Rooftop — the best square metres in your home that you're not using

A water tank, an air conditioning unit, a few old storage boxes, some dying potted plants — that's the reality of most rooftops in Vietnamese townhouses. A space with an open sky view, better airflow than the floors below, quieter — yet turned into an outdoor storage room. In 2026, people are starting to realise: this is the most valuable square metre they're wasting.

Key highlights

• Context: The trend of turning rooftops into living spaces is going viral on TikTok in 2026 — from rooftop gardens to outdoor café corners.
• Problem: Every time you need the toilet, you have to go down 2–3 flights of stairs — which is exactly why the rooftop can't yet function as a complete living space.
• Solution: SFA Pumps macerators allow toilet installation on the rooftop without floor drilling — pumping through a slim pipe along the wall to the drain below.
• Result: The rooftop becomes a fully independent living space with complete amenities.

The rooftop trend in 2026 — a revolution right above your head

On TikTok recently, rooftop renovation videos are racking up thousands to tens of thousands of views. People are transforming the top floor of their townhouses into:

• Rooftop gardens — fresh vegetables, flowers, mini fruit trees
• Outdoor café corners — rattan furniture, string lights, lush greenery
• Weekend BBQ decks — outdoor grills with no smoke inside the house
• Yoga and meditation spaces — mats, plants, soft music, open sky
• A second living room — an intimate outdoor space for friends

And here's something worth knowing: rooftops are often cooler than the floors below in the evening — thanks to better air circulation and less heat trapped in the walls. In Saigon summers, the rooftop at 8–9pm can actually be more comfortable than the ground-floor living room, even with the air conditioning on.

The one thing stopping your rooftop from becoming somewhere you actually want to stay

You've made the investment: good furniture, string lights, a few new potted plants. You're sitting up there on a quiet evening with a coffee, a breeze, a wide-open view... but every time nature calls, it's 2–3 flights of stairs down to the toilet.

By the time you get back up, the mood of the evening is gone. And if you have friends sitting with you — that's not a great experience for anyone.

Installing a toilet on a rooftop the traditional way is an extremely difficult problem: large drainage pipes have to run through multiple floors, affecting the structural integrity of the building, driving up construction costs — and the rooftop itself is 

Read more: From 1 July 2026, building permits waived: the right time to renovate your home

The solution: slim pipe along the wall, no floor drilling, no leaks

No floor drilling required — if you use an SFA Pumps macerator.

Instead of large pipes running through multiple floors, the macerator pushes wastewater through a slim Ø22–32mm pipe running along the exterior wall or inside a small conduit down to the drainage connection. No penetrating the slab, no structural damage, no risk of leaks. The pump can push against gravity — up to 5m vertically or up to 100m horizontally.

How does it work in practice?

• Choose a corner of the rooftop for a small WC — build a lightweight partition or use a compact prefab cabin
• Mount the Saniaccess 2 behind the toilet, add a washbasin if needed
• Run the slim Ø28mm pipe along the wall down to the home's main drainage connection
• Installation completed in one day — no dust, no disruption to the floors below

Read more: Sanitoilet - Install a toilet wherever you want!

Which rooftops are suitable?

• Floor area of 15m² or more — enough to fit a separate WC corner
• Able to screen off a small area with a lightweight partition or roof cover
• Access to a 220V power outlet (or a simple extension run up)

Read more: Case study: rooftop renovation into a functional living space

6 ways to turn your rooftop into a complete living space

Once the toilet problem is solved, here are 6 directions you can take:

1. Rooftop café corner — rattan chairs, string lights, a compact WC tucked neatly at the back
2. Kitchen garden + morning retreat — grow your own herbs, enjoy coffee surrounded by a mini garden
3. Open-air summer bedroom — hammock, mattress, light wind screen, full amenities
4. Outdoor workout space — fresh air, open room, add a small shower corner
5. Weekend BBQ deck — outdoor grill, long table for friends, toilet right there on the floor
6. Airbnb experience space — turn the rooftop into a unique room that guests actually want to book

Conclusion

Turning a rooftop into a living space isn't a far-fetched idea — it just needs one decision and a practical solution to the amenities problem. With SFA Pumps, a toilet on the rooftop is no longer impossible.

→ Contact SFA Pumps: 0977.889.364 — book a free rooftop consultation.