Unless the asking price already reflects the state of repair of the flat roof. If the flat roof is in need of repair or needs to be replaced, you should ask the vendor of the property to reduce the asking price accordingly. The surveyor should be able to assess the condition of the covering and estimate remaining life of the flat roof. You might be better to arrange a mortgage using a mortgage broker who will match the property with the right lender.Ī full building survey by a suitably qualified surveyor will determine the overall condition of the flat roof. The lender may also require a flat roof survey before lending to confirm the flat roof is in good repair. If the house has a 100% flat roof not as many mortgage lenders will lend on this type of flat roof house, as some mortgage lenders don’t like 100% flat roofs. A flat roof is considered non-standard construction which may make the house more difficult to sell if it were to be repossessed in the future. You can get a mortgage on a house with a flat roof, but some lenders include terms that place limits on the total area of the house that can be flat. You may like to read this story about a house with a flat roof which flooded after the snow thawed.Ĭan you get a mortgage on a house with a flat roof? This can cause a flood of water into the property. A thick layer of snow is heavy and may cause unnecessary stress to the flat roof structure.īut the other problem comes when the snow thaws. If you live in an area prone to snow this can collect on top of a flat roof. If there’s not enough flat roof angle this will cause water pooling and will eventually lead to roof leaks. There should be a slight angle or fall for rain water to run-off to the guttering and drainage. Incorrect roof angleįlat roofs shouldn’t be completely flat. Blistering on a flat roof is a sure sign the flat roof needs replacing. Over time the sun can cause the asphalt to blister. Any vegetation on a flat roof needs to be removed, otherwise the roots of the plants could damage the flat roof membrane and cause leaks. Growing vegetation and weedsįlat roofs are notorious for the growth of vegetation like weeds and mosses. This will lead to water leaks and will need to be repaired or the whole flat roof replaced. Over time the flashing around the edges of the flat roof can crack or pull away from the roof itself. If you see this type of cracking on a flat roof it’s time for it to be replaced. The alligatoring is caused by the loss of flexibility to the material and in time the asphalt will split and leak to the room below. Alligatoring or CrocodilingĬrocodile cracking or alligatored asphalt is used to describe the pattern formed in old asphalt. Water is heavy and over time if these dips are not repaired this could lead to leaks and water penetration. When it rains or when snow melts these dips cause a pooling effect of water. This settling can create dips in the flat roof surface. Pooling of waterĪ common problem with flat roofs is that over time the roof settles. I obtained planning permission to build a pitched roof over the flat roof section of the house. This happened to be planks of wood and bin bags to limit the water flow. In the pouring rain I had to get on the roof to patch the hole up. A large hole had opened up in the flat roof above the entrance hall. There was water cascading down the stairs. Soon after I purchased the house with a flat roof I recall getting home to find I had a new waterfall inside the house. Let me share a funny experience of a house I purchased with a flat roof. Water leaks can be prevented by installing a new modern flat roof system (see below), rather than the old style asphalt or felt roofs. This is down through the roof and into the room below. When water collects on the flat surface it can only go one way. The reason flat roofs develop leaks is because they are flat. The top flat roofs problems include: Flat roofs leakįlat roofs are notorious for leaking, which is why they have such a bad reputation. If you are considering to buy a house with a flat roof you should think about the problems houses with flat roofs have. 10.1 Related Posts: Houses with flat roofs problems
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