling layer, with the help of which the roof slope is performed, creating a slope in the places where the water intake funnels will be installed.
- Vapor barrier. This layer of roofing made of a diffuse membrane is a barrier for water vapors that penetrate from the heated room into the thickness of the roof, which makes the insulation damp. To give the membrane strength, it is reinforced with fiberglass.
- Thermal insulation. To protect a one-story house from cooling and heat loss through a flat roof, they are mounted on it thermal insulation material... For this, backfill insulation (expanded clay), glass wool, basalt fiber, slag wool or extruded polystyrene foam are used.
- Waterproofing. Waterproofing of modern flat roofs is performed using polymer rolls or bulk materials. Roll coatings laid in several layers to prevent leaks in the connecting seams. Bulk materials (liquid roofing material, liquid rubber) allow waterproofing roofs with complex configurations; they do not require preheating during installation.
Important! The quality of installation of a flat roof of a one-story house depends on weather conditions... Experienced roofers and manufacturers recommend installing the flooring in dry, warm weather when temperatures exceed 5 degrees. When low temperatures bottom layer bituminous materials heats up longer, therefore it takes more time for installation, and gas consumption increases.
Types of flat roofs
Shed houses with a flat roof fit organically into the urban landscape and look no worse than a suburban residence. Abundant glazing, use in decoration natural materials make the structure light, full of light and spacious, despite its small size. Depending on the nature of use and financial developers, projects are used the following types flat roofs:
Important! A flat roof on the perimeter is fenced with a parapet, a protective barrier that keeps snow masses and rainwater from spontaneous discharge. On operated roofs, the parapet acts as a fence that prevents people from falling, so it must have a height of at least 1.2 m.
Video instruction
Flat roofs in our time are undeservedly forgotten and not spoiled by the attention of developers. In private housing construction, they are found mainly in the southern regions, where heavy rains and snowfalls are rare. Hip roofs, by contrast, have become firmly established in the designs and minds of homeowners.
This state of affairs can be easily explained: until recently, the builders did not have reliable and durable waterproofing.
Standard roofing felt - cardboard impregnated with bitumen, cannot resist moisture and temperature extremes for a long time. Even a thick 4-layer coating of it has to be changed after 6-8 years.
Today, interest in flat roofs is starting to grow.
There are several reasons for this:
- Economic benefit. The cost of the arrangement is lower than that of the tent (more simple construction and smaller area);
- Additional usable area. There is a possibility of its rational use (flower garden, playground, recreation area, pool);
- Availability in service and operation (cleaning of gutters, installation of air conditioners, antennas, inspection of the coating, ventilation and smoke channels);
- The snow layer acts as an additional thermal insulation, reducing heating costs.
- Original appearance building.
Types of flat roofs
Strictly speaking, you will not see an absolutely flat roof on a building. Any of them has minimum slope from 1 to 4%, required for the flow of atmospheric precipitation.
There are four types of flat roofs:
- unexploited;
- operated;
- green (lawn);
- combined.
Non-operational roofs are found on industrial buildings.
The exploited roofs have found application in public and private construction. They are used to equip recreation areas, place cafes and restaurants, and use them for parking lots and helipads.
Green (lawn) coatings are made to decorate buildings, as well as when there is a lack of space on the site. In addition to the aesthetic function, they perform an important practical task. The turf layer is an excellent heat and sound insulator.
Combined flat roofs are the most common option. Comfortable rest on fresh air surrounded by green grass and flowering plants everyone likes it.
By the way of drainage, houses with a flat roof are divided into two types:
- With internal drain;
- With external water discharge (along the perimeter of the roof).
An internal drainage system is cheaper than an external one, since it does not require a large number of gutters, pipes, funnels and high-altitude work to install them. It is more difficult to perform. Errors when creating a slope, poor-quality sealing of joints lead to leaks and a violation of the integrity of the protective layer of waterproofing.
In operation, flat coatings with internal drainage are more profitable. In winter, icicles do not grow on the overhangs near such a roof. The downpipes run inside the building and therefore do not freeze. It is easier and easier to clean debris from funnels than hanging gutters.
Features of the device
According to the method of arrangement and the location of structural layers, experts distinguish two types of flat roofs:
- Classic;
- Inversion.
The classic roofing "pie" is equipped with the following technology:
- on reinforced concrete floor slabs, a slope is made from a cement-sand mortar;
- lay a vapor barrier and insulation;
- laying a waterproofing membrane or roofing felt carpet;
- if the coating will be used, then the waterproofing is protected with ceramic tiles.
Constructive of a classic flat roof
The main disadvantage of the traditional design is the vulnerability of the outer insulating layer from solar ultraviolet radiation and temperature extremes.
Working to solve this problem, engineers came up with the idea of \u200b\u200binversion coverage. In it, the main structural elements (insulation and waterproof membrane) are reversed. The waterproofing is hidden under the foam, which is protected from external influences by a gravel ballast or tile finish.
Inversion cover design
The technology of work is changing accordingly. A waterproof carpet made of roofing felt or an EPDM membrane is glued to the plate or spread on it, fixing it at the points of abutment to the parapet.
In this case, the slope is created in one of two ways:
- Mortar screed on the slab;
- Insulation, changing the thickness of its styling.
Installation of thermal insulation on a flat roof
Inlet funnels and pipes are installed at the lowest points of the slope. In addition to them, ventilation is installed to remove water vapor that accumulates in the contact zone of the vapor barrier with the insulation.
When arranging a coating designed for planting plants, the construct is supplemented with a top layer of waterproofing. Drainage layers of gravel are poured over it, geotextiles are laid and a fertile layer of earth is poured.
Besides roofinglaid on reinforced concrete slabs, projects of houses with flat roofs on wooden beams have been developed.
Construction technology in this case may include the following operations:
- Beams are mounted on the walls with a pitch of 50-100 cm, fixing them to the masonry with anchor pins. The cross-section of the beams depends on the span width, the design load and can be from 10x20 cm to 15x25 cm;
- Lay on the beams oSB boards, tightly joining them together;
- Spread the waterproofing membrane in 2 layers, gluing the joints of the canvases with high quality.
- They make thermal insulation from durable (extruded) foam, gluing it to the membrane. The slope for water drainage is created by laying insulation in layers of different thicknesses;
- From above, the heat insulator is protected with a cement screed, reinforced mesh or tiled.
Examples of private houses
Among the developers there are many supporters of flat roofs. They are attracted by the simplicity of construction, low cost of work and the possibility of placing a site for summer holidays.
A thick layer of snow on a flat roof is not a problem, but additional insulation
The design of buildings with such a roof fits perfectly into the minimalist style, providing project developers with a wide field for creativity.
Spacious, comfortable and nothing superfluous is the motto of everyone who chooses a house with such a roof. Pitched roof visually makes the building heavier, while flat, on the contrary, makes it light and airy.
The appearance of the facade of a one-story house with a flat roof compares favorably with the rather boring variations of the "terem" character.
On it, most often you will not see gutters and pipes, water from which gets on the walls and spoils the appearance of the finish. Internal drainage is efficient, practical and discreet.
»Was perceived extremely negatively - the legacy of Soviet construction affected, when, due to the violation of technology, poor quality of materials and the performance of work, flat roofs of high-rise buildings began to leak in a couple of years.
Therefore, in private housing construction, preference was given to pitched or hipped roofs. The situation changed with the advent of modern technologies and roofing materials, which made it possible to provide durable and reliable waterproofing of the roof of a house with a flat roof.
Flat roofs: advantages and disadvantages
The main reason for the growing popularity of flat roofing was the popularity of modern design trends - the project hi-tech houses with a flat roof allows you to match the exterior and interior of the building with the style features. Another flat roof is often used in modern and minimalism.
However, in addition to its spectacular appearance and visual appeal, it has a number of other advantages:
- speed of roof construction - arranging a flat roof takes less time than a pitched (hipped) roof, including due to the convenience of working on a horizontal surface
- accessibility of service - there is no need to install ladders or attract climbers, all work (cleaning gutters, monitoring ventilation ducts, cleaning leaves, etc.) can be done independently
- obtaining additional space due to the arrangement of the operated roof
- the flat roof is ideal for installation and further operation / maintenance of various technological equipment – solar panels, wind generators, heaters, air conditioners, antennas, water collection systems.
Quite a controversial issue - the cost of installing a flat roof. On the one hand, the area of \u200b\u200bsuch a roof is much less than that of a pitched one, which means that less roofing materials will be required. And the roofing materials themselves, used to build a flat roof, are cheaper.
But on the other hand, using reinforced concrete floors (in most cases, especially when creating an exploited roof) creates a significant load that requires strengthening the foundation and load-bearing walls, especially if these are projects two-story houses with a flat roof. That, while saving money on the roof, leads to an overall increase in construction estimates.
The question of snow accumulating on a flat roof during the winter remains controversial. Some experts are inclined to consider this moment positive - the snow acts as an additional layer of heat insulator, thereby reducing heat loss. Others argue that snow increases the load on the load-bearing elements (and, therefore, this should be provided for in the project), and its subsequent melting can provoke a leakage and leakage of the roof.
Flat roof types
Projects of houses and cottages with a flat roof may have different kinds roofs:
- operated - provides for the regular presence of people on the roof or the installation of heavy objects. Such a roof requires a rigid foundation (most often reinforced concrete), and thermal insulation material must withstand severe static and dynamic loads, be compressive strength
- unexploited - does not provide for a large load, therefore a rigid (concrete) base can be replaced wooden logs with crate. To service such roofs, special ladders or bridges are used to reduce pressure and evenly distribute it over the entire roof area
- inversion - the layer of insulation is located above the waterproofing layer, thereby providing it additional protection from temperature extremes, ultraviolet radiation and mechanical influences, the number of freeze / thaw cycles increases. Together, this leads to a significant increase in the life of the roof. Most often, inversion roofs are used as operated - you can put furniture on such a roof, walk or break flower beds.
Operated roof: every square centimeter is in action
The constantly growing cost of modern housing forces the most efficient use of the entire available area, and projects of houses with a flat exploited roof will help in this. In fact, if we consider projects one-story houses with a flat roof, the owners have an additional "seasonal" floor at their disposal, which makes it possible, for example, to refuse verandas, thereby freeing up additional space on the site.
Ornamental flat roof garden
How quickly time flies! It's been 4 years since I built an unusual vacation home... Many non-standard technical solutions were used in the house, which were practically never used in individual construction in Russia. Firstly, the house is heated with help, and secondly, the house has a flat roof.
Even from the very beginning of construction in 2012, I was constantly told that a flat roof is not for our climate (but for which one?), That it will leak (why?), And in general, with such a roof, the house looks like a transformer box (poor Europeans, they have to live in transformer boxes).
But most often they tried to prove to me that it is necessary to constantly remove snow from a flat roof (I wonder why?). Of course, if anyone wants, you can clean, no one forbids. But on houses with a flat roof there is no need to remove snow. For example, now I have over 80 centimeters of snow on my roof! And somewhere under the snow she hid.
2. Snow on the roof is an additional and completely free insulation.
By the way, as it turned out, many do not know that a flat roof is not a plane in the direct sense, but a surface with a slope of about 2-4 degrees (in fact, the roof is considered flat if its angle of inclination is from 2 to 20 degrees). And any flat roof must have a drain. It is more correct to make an internal drain for a flat roof, but you can do with a classic external one. At the time of the start of construction, I did not have sufficient knowledge to design and implement an internal gutter, so I made an external one. The advantage of an internal drain is the absence of pipes on the facade.
3. Summer 2013, just done. A flat roof is significantly cheaper than any pitched roof (at least because its area is on average 1.5 times less than that of a pitched roof). With it, there is no loss of space and such a useless place in the house as the attic. It is easier and easier to insulate it - everything is in the same plane.
Let me remind you the construction of my roof pie (bottom to top):
1. Precast-monolithic floor with filling aerated concrete blocks - 250 mm;
2. Insulation with extruded polystyrene foam - 150 mm;
3. Insulation and creating a slope using wedge-shaped plates of extruded polystyrene foam - 0-150 mm;
4. Cement strainer - 50 mm;
5. Two-layer weld-on waterproofing ( upper layer with sprinkles).
4. Another huge plus of a flat roof is that it is not afraid of a hurricane. Watch hurricane chronicles and how easy it rips off and breaks rafter system on classic pitched roofs.
5. In the summer of 2016, I finished all the other landscaping work and decided to do it.
6. By the way, if anyone does not know, then any concrete floor by default has a bearing capacity of at least 400 kg per square meter (usually 600-800 kg / m2). While the snow load for the Moscow region is only 180 kg per square meter. This is the maximum design snow load, which in reality is rarely achieved, but it is obvious that any floor has a huge margin of bearing capacity.
7. Another important advantage of a flat roof is that it has completely sealed joints. While the seams on the pitched roof are not tight, even if the pitched roof is covered with snow and it starts to melt from below (due to insufficient insulation), the pitched roof will leak (especially at the junction of two slopes - valleys). Look at the neighboring houses with pitched roofs - surprisingly, there is snow on them too!
Why isn't a flat roof made by technology leaking? Everything is very simple. Because it is insulated!
It is the insulation that determines the durability of the roof. It is known that the roof accounts for an average of 40% of the heat loss of the entire building. If the roof is not insulated, or it is not insulated well enough, then the heat will rise up, and the snow lying on the upper roof carpet will melt. With the onset of frost, the melted snow will freeze again, and when freezing, as you know, water expands in volume. These multiple thaw-freeze cycles will eventually rupture the waterproofing (after 2-3 years) and the flat roof will start to leak.
8. In the last century, when building houses, they did not think about energy efficiency and saving energy resources, therefore, roof insulation was usually not done. This led to the fact that the waterproofing of the roof was constantly destroyed and the roof was leaking.
If the roof is properly insulated, then it has only one "enemy" - the sun and its ultraviolet radiation. But to protect against this, waterproofing is used with a package, or with special additives (if used). And the most effective method protect waterproofing from damaging ultraviolet radiation - make a lawn on the roof, fill in pebbles or lay tiles. By the way, a more promising waterproofing today is a polymer membrane.
A flat roof is even easier to operate than a pitched roof. From a flat roof, snow will never fall on your head or tear gutters. There is no need to clean the snow, and if there is a lawn, there is no need to keep the gutters clean (all water is filtered through geotextiles and they will not get clogged with fallen leaves).
Therefore, a flat roof is the most reasonable roof option, especially for a house from. The main thing is not to violate the technology and not to save on insulation.
And cleaning snow from a flat roof is not only useless, but also harmful - you can accidentally break the waterproofing with the sharp edge of a shovel and the roof will begin to leak.
With all reports on construction country house do it yourself in chronological order can be found.
Buildings with a flat roof look original and are practical, especially in the cold season. All the pros and cons this option... One-story, two-story, wooden houses in high-tech style and minimalism. We will consider everything in more detail later in the article.
Pros and cons
The main advantages of this design are the following factors:
- profitability - a triangular roof is much larger in area, more materials are required for its construction;
- time - it takes less time to erect a flat roof, which is very valuable when building houses, especially if they are built from scratch;
- safety for builders - it is difficult to fall from a flat surface, they will not have to provide themselves with insurance, build protective structures that require time and money;
- ease of use - if you find a hole or you need a routine inspection, repair, it will be easy for you to climb in for inspection;
- practicality - many exploit a flat surface in full, make a flower greenhouse, a greenhouse out of it, use it to install equipment.
Designers refer to such designs as minimalism, which are still in vogue, so your habitat will be in trend.
Among the cons are:
- the impossibility of rolling snow in winter;
- requires the creation of special drains, their regular cleaning;
- to prevent stagnant water, you will have to install moisture control systems.
Those who were not afraid of the flaws in the design tried to install it for themselves and were not disappointed. Any building requires care, maintenance, so the need to remove water and snow is not terrible.
How to make a flat roof of a square house?
When planning the construction of a structure on a square building, you need to immediately decide what kind it will be. The complexity of the work done will depend on this. Choose one of the options:
- not exploited;
- exploited.
It is easier to make a flat unused flat roof, if you want to reduce costs, it is better to choose this option. To do this, you need to install beams on the walls. frame houseso that the distance between them is from 50 cm to 1 m. Construction studs are used to fix them.
After fixing the beams, a sheathing of boards is made. Usually, those are used whose width is at least 3 cm. They must be laid tightly so that holes do not form, a marriage at the beginning of work will make the entire structure fragile.
A waterproofing membrane is installed on the finished crate, fixing the material with either construction tape or glue. Then thermal insulation and waterproofing are formed. This is a short description of the technology for making a flat roof for a square structure.
The main difference in the construction of a non-exploited roof from an exploited one is that in the first, the waterproofing is located above the thermal insulation, and in the second, vice versa.
Projects
After determining what the structure will be, whether it is unexploited, a plan or project is drawn up. The main goal of this stage is to calculate the loads that will be applied to the building. Based on this, you can calculate the amount of materials required.
If you are inexperienced in roofing, it is best not to do the project yourself. This task should fall on the shoulders of professionals who are able to take into account all the nuances. Many construction companies offer developed programs that allow you to choose a project for your finished house or completely new, when building from scratch.
The given diagram of how a flat roof is made, when implemented, is difficult for a person who does not have skills, therefore it is recommended to contact one of the available companies. Their work on the creation of the project will consist of:
- drawing up a sketch of the entire building;
- calculation load-bearing structures - experts calculate the number of beams, the distance between them, and other special structures of the lathing;
- creating a schematic plan.
The final schematic is an important part of the design. When creating it, all the nuances are taken into account, additional elements roofs. Consider the location and quality of these parts:
- junction nodes;
- cornice (to protect walls from flowing water);
- funnels for collecting water;
- aerators - for removing water vapor;
- lightning outlet;
- drainage system.
One-story
This option is suitable for a small family. The one-story building looks compact, it does not extra rooms, most of them are minimalist. A flat roof that also matches this style would be fine.
A triangular roof gives a one-story volume, visually increases it, which often looks ridiculous. Flat - on the contrary, emphasizes the neatness of the building. Among the large number of projects of one-story buildings that many firms offer, summer cottages are also in demand.
If a country cottage area small, you have to save space without cluttering it with unnecessary building elements. Many people decide to use an option with an exploited roof for a summer residence, placing a terrace, flowers, even a greenhouse on it. Due to the small size of a one-story house, the roof can be strengthened to the extent that furniture can be easily installed on it: tables, chairs, sofas, wardrobes.
Advice
If you want to install a pool on a one-story building, you need to negotiate this in advance, when starting the design. In such cases, a particularly powerful reinforcement is required, a special waterproofing system.
Double decker
Such options are suitable for large families, so that everyone is comfortable, it is important for him to have his own space. Building a two-story is better than a long one-story. This saves materials, money, costs.
As a rule, in a large family there are big needs, everyone needs their own conditions for comfort. Someone wants to enjoy relaxing in the pool, someone wants to plant their favorite plants, and someone wants to have breakfast and dinner, enjoying the sunset. A two-storey building with a flat roof will give an opportunity to implement any ideas.
If the weight allows, the foundation and the structure of the walls are strong, you can organize an entire beach on the roof. To make it comfortable in the heat, awnings are made around the pool, which create shade. Plants can also be used for this purpose, many prefer decorative ones.
Another popular option for operating the large roof of a two-story structure is the arrangement of a sports ground. Not every sport is suitable for doing at altitude, but for most it is possible. Many people install a tennis court, but it needs a sufficient area, otherwise you will have to run far behind the ball.
Rooftop simulators are in great demand. Treadmills, orbit tracks, other fitness equipment that are in the open air is a good opportunity to play sports on open air... However, given that they are powered by electricity, a cover must be installed to protect them in the rain.
If you plan to use the roof for outdoor activities, you need to take care of safety by installing bumpers.
High tech
The high-tech style has been relevant for several years now. Its connoisseurs prefer to adhere to the desired design, not only when decorating the rooms inside, but exterior decoration building. The main features of the style are smooth surfaces, textured finish.
High-tech elements are not suitable for creating a cozy, homely, modest environment, if you prefer old-fashioned options for decorating houses, it is better to refuse this. Initially, the style was used only for offices, belonged to the official. Decades after its invention, it began to be used for residential premises, and at once there were many lovers of such rigor, minimalism.
Hi-tech is focused on demonstrating existing equipment, so modern simulators and other equipment on the roof will look appropriate. This is not a modesty style, so it is more often used for large two-story houses... If it is used in the design of a one-story, it should look large.
Another high-tech feature is a lot of artificial lighting. Both small decorative lanterns and large main light sources can be installed on the roof. To follow the style rules exactly, the luminaires must have a characteristic geometric shape.
The walls and the roof are usually monochromatic, but the colors should be bright and harmoniously combined with each other. Suitable shades are beige, light gray, metallic. Suitable for harmony with them dark colors... If walls are made in them, then the roof should be dark blue, gray, burgundy, emerald, and other bright colors.
It will be interesting to you: