FLAT ROOF DESIGN: THE QUESTION OF FORM AND FACE
The shape of a roof plays a dominant role in determining how the front façade of a building presents itself. The roof shape is often a question of style and relays the period of the home. Commonly in Australia one sees ‘gabled’, ‘hip’, ‘skillion’, ‘butterfly’ roofs and so on. Recently there has been a spike in popularity of ‘flat’ and ‘green’ roofs (Roo Roofing, 2020).
CHOOSING THE RIGHT DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
The shape of your roof form determines the drainage system that is appropriate in that situation. In sloping roofs such as gabled and hip roofs, for example, a conventional gutter and pipe drainage system often does the trick. For flat and green roofs however, other drainage systems are more appropriate.
HOW TO DRAIN A FLAT ROOF?
There are multiple factors to consider in the design of a flat roof drainage system. How much precipitation occurs in your area? How big is your roof area? What material is your roof made of? Is it accessible or not? What size of drainage channels and pipes do you need? Once these questions have been considered, Paige Stainless has a range of options to meet the design needs of your flat and/or green roof.
LINEAR HEELGUARD GRATES OR TILE INERT GRATES
At Paige Stainless, we can custom fabricate stainless steel linear drainage systems for your flat and/or green roof, and stainless steel is an excellent material choice for roof drainage systems. Roofs are exposed to extreme temperature changes in Australia, and stainless steel can withstand extremes in temperatures very well. Australian roofs are exposed to extreme weather systems in storm season – high volume of water, hail and wind. Paige’s linear grates are made with grade 304 or 316 stainless steel. The durability of the material (as well as superior construction) prevents deterioration, so it won’t break down or warp over time when exposed to infamous Australian elements.
The unique wedge wire design in PAIGE STAINLESS HEELGUARD ® linear roof drains allow water to flow easily. Water is diverted through gaps between the V-shaped grills in order to give relief to the underside. This ensures that smaller particles like dirt and dust are freely drained through the heelguard grate and passed through to the sewer or water systems, and debris larger that the aperture remains on the surface. This design allows for flat and/or green roofs to remain clean, unclogged and unpolluted.
If your flat roof is accessible, then aesthetics will also be a priority apart from functionality. If you are looking for a discrete drainage solution, then our liner tile insert grates will be a good choice. Rather that a traditional grate, this style of drain cover grates feature an insert for a tile to match the rest of the flooring of your space. Aside from the narrow drainage opening surrounding the tile insert, the drain is barely distinguishable from the tiles surrounding it.
APPLICATION OF PAIGE STAINLESS ROOF DRAIN SYSTEMS
Our custom fabricated roof drainage systems are well suited to a range of situations. They work equally well for multi-story buildings, roof top car parks, residential rooftop gardens and high-end penthouse spaces, posh balconies, commercial and industrial setting. If you want to avoid common problems seen in flat roofs such as ponding, leakage and so on, give us a call now and arrange for your custom design.
Reference
Roo Roofing. (2020). A Guide to Australian Roof Types – 2018 Update. https://blog.rooroofing.com.au/guide-to-australian-roof-types
