If you’re planning on adding an outbuilding to your property, perhaps in the back garden or to the side of the property, you will most likely be thinking about how it should look and what it should be made from. Many outbuildings like garages, sheds and workshops have flat roofs in the UK. This is generally because flat roofing is cheaper. The materials used to construct a flat roof are actually rather cost-efficient whilst there are many different options to choose between in this day and age.

Felt used to be the ‘top dog’ of flat roofs but compared to other solutions they don’t exactly stand the test of time. For a flat roof that requires a little less maintenance, why not consider fibreglass or single ply. You can even choose a liquid coating. These work as a liquid rubber and the main advantages are that they‘re durable, easy to install and good looking.

So as you can probably already tell, there are plenty of flat roofing options to choose between but the method that’s right for you will of course depend on the building and how you want it to look, whilst a survey can be beneficial to help you get a clearer idea. If you’re still in the planning stages of building an outbuilding, then you do have plenty of time on your hands to make up your mind, but here are just a few reasons why flat roofs can be better than pitched roofs:

Cheaper

As we’ve already discussed, a flat roof is generally a lot cheaper than a pitched roof but they’re particularly good for small structures, such as extensions, dormer, porches and garages. The cost of adding a pitched roof on this type of building can be much higher than a flat roof, but of course, depending on the size of your outbuilding, pitched may be the better option. That’s why we’re basing this article on outbuildings that are similar in size like sheds and garages.

Ergonomic

It’s no secret that flat roofing is economic and efficient, which will then save you more energy and money in the future. The flat roof construction may take just a day or two so there is considerably less labour involved too.

Functionality

There’s actually no such thing as a flat roof. If the roof was in fact dead flat, the water would not be able to drain away, so all flat roofs are in fact sloped, they just look rather flat because it’s such a small angle. So, to enable rainwater to drain from the roof, a flat roof is slightly pitched by just a couple of degrees, whilst a horizontal base fixed to the building’s ceiling joists and is then covered with a waterproof membrane. It’s that simple but it functions perfectly.

If you’re considering building an outbuilding or are perhaps in the early planning stages, make sure you consider choosing a flat roof, it may just save you a considerable amount of time, money and energy, whilst your outbuilding will look fantastic too.