Beautiful designs of one-story houses with a flat roof. Houses with a flat roof, their types and features of arrangement 3-storey cottage with a usable roof

A flat roof gives the building an original appearance and is practical to use. Options for such roofs differ in installation features and therefore design is a preliminary stage of construction.

Flat roofing options

There are several options for flat roofs, differing in design and operation, construction technology and other parameters. The main characteristic of any option is the smaller roof surface area, which leads to lower construction costs than for pitched structures. At the same time, flat roofs are not exposed to strong winds and require less thermal insulation.

Proper arrangement of a flat roof makes it practical and beautiful

Flat roofs are divided into the following types:

• surfaces of the type in use have a rigid base in the form of corrugated sheeting or concrete screed and are used for arranging cafes, recreation areas and other purposes. The structure consists of a reinforced concrete slab on which a concrete screed is mounted, followed by steam, heat and waterproofing. The finishing coating, for example, paving slabs, is used after complete installation of the roof and is necessary for comfortable use of the surface;

  The roof in use requires increased rigidity

• an unused flat roof does not require a particularly rigid base, since it is not used for people to be on the roof. At the same time, it is important to provide thorough waterproofing and select high-quality insulation;

  The construction of an unused roof is simpler than other options

• The traditional version of a flat roof involves laying a vapor barrier film on the base, and then installing a layer of insulation. This allows you to protect the heat insulator from diffuse moisture. Waterproofing is carried out with bitumen-based materials;

  Installation of a traditional roof requires precise placement of layers

• An inversion type roof differs from a traditional one in that the insulation is placed above the waterproofing, and not under it. This allows you to protect the waterproofing film from climatic influences, but it is important to use insulation that is resistant to moisture and mechanical stress.

  The structure of the inversion roof is simple, but durable

Design of one- and two-story houses with a flat roof

The construction of residential buildings with a flat roof is characterized by a low investment of time and money, which is due to the absence of the need to arrange slopes. At the same time, it is important to ensure high performance characteristics of the future roof, for which it is necessary to determine the type of roof, number of floors of the building, drainage design and other factors. All these features are taken into account during the design process, but one of the main considerations is the design of the building with a flat roof. For example, a one-story house with such a roof is a practical and universal solution for regions with different climates.

Practical materials are used for exterior decoration

The project of a one-story building involves the development of architectural and structural parts of the building, wiring of communication systems, technical data and calculations of all parameters of the structure. A detailed plan is necessarily included in the design process.

The layout of a house with a flat roof can be different

The construction of a two-story house with a flat roof is more complex than the construction of a one-story building. At the same time, the load on the load-bearing elements of the structure is calculated, the layout of the second floor is determined, taking into account the maximum functionality of the space.

Designing a two-story house requires the selection of lightweight building materials

The drawings of a two-story building indicate the layout of each level with the dimensions of the premises. When designing, the material from which the walls are constructed, the type of foundation and other technical data are taken into account.

The main rooms are often located on the ground floor

The layout of the second floor can include both residential and additional premises. A bathroom can also be equipped on the second level. The staircase is also marked on the plan.

The flat roof effectively protects the building from precipitation

Projects of buildings with an exploitable roof

The construction of houses with an exploitable roof requires the presence of a rigid foundation for the construction of the roof. This is necessary for arranging a recreation area or other functional area at the top. Its purpose should be determined in advance to determine the planned load on the roof base. One of the universal solutions is concrete floor slabs. They have high strength, but their installation requires an accurate calculation of the load on the foundation and walls of the building.

The flat roof often serves as a seating area

Houses made of SIP panels with a flat roof

SIP panels are elements that are mounted on a prepared building frame. The slabs are made of practical materials, and when building a house it is possible to construct a flat roof. In this case, the load on the walls must be calculated, because SIP panels have a low level of strength. Therefore, the design of one-story houses from such panels is most in demand.

The panels are easy to install, but an accurate calculation of all structural parameters is required

External wall decoration can be done with various materials that can protect the panels from climatic influences. The drawing indicates the parameters of all rooms. It is especially important to follow the panel installation technology, because the durability of the building depends on it.

A flat roof made of lightweight materials will protect a residential building well

House with a flat roof in high-tech style

High-tech style is characterized by straight lines, plain surfaces, and ultra-modern details. This style is often used in the design of residential buildings, and a flat roof perfectly complements the appearance of the house. At the same time, unnecessary details are excluded, and the design of the residential building is as practical as possible and has a modern style.

The flat roof serves as a harmonious complement to the high-tech style

An unused roof is suitable for a building in this style, but it is also possible to organize the necessary zones on the roof. The interior furnishings can correspond to the chosen design direction.

It’s worth creating an appropriate environment inside a high-tech house

What to build a house with a flat roof from

A flat roof of any type places a particular load on the walls and load-bearing elements of the building. Therefore, it is important when designing to determine the materials that are optimally suited for the selected type of flat roof. Of particular importance are the technical characteristics of steam, hydro and heat insulating materials.

Flat roofs are suitable in any climatic conditions

Residential house made of timber

When building a house from timber, the high quality of the building material is taken into account. A flat roof of this design must reliably protect not only the interior of the building, but also the walls. Designing a house made of timber involves the following main points:

• waterproofing is made of membrane materials that do not require the use of gas burners during installation;
• material for wall construction must be treated with fire-resistant impregnations;
• drainage system, storm drains are always present in the design of the house;
• Reinforced concrete slabs are not used for wooden structures.

The roof may have a slightly sloped shape to improve rainfall drainage

Aerated concrete building

The construction of a residential building made of aerated concrete with a flat roof involves taking into account important features that the project must comply with. The main requirement is that the roof slope must have a slope of 2–4°. Depending on the type of insulating materials and the number of their layers, the exact slope indicator is determined. The following features of the construction of houses made of aerated concrete with a flat roof are also relevant:

• the supporting frame of the roof is presented in the form of wooden beams;
• combined roofs are constructed without an attic;
• careful insulation and waterproofing are important to protect the roof frame;
• when designing a house made of aerated concrete, the region and climatic conditions are taken into account when determining the thickness of the walls;
• The design documentation must indicate the technical characteristics of all materials and the parameters of aerated concrete.

Roll waterproofing is optimal for houses made of aerated concrete

Foam block building

For buildings made of foam blocks, the choice of project is based on the same requirements as for buildings made of aerated concrete. With proper calculation, it is possible to use floors in the form of a reinforced concrete slab, but this requires calculation of the load-bearing capacity of the walls. Waterproofing is carried out using polymer mastics, and the thickness of the insulation layer depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. Plaster, facing tiles and other similar materials are suitable for exterior finishing. Design documentation must include technical characteristics of materials and parameters of the building’s structural elements.

A house made of foam blocks can be easily finished on the outside with any suitable materials

Video: design options for houses made of foam blocks

Flat roof garage design

The construction of a space such as a garage often involves a flat or slightly sloped roof. It is best if the surface has a slope of 2–4°, which improves sediment drainage. Reinforced concrete slabs are used as the base, which can easily be laid on brick or block walls.

A flat garage roof must have a high-quality waterproofing layer

If the garage structure is made of timber, then a flat roof can be easily made from corrugated sheets laid on wooden beams. Heated rooms require the use of insulation.

When choosing a garage project, you should consider the following points:

• area of ​​the garage;
• presence or absence of insulation;
• the presence or absence of internal partitions in the garage;
• convenient arrangement of the area around the garage.

Video: flat roof installation

Photo gallery: flat roof options

A complex flat roof may have an unusual design of exits. The roof in use is often a recreation area. Used roofs are practical in warm regions. Finishing the roof with paving slabs makes the surface protected from precipitation. Flat roofs are also optimal for two-story buildings. Complex structures require procedural design and accurate calculations. Multi-level structures are difficult to construct. , but practical to use

A flat roof is a simple structure that requires proper installation. Therefore, the design must take into account all the important points, construction rules and operating features of such a roof.

From the very beginning of construction in 2012, I was constantly told that a flat roof is not for our climate (what kind?), that it will definitely leak (why?), and in general, with such a roof, the house looks like a transformer booth (poor Europeans, they have to live in transformer booths).

But most often they tried to prove to me that snow needs to be constantly removed from a flat roof (I wonder why?). Of course, if anyone wants, you can clean it up, no one is stopping you. But on houses with a flat roof there is no need to remove snow. For example, now I have a snow cover more than 80 centimeters thick on my roof! And somewhere there she hid under the snow.

2. Snow on the roof is an additional and completely free insulation.

By the way, as it turns out, many people do not know that a flat roof is not a plane in the direct sense, but a surface with a slope of approximately 2-4 degrees (in fact, a roof is considered flat if its slope angle is from 2 to 20 degrees). And any flat roof must have a drain. It is more correct to make an internal drain for a flat roof, but you can get by with a classic external one. At the time of construction, I did not have sufficient knowledge to design and implement an internal drain, so I made an external one. The advantage of internal drainage is the absence of pipes on the facade.

3. Summer 2013, just made. A flat roof is significantly cheaper than any pitched roof (at least because its area is on average 1.5 times smaller than that of a pitched roof). With it there is no loss of space and such useless space in the house as the attic. It is simpler and easier to insulate - everything is in the same plane.

Let me remind you of the design of my roof pie (from bottom to top):
1. Prefabricated monolithic floor filled with aerated concrete blocks - 250 mm;
2. Insulation using extruded polystyrene foam - 150 mm;
3. Insulation and creation of a slope using wedge-shaped slabs of extruded polystyrene foam - 0-150 mm;
4. Cement screed - 50 mm;
5. Two-layer built-up waterproofing (top layer with sprinkling).

4. Another huge plus of a flat roof is that it is not afraid of hurricanes. Look at the chronicles of hurricanes and how easily the covering is torn off and the rafter system on classic pitched roofs is broken.

5. In the summer of 2016, I finished all the other work on landscaping the surrounding area and decided to do it.

6. By the way, if anyone doesn’t know, then any concrete floor by default has a load-bearing capacity of at least 400 kg per square meter (usually 600-800 kg/m2). While the snow load for the Moscow region is only 180 kg per square meter. This is the maximum calculated snow load, which in reality is rarely achieved, but it is obvious that any ceiling has a huge margin of load-bearing capacity.

7. Another important advantage of a flat roof is that it has completely sealed seams. While the seams on a pitched roof are not airtight, and if the pitched roof is filled with snow and it begins to melt from below (due to insufficient insulation), the pitched roof will leak (especially at the junction of two slopes - valleys). Look at the neighboring houses with pitched roofs - amazingly, there is snow on them too!

Why doesn’t a flat roof made using technology leak? It's very simple. Because it is insulated!

It is the insulation that determines the durability of the roof. It is known that the roof accounts for an average of 40% of the heat loss of the entire building. If the roof is not insulated, or is not insulated well enough, then the heat will rise, and the snow lying on the upper roofing carpet will melt. When frost occurs, the melted snow will freeze again, and when it freezes, as is known, water expands in volume. These multiple thaw-freeze cycles will eventually break down the waterproofing (after 2-3 years) and the flat roof will begin to leak.

8. In the last century, when building houses, they did not think about energy efficiency and saving energy resources, so they usually did not insulate the roof. This led to the fact that the roof waterproofing was constantly being destroyed and the roof was leaking.

If the roof is well insulated, then it has only one “enemy” left - the sun and its ultraviolet radiation. But to protect against this, waterproofing is used with a package, or with special additives (in the case of using). And the most effective way to protect waterproofing from damaging ultraviolet radiation is to make a lawn on the roof, fill it with pebbles or lay tiles. By the way, a more promising waterproofing solution today is a polymer membrane.

A flat roof is even easier to use than a pitched roof. From a flat roof, snow will never fall on your head or tear off your gutters. There is no need to clear the snow, and if you have a lawn, there is no need to keep the gutters clean (all water is filtered through geotextiles and they will not become clogged with fallen leaves).

Therefore, a flat roof is the most reasonable roofing option, especially for a house made of. The main thing is not to violate technology and not to skimp on insulation.

And cleaning snow from a flat roof is not only useless, but also harmful - you can accidentally tear the waterproofing with the sharp edge of a shovel and the roof will begin to leak.

All reports on the construction of a country house with your own hands can be found in chronological order.

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Most often, when designing private houses, pitched roofs are used, but cottages with a flat roof, as in the photo, are much less common. In recent years, after the advent of new technologies and modern materials for covering flat roofs, it is possible to create effective waterproofing, despite their unusual shape.

The presence of such a roof makes the appearance of a private house exclusive and original, since it stands out against the background of buildings with hipped or pitched roofs.

Projects of cottages with a flat roof have their own characteristics, and their construction is associated with some nuances, since the roofs on them can be:

Advantages and disadvantages of flat roofing

A flat roof provides the property owner with a number of advantages, including:

The disadvantages of the structural solution of flat roofs include:

• carrying out installation with strict adherence to the technology of their waterproofing and. The slightest violation of the rules as a result of negligence or negligence results in the roof leaking if precipitation accumulates on it. Extraordinary roofing repairs will cost a considerable amount, and sometimes it is necessary to carry out a complete reconstruction of the cottage roof;
• the presence of a large amount of snow on a flat surface in winter requires (if the roof is planned to be used) regular snow removal, which can only be done manually;
• During the melting of snow, a significant load is placed on the waterproofing layer

Features of flat roofs

When developing a project for a cottage with a flat roof, regardless of the number of floors in it, the following features must be taken into account:

Creating a flat lightweight roof

If they plan to build a cottage with a flat roof with a lightweight roof, they do not plan to use it.

The procedure for constructing such a structure is as follows:

As a result of the work performed, a flat roof is obtained, which is of the lightweight type. It performs the functions assigned to it completely, but it is not able to withstand even a slight load. If you want to create a small place for rest on a flat roof, you need to build the roof using a completely different technology.

Construction of a house with a flat roof, more details in the video:

Construction of an exploitable flat roof

When designing cottages with a flat roof and a hard surface, it is assumed that the created roof will not sag under the weight of the load (read: ""). There are several ways to construct a serviceable pavement.

One of the simplest options is to lay concrete slabs as a floor. For this purpose, the supporting structures must have a significant margin of safety; in addition, installation is carried out using special construction equipment. A roof made of concrete slabs must be insulated, but such work can only be done from inside the room.

Another method is the construction of a roofing floor based on metal support beams - T-bars or I-beams and channels. A boardwalk made of lumber with a minimum thickness of 22 millimeters is laid on top, and a layer of expanded clay of at least 150 millimeters is poured on top of it. The hard surface is provided by a concrete screed.

The most modern way of arranging a solid surface is the use of large-sized ceramic building blocks. They are laid on support beams, and they provide the roof, along with mechanical strength, with fairly good sound insulation and heat insulation characteristics. Among the advantages of such ceramic roofing blocks, one cannot fail to mention their excellent resistance to moisture. Before making a screed for such a roof, backfilling with expanded clay is not required. The disadvantages of ceramic blocks include their high cost.

Cottages are built with a flat roof of a solid type with the installation of roofing membranes (optional). They provide additional waterproofing and improve the performance of a flat roof.

The use of wood as the main building material already increases the volume of living space, but frame houses with an exploitable roof have gone even further. A full-fledged relaxation area right on the roof, a wonderful view of the garden, the opportunity to have the best sunbath on a hot summer day. This architectural solution has a lot of obvious and hidden advantages.

Advantages of projects with an exploitable roof

1. The price of one-story and two-story house designs with a usable roof will be lower than traditional options. Since the surface area itself will be smaller, material costs are reduced accordingly.
2. The construction process will be completed in the shortest possible time. In just a couple of months you will be able to start interior decoration.
3. When ordering a house project with a serviceable roof from the Dachny Season company, you will be able to agree on adjustments with our specialist. The final version will 100% meet your needs. Roof garden, table for relaxation, even barbecue area. For modern designers, nothing is impossible.
4. On a flat roof it is much easier to install an air conditioning system, satellite dish or solar panels.

The type and shape of the roof always depended on the region and the natural and climatic conditions that existed in it. In northern lands with a lot of rain in summer and snow in winter, different types of pitched roofs have historically been used. This has a completely rational justification - this way precipitation rolls down faster, and the roof is more likely not to leak.

In some places, a dome acted as an alternative to a pitched roof. As an example, we can name such a traditional type of residential building for some peoples as the yurt.

The dome, like a pitched roof, is quite effective in removing snow and water. In addition, it copes well with wind loads - which is a serious threat to the familiar sloping roof with large overhangs.

But the hot southern regions could afford to make a very slight slope for water drainage. For example, in ancient Greece, one-story houses with a flat roof with a slight slope, an open courtyard and a pool into which water flowed were common.

However, this is all about the past. Modern construction technologies make it possible to do things that were previously considered irrational and even impossible. And flat roofs gradually penetrated into all regions, increasingly displacing other options. Look at any major city. And recently, in private houses, flat roofing is gradually replacing the traditional pitched roof.

Advantages of a flat roof

This trend is explained by a number of significant advantages that this particular type of roofing has. Firstly, it is structurally simpler. That is, its construction requires less time and materials. It's easier to insulate it. This leads to a reduction in construction time and significant cost savings. It is not surprising that in a market economy this type of roofing has become most widespread.

And secondly, a flat roof is a potential opportunity to increase the usable area that you can use. After all, such a roof can be made usable - which is what we see in numerous projects of modern houses with a flat roof.

And this idea has long since begun to migrate from beautiful projects to reality. This is not an architectural utopia, but something that you can implement in your own two-story house with a flat roof if you wish.

Disadvantages of a flat roof of a house

Of course, the widespread introduction of this type of roofing also has a huge number of opponents who claim significant disadvantages of this solution.

For example, it is often said that flat roofs still leak too often.

And the absence of the usual overhangs for a pitched roof makes the facades of the building more vulnerable, which are not protected in any way from the destructive influence of moisture and, as a result, quickly lose their appearance.

They mention an even greater snow load, which leads to the need to manually clean the roofs. But let's look at each of these disadvantages in a little more detail.

Frequent leaks: who is to blame and what to do

Unfortunately, this is a reality - a huge number of modern apartment buildings with a flat roof regularly need repairs. And residents of their upper floors often suffer from water flowing along the walls and ceiling.

However, it is not the type of roofing itself that is to blame. Remember, other claims are often made against panel houses. Poor sound insulation, freezing walls in some places... The thing is that during the construction of most of the modern housing stock, they relied not on quality, but on speed and quantity. And it was right - the housing crisis was very acute, it had to be solved somehow.

But yes, as a result, residents of such houses now have problems. Including with a leaking roof. But not because this type of roof is, in principle, unable to withstand the destructive effects of moisture. But because its installation requires professionalism, a careful approach and high-quality materials.

However, there is another reason for leakage problems that are so common in prefabricated residential buildings. This is a failure to comply with what are called “operating rules.”

There are different types of flat roofing. For example, one on which you can walk, even plant grass there, organize recreation areas, parks, and swimming pools on it.

If you start studying fashionable designs of houses with a flat roof, you will often find all this there. But standard construction involves a different type of structure. One that you basically can’t walk on.

However, it is not always possible to fulfill this condition in practice. The roofs are cleared of snow, communications are installed on them - and so on. And all of these actions potentially lead to future leaks.

Thus, if you entrust the installation of a flat roof to professionals in your private home and comply with all operating conditions, the roof will not disappoint you.

The destructive influence of moisture: how to save facades

So, critics of flat roofs say that the lack of large overhangs characteristic of a traditional pitched roof leads to the rapid destruction of facades. And, in general, it’s hard to argue - water can even affect mountain slopes, let alone brickwork.

However, do overhangs really protect facades from moisture that well? Imagine slanting streams of rain falling onto the surface of a wall at an angle. The roof overhangs take on some of it, that's true.

But in fact, they really only cover a small strip of the facade from above. The larger the protruding part of the roof, the larger this space will be. But its size cannot be increased indefinitely.

Thus, to protect facades, you need not some special type of roofing, but modern construction technologies. For example, a frame house with a flat roof, lined with porcelain tiles or siding, will be extremely resistant to external influences.

Snow loads

This factor can be very significant in some regions. The snow layer has a large weight, which additionally loads the ceiling. And if it fails, the consequences will be very dire.

However, according to the rules, the design features of a flat roof are calculated taking into account the possible snow load. Thus, if no fatal errors were made during design and construction, snow will not affect the house in any way, no matter what kind of roof it has.

Aesthetic options

Sometimes you can hear that rectangular boxes with a flat roof are uninteresting and ugly. Of course, those who say this have never seen modern houses with a flat roof, even in a photo, let alone in person.

It is no coincidence that this architectural solution is now at the peak of popularity. Styles such as hi-tech, minimalism, and modernism invariably give preference to roofs with a slight slope. Because this allows you to create a more complex planning structure, embody previously impossible ideas, and create expressive and unusual compositions. Such architecture can look very impressive and original.

Photos of houses with a flat roof