Flat Roof Frame Construction

The framing of a basic gable roof is based on a right angle triangle and the various roof framing components fit the triangle.

Flat roof frame construction.

The run or half the building span is the base of the triangle. Gable a gable roof has a ridge at the center and slopes in two directions. And the line length measurement from the roof peak to the building wall is the hypotenuse. Think of a flattened hip roof.

A flat roof usually consists of the following. A roof is considered to be flat when it is of a slope of 1 5 o to the horizontal. Waterproof membrane to prevent water penetrating the structure and interior of the. A flat roof has a slope of 1 8 per foot to 2 12.

Sizes of joists needed for flat roof construction. Framing a roof is the last step in framing new construction. Flat roof construction for residential. Types of roofs the most commonly used types of pitched roof construction are the gable the hip the intersecting and the shed or lean to.

So any timber joists that are used need to be strong enough to support this weight. While most home builders will outsource the construction of roofing trusses the rafter supports of the roof itself learning to frame a roof yourself is one of the true arts of carpentry and a basic primer is covered below. Old asbestos roofs are often replaced with flat roofs. Although flat roofs are cheaper to build than pitched roofs they have a shorter life span.

Frame the roof photo by russell kaye the most important thing to know about a flat roof says tom is that it s not flat to prevent water from pooling and eventually invading the home flat roofs are always built on a slight incline at least 1 8 inch per foot. One important and perhaps not so obvious fact is that a flat roof is not. If you build a flat roof try to have it slope in multiple directions to drains or gutters. As you may imagine there is a fair amount of weight involved here in terms of boards felt etc.

An example of each is shown in figure 2 1. Below is an easy to follow manual for building flat roofs including a guide to flat roof framing and installation with plenty of details and specifications about the frame. The rise or height of the roof at its peak is the altitude of the triangle. Common types of roofs and basic framing terms.