JLC • JULY 1996 Although there are several ways to frame a "flat" roof, none of them result in a truly flat roof. Even in mostly dry Southern California, where I have been production framing for over 15 years, you have to create a slight slope to get rid of rain water from the heavy, sudden storms we get. Otherwise, the water will pond and eventually cause leaks. To give the illusion of a perfectly flat roof, many designers add a low parapet around the perimeter of the roof, which conceals the slightly pitched roof behind. The roof surface is designed to direct water to one or more drains behind
