Low Sloped Vs Flat Roofs

The standard way to measure a roof s pitch is by its fall over 12 inches.

Low sloped vs flat roofs.

Many homeowners are increasingly drawn to flat roofs because they are considered one of the most energy efficient options according to energy star. If a sloped roof faces east for instance solar absorption is reduced when the sun moves south and west. The minimum slope for a flat roof is 1 4 per foot or 1 4 12 but some owners or insurance companies require a minimum slope of 1 2 per foot. Many flat roofs are actually low sloped roofs in order to provide drainage.

Low slope roofs are generally pitches of 3 and 12 or less. Technically we are talking about low slope roofs that have a slope less than or equal to 3 12. Many flat roofs are sloped to drain water and become low slope roofs. Additionally consumers may save some cost on the initial roof installation because the surface area of a flat roof is less than that of a sloped roof.

The insulation used in low slope roof assemblies typically falls into one of the four categories. The angle of solar panels on sloped roofs lessens the absorption of the sun s rays in comparison to those placed on a flat roof. Even if you choose a roofing material more expensive than the shingles that steep roofs use the lower labor costs for low slope roofs offset the cost. How to measure a roof slope.

Low slope steep slope terms describe roof slope the slant of a roof. Pitched roofs come in a variety of styles such as gable cross gable and hipped all of which are sloped to different degrees. Flat roofs have no slope and are available in built up single ply. If a roof rises one inch over 12 inches it s called a 1 in 12 and it would be a low slope.

The way we measure the slope is to measure the roof s rise over 12 inches. A roof that falls one inch over 12 inches is called a 1 and 12 and would be considered low slope. You can read our article about calculating slope for information on the various roof slope notations. Pitched roofs are engineered the same way thus the chance of a failure of a flat or low slope roof is equal to that of a pitched roof and both are extremely low.

Rigid board insulation rigid board insulation is the most common type of insulation used in low slope commercial roofing. Dual purpose structural deck and insulating planks. Or sprayed polyurethane foam spf. It is made from.

Flat commercial roofs offer greater convenience in placing solar panels on its surface than sloped roofs. A low slope roof is one that has a slope of less than 3 in 12. I used flat roof in the title because i felt this was common usage. A low slope or flat roof requires less material to build lowering the overall installation cost says ram buildings.