I have owned two houses that had flat roofs. Never again. Even a modern membrane roof covering will fail because it does depend on installation and there are always perforations for vent stacks and drains that can fail. It is just not logical to design a roof that does not naturally shed rain. Water is the most destructive natural element for houses. Sloped roofs with clay tile or slate shingles will last 100 years or more, with virtually no maintenance.
Even a thatched roof in rainy Britain lasts at least 25 years using wheat reed and with water reed at least 40-50 years.
Yeah, there were wind-induced resonances involved, but the end result was still 500 lb panes popping out of a high-rise. The replacement plywood was a low-rent touch - I remember it well in my early years at MIT, as the Hancock tower was pretty much right across the river from my end of campus.
Yes, inspecting and consulting. My roofing days are long behind me.
In Canada 4:12 and less is considered 'low slope' and is usually treated as waterproofing rather than watershedding if that's what you mean.
This is more than a little impractical for large roofs. Properly placed drains, in cricketed valleys is the norm. Drain clogging is a result of neglect, designers can't change that.
Here we refer to manufacturer's warranties as toilet paper.
A blanket statement that indicates you have had bad luck, nothing more.
You're partly right but wind, snow, fire, bird droppings and falling debris might want to argue.
Whoah. I'll just leave that one alone. Too much to deal with in this thread.
Yes, clay tiles almost never leaks and protects homes. Keeps the inside cool in summer too.
First building is 139 years old, second one is approximately 60 years old. Due to surge in real estate prices only these two homes have survived in my hometown.
Regards.
They've been replacing the roof on the Empress and its about a 100 years +.
What really is neat is the new shiny copper down spouts replacing the old ones.😀
Last edited:
There was a tower at Birmingham University with similar problems. It was so ugly that it won an architecture award. It was ugly inside too: narrow concrete corridors and odd shaped rooms. It was continually covered in scaffolding while it was being 'refurbished'; partly to deal with the sheets of glass which kept dropping from the windows.wrenchone said:
There is an ugly building near me, in the grounds of a school. It looks completely out of place in its setting. It too has won an award. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, a friend of mine who is a professional structural engineer thinks it is a wonderful building!
Similar thing happened with the Radisson Blu Hotel on Holloway Circus in Birmingham City centre.
For over a year after they built it it was shedding sheets of glass on to the pavement below on a regular basis seemingly unrelated to weather conditions.
The scaffolding disappeared and a week later it was back to protect pedestrians after falling glass nearly killed someone.
For over a year after they built it it was shedding sheets of glass on to the pavement below on a regular basis seemingly unrelated to weather conditions.
The scaffolding disappeared and a week later it was back to protect pedestrians after falling glass nearly killed someone.
That's another architect who didn't bother to do sunlight ray tracing! And in London too, if I'm not mistaken?
I would think that Big Ben, at the other side of the bridge, counts as a phallic symbol too.
(aah, but then there's Blackfriars,as good as dick as any. Oh no, I almost skipped the spickled Gherkin, the giant love for business toy)
(aah, but then there's Blackfriars,as good as dick as any. Oh no, I almost skipped the spickled Gherkin, the giant love for business toy)
The whole 'world's tallest building' thing is just a hugely expensive dick-measuring contest.
Especially taking into account the un-usable space which is just there to get the top a bit higher than the other guys.
Especially taking into account the un-usable space which is just there to get the top a bit higher than the other guys.
The smaller the man, the taller the building (or so it appears)
Global average size maps might be interesting, for a 1-on-1 comparison.
Global average size maps might be interesting, for a 1-on-1 comparison.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.