Looking at buying a flat roof house

I am looking at a house for sale that has a flat top roof. I don't know anything about these types so that is my biggest hesitation for this purchase. I haven't been up there yet so I don't know what it looks like or where the water goes or anything like that. I can't even tell if this kind of house has an attic? It looks like if it did, it wouldn't be large enough to even move around.
Can you tell anything by these pictures? Is the roof even with the top of the shingle line or is it recessed a couple feet or what.
I will have the hosue inspected before buying, but should I have a roofer look at it too? Anything else I should look at for these types of roofs?

Thanks

 

Very nice!

Even if there were an attic, I'm the paranoid type that would keep it empty just so I could see clearly to do an occasional inspection for damp areas.

A good home inspector would know what he's looking at, so a roofer would be unnecessary. Be careful when you get a contractor to look at things like this. If you end up with a hack that assumes you are not comfortable with something, you could end up with more problems than you started with.
_______________________

 

well, my parents house has a flat roof and we havnt had any issues with it at all. and its old.
one consideration though, is that if you have a snowfall over like 5 inches, you should go up and shovel it off the roof to prevent the weight from damaging the roof.
our roof has sort of a lip around it and small gravel on the top. i cant remember how the water is supposed to drain off because its been years since i was up there.

 

Hi,
A good home inspector would know what he's looking at, so a roofer would be unnecessary. Be careful when you get a contractor to look at things like this. If you end up with a hack that assumes you are not comfortable with something, you could end up with more problems than you started with.

I deleted the link. Sorry, can't have ads in posts.

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

My house originally had a gravel roof. Not a good plan if you have cats... mine used the roof as a cat box right over the front door. Since reroofed with reflective subcoat and shingles. The original roof had a built in gutter that degraded and had to be sawed off and a gutter systen put in place. Wouldn't be my first choice.

My house has no attic, cathedral ceilings which means what you see is the underneath of your roof and very little insulation. And if your roof leaks your ceiling gets stained. But Kilz is a great product but make sure you have lots of ventilation.

 

If you are financing your home purchase with a HUD FHA mortgage they will require a copy of the inspection certificate as part of the loan approval.

Make sure the inspector has a certificate acceptable to HUD. Also it cannot be more than 6 months old or its expired.

If you go to a savings bank for the loan, the Real Estate Appraiser may say that a flat roof: "is not typical to the area", killling your deal.

Ask the Realtor if Comparable flat roofed homes have sold in your area recently. The availability of prior sales makes the R.E. Appraiser happy.

 

Negotiate the price down. In this market that should be easy and then you can budget for a new roof and separate gutter system.

 

our library has a flat roof and it's been nothing but problems. I'd go with gardeners idea personally.

 

the roof will slope just slightly, and there are sort of drain holes

 

To be sure with what you are buying, you need an expert to look at things which are beyond your expertise like the roof. Even if the agent assures you that the house is in perfect condition, sometimes they are just blabbing to sell. Flat roof also needs maintenance just like any other roof.

 

ive never had any problems....but then again i havent ever seen snow yet....

 

The old tar and gravel roofs are being phased out in favor of new materials. Flat roofs can present problems if drainage is deficient,but you should be able to tell by going up and taking a look. If the trees shed lots of leaves that sit up there,drainage will be affected and they should be cleaned off periodically. Our little company here in Oregon installs TPO or vinyl roofing and those will repel even standing water,but obviously you don't want TOO much standing water because of weight,which brings us back to proper drainage. If you have problem areas on your prospective house,measure the flat part,call a reliable roofing company (oxymoron?)and inquire as to how much they charge per square for these materials installed. They're heat welded and you can get a 20 year factory guarantee if installed by a licensed company. Hope the roof is OK,but if not you can't go wrong with the materials I suggested

Regarding shingles, Malarky in Portland makes SBS (rubber type) shingles and when we put my son's roof on with them ,we didn't lose granules like most shingles do and they have a patented nail area that is the best going. They're all we use-------good luck.------------------(what state are you in?)