If you are a building owner or contractor, you may have the problem of how to locate your rooftop services in a convenient location which is easily accessible and does not do any damage to the structure of your property.

Roof-Pro specialise in both standard and bespoke solutions for building services for flat-roofed premises, including flatroof air conditioning unit supports. Here we look at why flat roofs are so common in commercial buildings, what they can be used for, and how we can make the most effective use of the available space.

Why a Flat Roof?

Many commercial and some public buildings have a flat roof rather than a sloping or pitched one. This is because they tend to be less expensive, particularly if your premises are broad; in that case a pitched roof might be financially impractical or simply not feasible because of the overall height it would reach.

Pitched roofs create attic space, which is often a waste as far as commercial premises are concerned.  However, businesses do need to maximise the use of the available space inside the premises, which is why many facilities are often located on the roof, out of the way, maximising the space for other, more immediately business-critical uses.

Alternative Uses

These days flat roofs can be particularly important where the safety of the building’s users is concerned. For instance, they can provide an ideal location for siting CCTV cameras, particularly in schools and hospitals.

Flat roofs can also provide a convenient space for staff to have a break and even have a cigarette, as there may well be restrictions on smoking within the premises.

They can be used to underline a company’s environmentally-friendly credentials.  Increasingly, businesses are using them as ‘green roofs’ with gardens; the plants can absorb a lot of the water, and drainage is more of an issue for flat roofs compared to pitched ones.  This kind of feature is becoming increasingly popular in some domestic properties, particularly in built-up areas where space is an issue.

However, the main way in which flat roofs are useful is for accommodating facilities such as air conditioning units and their support structures, and other items such as electrical cables, pipes and ducts.

Roof-Pro’s Standard Solutions…

We provide a full range of options for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) support units, both standard and bespoke.

Standard units will help keep the cost down; our Sure-Foot range is supplied as a box of components, and they can easily be assembled on-site by the building contractor. It is also easy to reconfigure these if you need to add support units for another air conditioning unit.

Our standard range includes modular farm supports for the HVA units, and H-frame supports for any associated ductwork, pipework and cable trays. They come in a range of sizes, so you can still customise your layout.

…or a Bespoke Alternative

Bespoke configurations may be preferable if there are concerns with the roof structure, or if the load they will be supporting is particularly heavy. Our POD arrangement uses galvanised steel H frames and is ideal for taking the weight of larger loads. Bespoke solutions can also be better if your flat roof may have to accommodate other facilities, either now or in the future.

Our experienced team of engineers will be happy to design a tailor-made solution which can accommodate all your needs, including flatroof air conditioning unit supports. We will take wind stability and load management into account, so you can be sure all your units will be totally secure.

Whether you opt for one of our bespoke or standard modular solutions, you will get a high-quality product which will not damage your flat roof; both types are guaranteed to be non-penetrative.

Roof-Pro can also supply a range of other specialist equipment for flat roofs, including ventilation pipes, rainwater outlets and drain guards and grills. If you would like to learn more about any of our products, follow the link above.