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I'm not a fan of flat roofs, but it comes more from living with 'em in areas that do get rain - they don't last long before they start leaking. Out there, it's probably not an issue. I do think the tile roofs and galvanized roofs blend nicely with the environment out there as well, especially the multicolored tile roofs.
I just saw this thread (how come it is in the Albuquerque forum?) and I liked reading all the comments.
Here's my vote: I LOVE pueblo style architecture. It is one of the things (among many) that makes New Mexico unique (for me at least.) There is no other place I can think of (except possibly Arizona?) in which this simple and lovely architecture can be found so commonly. I love the way it blends into the desert surroundings and how pretty it looks against a New Mexico vibrant blue sky. It's just a part of the Land of Enchantment for me.....
I look forward to owning a pueblo style house in the coming year.
Interesting comments about all the maintenance problems. We were told that building codes have changed and all new "flat roof" construction must be built with a slight pitch for water runoff. Will that solve the problem of leaking?
The new ones are better, but...if you really want a roof that doesn't leak, like as in never...flat roofs aren't the way to go. I know that I'll probably hear from scads of folks that have a "good one", but for everyone thats never had a problem with a flat roof there are a couple dozen that have.
Sure, for most people its mostly just a wet spot or three on the ceiling when it really rains hard, but figuring out where they came from can be extremely exasperating. You typically end up just re-doing the whole thing to stop the little leaks, since you can never track down exactly where the water is getting through. It's really about how long it takes to get the rainfall off the roof and onto the ground. With a flat roof (even the newer "pitched" ones) it just sort of moseys gradually into the canales, instead of rushing down over the edge like on a true pitched roof.
I used to work with a guy with an older flat roof that had some pretty serious problems, the slope was wrong and it would pool significant amounts of water that would eventually just evaporate away. Well, one morning he walked into his kitchen to find a whole-room skylight(sound sleeper, I guess). Sometime during the night that section of the roof had just collapsed into the house, burying his entire kitchen under the rubble. Sort of worst-case scenario, not very likely, but it can happen.
The thing is, you can have a conventionaly pitched roof with some pretty ratty shingles and maybe even some shoddy construction and it'll almost always still work fine at keeping the rain out. With a flat roof, everything has to work right for it not to leak. If you've got a section that doesn't have quite enough slope or has settled over the years, it's going to form a puddle there. Once you've got a place where the water sits for extended periods of time, all it takes is a little pinhole and you've got water in the house.
My home does not have a flat roof, and for the many folks I know who do, seems they always develop leaks. Gotta wonder if when small amounts of water enter the walls if mold does not grow on the inside of the drywall eventually.
The new ones are better, but...if you really want a roof that doesn't leak, like as in never...flat roofs aren't the way to go. I know that I'll probably hear from scads of folks that have a "good one", but for everyone thats never had a problem with a flat roof there are a couple dozen that have.
Sure, for most people its mostly just a wet spot or three on the ceiling when it really rains hard, but figuring out where they came from can be extremely exasperating. You typically end up just re-doing the whole thing to stop the little leaks, since you can never track down exactly where the water is getting through. It's really about how long it takes to get the rainfall off the roof and onto the ground. With a flat roof (even the newer "pitched" ones) it just sort of moseys gradually into the canales, instead of rushing down over the edge like on a true pitched roof.
I used to work with a guy with an older flat roof that had some pretty serious problems, the slope was wrong and it would pool significant amounts of water that would eventually just evaporate away. Well, one morning he walked into his kitchen to find a whole-room skylight(sound sleeper, I guess). Sometime during the night that section of the roof had just collapsed into the house, burying his entire kitchen under the rubble. Sort of worst-case scenario, not very likely, but it can happen.
The thing is, you can have a conventionaly pitched roof with some pretty ratty shingles and maybe even some shoddy construction and it'll almost always still work fine at keeping the rain out. With a flat roof, everything has to work right for it not to leak. If you've got a section that doesn't have quite enough slope or has settled over the years, it's going to form a puddle there. Once you've got a place where the water sits for extended periods of time, all it takes is a little pinhole and you've got water in the house.
Thanks Rotorhead. We are house hunting this weekend and have 2 pueblo houses on the list. We may reconsider at least one of them as it is pretty rustic (a/k/a old) and your points are definitely on our minds.
My home does not have a flat roof, and for the many folks I know who do, seems they always develop leaks. Gotta wonder if when small amounts of water enter the walls if mold does not grow on the inside of the drywall eventually.
Can't vouch for out there, but where I am right now, YES! mold grows on the inside of the drywall and the ceiling around the leak spots.
One of the biggest sources of flat-roof-busting water is a malfunctioning swamp cooler (i.e. leaky pipes, float not working, bottom rusted out). Not only can it persist for days unnoticed, but it concentrates huge amounts of liquid in a relatively small area.
When it comes to dealing with water damage, one advantage of many pueblo-style houses here is that they have their exterior walls built from cinderblocks. Although you'll find rot and mold problems in the floor and ceilings, it's rare to find severe rot or structural issues related to water damage in block construction. Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the older houses here have plaster walls instead of drywall. Personally, I prefer plaster. It's stood the test of time and is a lot more durable than drywall when it comes to the knocks and scrapes of daily living. Of course, its also harder to patch correctly and it can be frustrating trying to do simple things like hang a heavy painting or photo....so take your pick.
Oftentimes the best way to figure out what is original and what has been remodeled is where the drywall starts and the plasterwork stops. In my current house I've seen both the traditional style (plaster over lath and wire), modern drywall construction, and a hybrid from the '50's where they plastered over perforated 3/8" gypsum sheets, so you literally never know what you'll find inside a wall.
Speaking of roofing, I was curious if anyone here has any experience with shake shingle roofing here in Albuquerque. I seemed to notice quite a few of these types of roofs (rooves? ) when I lived in OR, and I've seen quite a few older homes with this type here in ABQ. How well do these hold up here in our dry, arid climate? Are they a greater fire risk / do you get hammered on home insurance? Advantages/disadvantages?
Europeans have always tried to make Mother Earth, adapt to them. Totally opposite thinking.
Really? That is a very broad stereotypical statement. Now if you were to change 'European' to 'modern industrial civilization' then I would buy it. Otherwise it just sounds like racist revisionism.
ABQConvict
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new ones are better, but...
). Sometime during the night that section of the roof had just collapsed into the house, burying his entire kitchen under the rubble. Sort of worst-case scenario, not very likely, but it can happen.
