Professional Documents
Culture Documents
67
Ye a r b o o k 2014
www.trada.co.uk
How to design
a flat roof
If interstitial condensation is deposited onto wood or wood based
Controlling condensation is increasingly materials, there is a risk that mould growth and decay can occur. Timber
will decay if it remains above 20% moisture content for a prolonged
important for flat roof designers, say Robin period of time. When using timber in a structural application, this fact
Lancashire and Lewis Taylor must be at the forefront of a designer’s mind.
With warm roof construction, all the structure is below the insulation
and vapour control layer, so is subjected to internal temperature
and humidity conditions. There is no risk of surface or interstitial
condensation in the structure, so there is no need to provide ventilation.
Go carefully
We understand that both warm and cold flat roofs have their place
but, where space allows, warm flat roofs are preferred. Where there is
no choice but construct a cold flat roof (for example due to thickness/
height constraints), the roof designs should always incorporate a vapour
control layer on the warm side of the insulation and a well-ventilated
void between the top of the insulation and the underside of the deck/
waterproof roof covering.
Lewis Taylor
Other types of unventilated cold flat roof designs rely on the excess Technical Consultant
moisture migrating though the structure being absorbed by natural BM TRADA
materials with favourable hygrothermal attributes (for example cellulose
or wood fibre-based insulation materials). This stored moisture is then
released back into the inside of the building when conditions allow;
either through the use of an ‘intelligent’ vapour control layer, or by
the omission of a high resistance membrane on the warm side of the
insulation. While calculations and modelling can demonstrate this to
be the case, we have seen instances where a build up of interstitial
condensation has resulted in the wood based materials in the roof
structure failing due to fungal decay. Supporting services
BM TRADA can assess timber frame construction
We have heard others say ‘...ventilation gaps result in condensation, so details against frameCHECK best practice and
fill the roof void fully with insulation – no gap means no condensation’. building regulations. Telephone +44(0)1494
569966
The thought being that if ventilation gaps are created, then a form
of reverse condensation can occur, where external air enters the Visit http://bookshop.bmtrada.com for this
ventilation space and is then cooled resulting in condensation forming. related publication:
These instances are quite unusual and the conditions which allow
• Timber frame construction, 5th edition,
this to happen are often very short lived. BM TRADA advises against ISBN 978-1900510820, TRADA
unventilated cold flat roofs. Technology, 2011