EPDM material offers an effective roofing solution mainly
because of its excellent water-proofing abilities. However, to ensure your
property has the correct drainage, you might need to fit guttering that’s
suitable for flat roof systems. Here’s our advice if you’re considering this
solution.
Does your roof have proper drainage?
This is of particular importance if you’re planning on fitting gutters to
a pre-existing flat roof. When it was constructed, your roof should’ve been
designed for rainwater to drain quickly without any build-up forming on the
surface. Therefore, checking flat roof systems have the necessary drop that
lets the rainwater drain off and into the guttering, and knowing in which
direction this drop is going, is essential.
Guttering designs and materials for Flat Roof Systems
An effective drainage system can include gutters, downspouts, and scuppers
to ensure consistent water flow. In addition, metal flashing can be appropriate
if you have a steep roof fitted above your flat roofing system. Meanwhile, the
materials you can utilise for gutting can range from galvanised steel, copper
aluminium, or vinyl. The advantages each material offers, including how easy it
is to install them, does vary. But all should be considered when creating a
drainage system for your flat roof.
Installation
In brief, to correctly fit guttering to flat roof systems you’ll need to:
- Measure the roof and decide on where the downspouts will go
- Place each piece of your guttering together with overlaps of
about 2 inches and drill six evenly spaced holes where these overlaps form
- Secure these with rivets and seal the underside of each
gutter section with a caulk gun
- Cut the downspout outlet holes and line with gutter sealant for
a waterproof fit
We recommend getting contractors for this process, especially when
installing a whole flat roof system. But once this is installed, your flat roof
guttering will only need the occasional check to ensure any weathering problems
are kept to a minimum.
If you’d like more information on RubberBond products, you
can check out our Accessories Page. Alternatively,
you can get advice or a FREE survey and quote for new flat roof systems through
our Enquiry Page.