You would think with a house design that is so very different, from most homes being built today, that I would get a lot of interesting questions. In reality I seems, for the most part, that I get the same questions over and over. “What’s that big concrete post on the side of the house?” “Is that wall going to look like that on the inside?” Are those trusses going to be left exposed like that?” But hands down the question that seems to be on most peoples minds is “Are you worried about the flat roof? I guess this must be a logical questions based on the sheer volume of people who ask the question. And I can’t say that prior to beginning this building project that I wouldn’t be one of the people asking that exact same question.

Flat roofs seem to be something of rarity in the upper Midwest when it comes to residential housing. Whether justified or not there is a great deal of fear the weight of the snow or melting ice will results in collapses or leaks. Most of the time these issues are more a result of a sub par material or poor installation than the actual design. In our case the material is an amazing and relatively new material called Duro-Last. The material is attached the roof with minimal seeming, my entire roof has only three seams for the entire 1400 sq foot print, greatly reducing the risks of improper installation. Additionally the material is installed over a gradually tapering layer of foam insulation that allows rain and snow to slide off of the “very slick surface” with great ease. On top of all that the white reflective product will actually reduces my homes cooling needs by reflecting the suns heat away rather than absorbing it like most shingled or asphalt roofs. This helps to prevent ice damns which often times lead to leaks in traditional pitched and shingled roofs.
when it comes to snow loads the SIPs panels are really an amazing material. Structurally insulated foam not only provides for a better insulated home (especially when partnered with a flat roof) but additionally it adds a great structural strength to the building. Instead of having the strength of the structure spaced on trusses every couple of feet on center, the entire roof panel works as a structural beam to bear the load.
There are obviously some serious things to consider when deciding weather or not to use a flat roof including: structural integrity, materials, installation and care. However, I believe if you make sure to do the proper engineering choose your installer and materials carefully that a flat roof is a great option.

Using a heat gun (at 600º) the crew from Fridley Roofing seals the
edges of the Duro-Last material down.