Purchasing a home and Flat roofs (maintenance, work, housing)

[roadrunner1]

I am looking at housing in southern AZ and noticed homes with flat roofs (Hacienda style?). When buying a used home are there anything special to look for? I am from the east and this style of roof is new to me. THanks!

[pbody]

Too funny, I came to this forum to ask the same thing.

I am new to AZ and in the market for a house. We are currently renting in a single-story house with a flat roof. However, we've found and really like a single-story with a peaked roof.

Our thinking is that the attic area caused by the peaked roof will act as barrier to the heat. Heat from the sun will accumulate in the attic, and hot air from the house will raise to the attic. Can anyone confirm that this logic makes sense?????

The one thing we currently notice on our SS w/flat roof is that it does get hot and is hard to cool down in the summer months. With 10 feet ceilings and nowhere for the hot air to go, it seems the AC runs too darn much.

[nitram]

Depends on who built your house and the amount of insulation that was installed. I have a tall ceiling house, flat roof with 2 feet of insulation and my heating/cooling bills compare with our last house that was peaked. Most peaked attic houses get up to 185 degrees or more in the attic. Attics, if not well ventilated, problems may arise with warpage and deterioration.
Attics are a plus for extra storage if ventilated properly.
Flat roofs, need more attention to maintenance because of rainwater deterioration and leaks if not sealed properly. On many flat roof houses, after awhile, the roofing material drops with warpage and water stands there for days/weeks after the rains, and that is one of the major problems with having a flat roof.
We have 4 inches of white foam insultaion on top of the regular roof material. The roof is built up slightly higher in the middle so water runs off completely.The house is very comfortable and we have no leak problem. Our neighbor who has a plain ol tarred flat roof has water problems everytime it rains.

[roadrunner1]

I read some where that the tile roofs absorb/dissape heat better. I like the look of the flat roofs but not at the expience of added maintenance.

[mrspantera]

I work for a roofing company. If you live in an area with any precipitation flat roofs are no good!It seems that you are lucky for a flat roof to last 10 years

[nitram]

Our flat roof is over 40 years old, no problems yet.
Tile roofs look nice, they're very pricey, they do help with some heat disipation, costly to repair and need to have the undermat replaced about every 15 years which means removing the whole tile roof and starting all over. Costly.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by nitram

Tile roofs look nice, they're very pricey, they do help with some heat disipation, costly to repair and need to have the undermat replaced about every 15 years which means removing the whole tile roof and starting all over. Costly.

Sorry Nitram, but that simply isn't true. A properly installed tile roof should outlast the building on which it is installed, and with no such maintenance as you indicated. I'd be very curious where you ever got an idea like that.

[nitram]

My brother in law is a licensed roofer, 35 years, and does many tile roof repairs and replacements he says because the underlayment material does not last long in AZ. And I've gone with him on several occasions and have personally seen the damage.

[kdog]

The underlayment is tar-felt, just like they use with any other roofing material. Why would it not last as long? Tile roofs are installed on wooden battens that space it up over the felt so that there's a 3/4" air gap between the tiles and the felt. That would subject the paper to less heat than say asphalt shingles applied directly to it.

Are the homes in which the felt failed in the same area, or perhaps even same builder? I think it's more likely they simply used a bad product, or installed it wrong. While I believe what you and your BIL have seen, I'm not buying the cause at face value. Tile roofs are pretty much the norm in the southwest, and yet I've never heard that claim before. If you can provide any on-line references that back you up, I will gladly eat crow.

[nitram]

Here's one of several web sites regarding tile roofs and the repair and maintenance of them.
Question. Why should a tile roof need maintenance?
Do tile roofs need maintenance? Can tile roofs be walked on?
Answer. The tiles are not 100% waterproof, the underlayment (felt) is what keeps the roof in a water tight condition. With the home settling, ground movement and heavy wind, the tile can shift and slip down exposing the underpayment to the sun and the weather. Then the tile running up the side of the home can loosen and fall.
Norman Floyd Roofing Service & Roofing Repairs•Related
Question. Can a tile roof be walked on?
Question. Why should a tile roof need maintenance?

Another problem is where tile roofs have concrete joints, the concrete in the heat over time tends to crack and allow water into the underlayment and undermines the tile roof.