There are a few ways to dealing with a pitched roof if you choose to convert to a flat roof.
Convert pitched roof to flat roof.
The old roof may have structural issues requiring significant repair or renovation.
A pitched roof conversion done properly will distribute weight to the bearing walls of the structure.
A pitched roof is more expensive.
The typical way is to remove the existing roof and add new framing to the home that create a pitched roof over the old flat roof area.
It is a significant renovation if you are converting from flat to pitched.
Why consider a roof conversion.
You either have to raise the height of the eaves or lower the height of the ridge.
Changing the garage to a pitched roof takes work but brings greater protection as well as more room in the garage.
A flat garage roof isn t the best thing to have on a structure as it s subject to pooling water and snow.
Depending on the climate your flat roof will only last between 15 and 30 years if well maintained.
How much does it cost to convert a flat roof to a pitched roof.
This has to happen whether you re just removing the pitched roof or adding another floor with a flat roof.
You can tear off the existing roof remove the trusses and strengthen the joists.
On houses new pitched roofs typically are supported by the exterior walls as with standard sloped roof construction.
Putting aside the obvious question of that s a terrible idea why would you want to do that there are really only two ways to go about that.
Here are the primary reasons homeowners choose to convert a flat roof to pitched.
There are several ways to convert a flat roof to pitched.
In the previous case a roof conversion would transform a structurally unsound roof into a long term dependable roof.
Solution to a maintenance problem.
Poor design and or construction of the existing flat roof may have resulted in frequent or recurring problems.
While that s the easiest route it s certainly not your only option.
It s not an easy job and requires at least two people but the results are worthwhile and you don t need extensive knowledge of carpentry to do it.
The average cost of converting a flat roof to a pitched roof is around 3 000 to 4 500 although this is dependent on the type of materials used during construction whether or not scaffolding will be used and the size of the roof the most common materials used include concrete tiles which typically cost around 0 75 to 3.
Additional valleys angles and gables can be built into converted roofs as well but adding these elements may affect your project.
However flat roofs require much more aggressive and consistent maintenance than a pitched roof.
You simply like the look of a pitched roof.