ROOF TYPES
If you’re getting a new roof or planning a home addition that will need more roof space, you should be aware of some of the most prevalent roof designs and how they affect your roofing material selection.
Roof Designs, Shapes & Styles
Depending on the construction of a property, the roof may account for up to 40% of the exterior, sometimes playing a significant influence in the overall appearance and curb appeal. When the time comes to construct a new roof, choose roofing materials and shingle colors that suit the form and slope of your roof and the exterior architecture of your house.
Understanding the possible performance and design effects of various roof shapes and slopes will help you select which shingles and roofing materials are ideal for your house in terms of performance and aesthetics.
Pro Tip: Guicho’s Home Improvement. Shingles are suitable for almost all roof designs as long as the roof slope fulfills the minimal criteria. Guicho’s Home Improvement. Provides a variety of roofing shingles in a broad spectrum of colors that suit any roof design and house exterior and are durable to help protect your property from the elements.
Roof Slope
Your roof’s slope serves both a practical and an aesthetic purpose. Water, for example, sheds or runs off faster on a steep slope roof. The roof’s pitch is stated in a ratio depending on the top proportions.
Roofers may use the expression 6 in 12 or a reduced variant such as 6:12 or 6/12. This indicates that the ceiling rises 6 inches vertically for every 12 inches horizontally (or 1 foot). This is readily adaptable to any number. A 4 in 12 sloped roofs will rise four inches vertically and 12 inches horizontally.
Your home’s roof slope, which may range from flat to steep, can assist in creating an intriguing silhouette.
Remember that the greater the slope’s incline, the more
apparent your roof’s surface is from the ground, thus having an even bigger influence on the outside architectural aesthetics of your house.
Most homeowners can trust their roofing contractor with these estimations. However, it is crucial to note that the International Residential Code specifies minimum slope standards for all roof coverings, including asphalt roofing shingles. Your roofing contractor can assist you in making the best decision for your slope.
Although certain roof designs are generally constructed with a specific slope, this is not a hard and fast rule.
8 Common Roof Types
Gable Roof
Consider your very first crayon sketch of a house. You most likely sketched a gable roof. It’s a triangle, with the base atop the home and the two sides rising to meet the ridge. Slopes on gable roofs may range from steep chalet-style structures to mild slopes.
The gable is a prevalent roof form that looks great on many houses. You may dress it up with front gables over your entryways or go with a crossing gable design that comprises two right-angled ridges.
Clipped Gable Roof
The clipped gable roof is also known as a bullnose roof. Clipped gable roofs have the primary form two sides of a gable rising to meet a ridge, although
They also borrow an element from hip roofs: the upper peaks are “bent in,” generating little hips at the extremities of the roof ridge.
These hips provide an intriguing architectural aspect to houses and assist in displaying high-performance, designer shingles.
Dutch Gable Roof
The Dutch gable roof is another hybrid incorporating gable and hip roof design components. A small gable roof, or “gablet,” sits above a hip top.
The gable part increases attic space and may even be outfitted with windows for additional light.
Gambrel Roof
Consider a gambrel roof to be a typical red barn with white trim. It has two slopes on either side, one steep and one mild. Depending on the design, the top level may be used as an attic room or a loft. By adding windows to the sides of the gambrel roof, natural light can be brought in, and the top level may be used more effectively.
The steep parts of gambrel roofs are quite apparent. Therefore homeowners should take their roofing shingles into careful consideration.
Hip Roof
A typical hip roof is made up of four equal-length slopes that come together to create a simple ridge. There are variants, such as a half-hip with two shorter sides and eaves.
If you have a hip roof, you’ve noticed that most of the roof may be seen
when you look at your home. Because a hip roof is so prominent, the kind and color of roofing shingles you place on it will have a significant role in the overall appearance of your house.
Roof Mansard
The Louvre Museum in Paris is an excellent example of a mansard roof, a traditional design in French architecture. The lowest slopes of this four-sided design with double slopes are quite steep and may be flat or curved.
Despite its origins in France, the mansard roof soon gained popularity in the United States. With an abundance of internal attic space and various windows, the form allows homeowners to fully use the top level, and it looks particularly nice when dormers are added.
Pro Tip: Choosing architectural shingles in a slate-like form, such as Guicho’s Home Improvement. Shingles may enhance the old-world appeal of this roof design even more.
Shed Roof
If you like contemporary house ideas, a shed roof will likely appeal to you. This “lean-to” design looks like half of a typical gable roof. The shed roof, traditionally used for porches and expansions, now adorns the whole building in ultra-modern homes. Most shed roofs have modest slopes, with 4 in 12 or less being the most frequent. However, higher slopes can accelerate water flow.
Homes with shed roofs are often one-of-a-kind buildings that represent the owners’ taste and individuality. Shed roofs offer unique window arrangement options, ranging from little rows of glass panes right under the roof to enormous picture windows across the front of the house.
Flat Roof (Low Slope Roof)
Most people think of strip malls and industrial buildings when they think of flat roofs. However, many mid-century modern architects experimented with flat rooflines between 1945 and 1970, building dream houses for movie stars and affluent company owners. Flat roofs complemented the period’s aesthetic, blending in with the surroundings and allowing for big open floor layouts. Some houses have a little flat surface area while the remainder of the roof is gable or hip. A flat roof may also be used in extensions to create additional second-floor living space.
Remember that flat does not always imply level; there must be some inclination to allow for water drainage.
Pro Tip: Flat roofs (low-slope) are very sensitive to leaks. Thus they must be completely waterproofed and coated with an appropriate material, such as a self-adhered, multi-ply, SBS-modified bitumen membrane system, a PVC, TPO, or rubber membrane.
How Do You Select Roofing Shingles for Your Roof Style?
We’ve broken down typical roof forms into sub-types that may be used in combination designs. They may aid you in making the right best shingle decision.
Drive around neighborhoods, look at homes online, and read publications to select a roof design and color that matches your ideal home.
Consider your immediate surroundings. Depending on your personality and external design objectives, you’ll be able to blend in or stick out.
Additionally, construction rules or HOA limitations may limit your alternatives, so do your homework before beginning any renovation.
Home Improvement by Guicho. Shingles may be utilized on all roof types except for particular roof slopes. Guicho’s Home Improvement provides roof color and design options. To show how your roof may appear in different shingle designs and colors and to assist you in matching the top to the outside of your house.
Once you’ve decided on a style, speak with an experienced independent roofing contractor in your area of Guicho’s Home Improvement. They can help you choose the appropriate
shingles for your roof design and may give you an estimate and roof financing options.
