Christine170310 Aug 2015 09:03Hello dear forum community,
We have been working on building our own home for several months now and originally planned a flat roof for our double garage (6 x 9 m (20 x 30 ft)) mainly for cost reasons.
Last weekend, our friend who is a carpenter was attaching the battens to the main roof and discussing further planning with us. He pointed out that flat roofs need to be regularly inspected and resealed if necessary. In the long run, a flat roof might not be much cheaper than a hip roof or a gable roof.
We also find a garage with a tent roof or gable roof much more attractive visually than a flat roof, but the significantly higher costs do give us some pause.
What are your experiences with this? Could someone possibly give us an approximate price difference between a flat roof and a tent roof (floor area 63 m² (678 sq ft))? We can get the materials at a good price through our carpenter friend, and since my partner is a mason, he could handle the masonry work if we go with a gable roof.
Are there any other major advantages or disadvantages when it comes to the different roof types?
We need to make a decision quickly now, as the materials have to be ordered...
Thank you very much in advance for your help!
Best regards
We have been working on building our own home for several months now and originally planned a flat roof for our double garage (6 x 9 m (20 x 30 ft)) mainly for cost reasons.
Last weekend, our friend who is a carpenter was attaching the battens to the main roof and discussing further planning with us. He pointed out that flat roofs need to be regularly inspected and resealed if necessary. In the long run, a flat roof might not be much cheaper than a hip roof or a gable roof.
We also find a garage with a tent roof or gable roof much more attractive visually than a flat roof, but the significantly higher costs do give us some pause.
What are your experiences with this? Could someone possibly give us an approximate price difference between a flat roof and a tent roof (floor area 63 m² (678 sq ft))? We can get the materials at a good price through our carpenter friend, and since my partner is a mason, he could handle the masonry work if we go with a gable roof.
Are there any other major advantages or disadvantages when it comes to the different roof types?
We need to make a decision quickly now, as the materials have to be ordered...
Thank you very much in advance for your help!
Best regards
B
Bauexperte10 Aug 2015 10:01Hello,
Of course, you have to check the drain pipes to ensure they are not blocked by leaves or similar debris. A well-constructed flat roof – of course with the proper slope – does not have to be proactively resealed after just a few years. That’s a story from some carpenters; it’s unfortunate that this trick is still being used. Besides, gutters should be checked regularly on every type of roof.
If you buy a prefabricated garage, in my opinion it’s the most cost-effective solution, and since the roof and walls are delivered as one unit, the inspection mostly comes down to the strainers in the downspouts. Warning: crystal ball mode on – your carpenter probably won’t like that, since he doesn’t make money from it. Crystal ball mode off.
What does a bricklayer have to do with constructing a pitched roof?
A hip roof is the most expensive option, followed by a mansard, and then a pitched (gable) roof. Depending on the garage size, the difference can easily be around 10,000 (currency) or more.
Not really, these days. Actually, not even much in the past, but during the post-war economic boom – and still into the 1970s – buildings were constructed very quickly, and flat roofs were the least durable. Ultimately, it’s a decision based on the development plan (building permit / planning permission) or personal preference.
Edit: Yvonne is of course right. Was the flat roof approved? Then if you want to change the garage roof, a modification application must be submitted. But that only makes sense if the development plan allows a different roof form.
Regards, Bauexperte
Christine1703 schrieb:
When our friend, the carpenter, attached the battens to the main roof over the weekend and discussed the further planning with us, he pointed out that flat roofs need to be checked regularly and resealed if necessary.
Of course, you have to check the drain pipes to ensure they are not blocked by leaves or similar debris. A well-constructed flat roof – of course with the proper slope – does not have to be proactively resealed after just a few years. That’s a story from some carpenters; it’s unfortunate that this trick is still being used. Besides, gutters should be checked regularly on every type of roof.
If you buy a prefabricated garage, in my opinion it’s the most cost-effective solution, and since the roof and walls are delivered as one unit, the inspection mostly comes down to the strainers in the downspouts. Warning: crystal ball mode on – your carpenter probably won’t like that, since he doesn’t make money from it. Crystal ball mode off.
Christine1703 schrieb:
We get the materials cheaply through our carpenter friend, and since my partner is a bricklayer, he could take care of the masonry work (if it will be a pitched roof).
What does a bricklayer have to do with constructing a pitched roof?
A hip roof is the most expensive option, followed by a mansard, and then a pitched (gable) roof. Depending on the garage size, the difference can easily be around 10,000 (currency) or more.
Christine1703 schrieb:
Are there any other significant advantages or disadvantages regarding the different roof types?
Not really, these days. Actually, not even much in the past, but during the post-war economic boom – and still into the 1970s – buildings were constructed very quickly, and flat roofs were the least durable. Ultimately, it’s a decision based on the development plan (building permit / planning permission) or personal preference.
Edit: Yvonne is of course right. Was the flat roof approved? Then if you want to change the garage roof, a modification application must be submitted. But that only makes sense if the development plan allows a different roof form.
Regards, Bauexperte
Christine170310 Aug 2015 10:31Thank you very much for the quick responses.
The building permit shows a flat roof, so a modification would have to be filed. Does anyone have experience with how much that might cost roughly?
Since the garage is already finished except for the roof (masonry completed and faced with brick slips), a prefabricated garage is not an option.
The masonry work for the gable roof refers to the two gable ends… or am I completely missing something here?
If we put the tent roof aside and compare a gable roof (which I also think fits the house better) with a flat roof… what is the approximate price difference?
According to the development plan, other garage roof types should be acceptable, as all roof styles are already represented on our street.
Best regards
The building permit shows a flat roof, so a modification would have to be filed. Does anyone have experience with how much that might cost roughly?
Since the garage is already finished except for the roof (masonry completed and faced with brick slips), a prefabricated garage is not an option.
The masonry work for the gable roof refers to the two gable ends… or am I completely missing something here?
If we put the tent roof aside and compare a gable roof (which I also think fits the house better) with a flat roof… what is the approximate price difference?
According to the development plan, other garage roof types should be acceptable, as all roof styles are already represented on our street.
Best regards
Christine1703 schrieb:
The building permit/planning permission included a flat roof, so an amendment should be submitted. Does anyone have experience with how much this roughly costs?For us, an amendment related to the garage cost €90 (about $100) – so not very expensive.
Shed roof with a 3° pitch and trapezoidal metal sheets on top. The substructure is made of wood. It hardly gets any cheaper than this. Because of the parapet, the unattractive metal sheets are not visible from below or outside anyway. When they wear out after many years, you can simply screw new ones on. There are also transparent trapezoidal "sheets" made of plastic that let some daylight into the garage. They do fade over time but are better than nothing.
The metal cladding on the parapet must be installed carefully to ensure it is watertight.
Drains always need to be cleaned, regardless of the roof type.
The metal cladding on the parapet must be installed carefully to ensure it is watertight.
Drains always need to be cleaned, regardless of the roof type.
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