Leaking flat roofs: Dispelling the myth

When it comes to choosing a roof for their property, many people overlook the option of installing a flat roof as they have misguided concerns about the potential for it to leak. Whilst in the past this was more common, advances in technology and materials mean modern day flat roofing materials are now longer lasting and water resistant. Older tar and gravel based flat roofs had a tendency to sag causing water puddles to gather, inevitably leading a leak. To overcome this current roofing systems are constructed from a rubber type material that, when installed to a professional standard, will minimise the chances of this happening. There is however some factors that could cause a flat roof to leak and these should be considered when choosing your roofing system, roofing contractor and maintenance plan: Design: Despite its name, a flat roof should in fact be laid with a slight incline to help with the drainage of rain water. Insufficient incline will cause water to settle in puddles, potentially leading to a leak. Poor installation: It is vital when having flat roofing installed that you choose an accredited roofing contractor to carry out the work. Chances are a poor quality installation will lead to the installation of a shoddy, or entirely inappropriate system, as well as costing you additional time and money to put right when a problem inevitably arises, Maintenance: Like most things in life, problems are likely to arise if your roof is not correctly maintained. Regularly maintenance throughout the year can not only ensure that your roof is kept in a high state of repair, but will mean any damage can be detected and rectified before the problem develops into something more serious. We are not saying you will never suffer a problem with a flat roof, but by choosing an appropriate roofing system for your roof, choosing a professional roofing contractor to carry out the work and ensuring the roof is well maintained, any problems should be kept to a minimum.