Been thinking about this lately—say you're building a shed or something, and you wanna keep the roof as flat as possible for looks, but still gotta drain water properly. How much slope is actually enough without going overboard and ruining the flat look?
"How much slope is actually enough without going overboard and ruining the flat look?"
Typically, even roofs labeled as "flat" aren't truly flat—they usually have a subtle pitch of about 1/4 inch per foot (around 2%) to ensure proper drainage. You could probably get away with slightly less, but then you're risking pooling water and potential leaks down the line. Are you planning to use a specific roofing material? Some materials handle minimal slopes better than others...
- Good points above, drainage is key.
- Did mine at about 1/8 inch per foot (around 1%) to keep it visually flat—still drains fine after 4 years.
- Just make sure your roofing material warranty allows for lower slopes, some manufacturers get picky.
- You're on the right track though, subtle slope won't ruin the look and saves headaches later.
Interesting, I've seen a few roofs done at around 1% slope too, and they seem fine. But I always wonder—does snow load or heavy rain ever give you trouble at that shallow angle? I've heard some folks swear by slightly steeper pitches just to sleep easier at night...or is that just paranoia talking? Curious if anyone's had actual issues down the road with these super-subtle slopes.
