What is Roof Pitch?
The pitch, or slope of your roof, is the angle that your roof sits at. When building a home, deciding how to angle and design your roof may be seen as solely aesthetic when considering how it affects your home. In reality, the type of roof you choose could impact your roof’s longevity and its ability to survive inclement and destructive weather. For example, a steeper pitched roof may perform better in snowier conditions in comparison to a low-sloped roof. You may notice that many homes in your area have similar roof designs, this could be due to a number of reasons, but it most likely is because your area is prone to a certain kind of weather condition that makes that kind of roof the best to have.
What Are the Different Kinds of Pitched Roofs?
Each roof pitch has certain characteristics and benefits that make it more fit for certain areas and homes over others. Most homeowners have a mix of low-slope and high-slope surfaces on their roofs. Your roof type will also partially determine what kind of building materials can be used to make your roof, and thus will affect the design, and cost of your house, and how your roof holds up in general. Let’s break down a few of the most popular pitched roof designs and how they function.
Gable Roof
Being one of the most popular roofs in all of the United States, there is no surprise that this roof is versatile in its application. Due to its triangular shape and its pitch, the gable roof is suitable for rain and snow, as these elements simply roll off the roof as they come down. Gable roofs can be made with a number of materials depending on your climate, making it a great option for many homeowners.
Hip Roof
Hip roofs are angled on all sides of the roof, making them quite suitable for handling intense weather. They have a more complex design overall due to the many inclines all over the roof. This complex design can increase the price of the materials to build the roof, as more cuts are made in the materials to fit each specific area on the roof which produces more material waste. For this reason, more material will need to be purchased to account for the excess that is wasted in the process. This can drive up the cost of building it. However, a hip roof will function well in rain, snow, and high winds.
Dutch Gable Roof
This type of roof combines elements of a gable roof and a hip roof. Miniature gable roofs can be referred to as gablets which sit on top of a typical hip roof to diversify the overall look. Homeowners with this roof type may enjoy more attic space due to the gable portion of the roof and they can also incorporate additional windows into that area for extra sunlight.
Clipped Gable or Jerkinhead Roof
This roof type is a more complex style stemming from both gable and hipped roof designs while tackling some of the challenges that both of these roof types face. This style resembles that of some church roofs and dates back to the late 1700s which is one reason why it is well known and well liked. Jerkinhead roofs have higher wind resistance in areas where severe weather is more common and they have better stability overall. These roofs do have a few setbacks including more difficulties when trying to access the roof and gutters, less attic space and they are harder to ventilate. The cost also goes up with this type of roof due to its unique style.
Hip and Valley Roof
Hip and valley roofs contain, you guessed it, hips and valleys! They have been a staple in the home design industry as of late and can be seen in many subdivisions popping up across the country. The aesthetic of this roof type is what makes it so popular. The visual variety of different elevations may spark more interest in comparison to simplistic roof designs. One thing to consider is that where there are more valleys, there are more areas for debris and water to pool up there is not proper drainage. This can lead to roof leaks if not maintained periodically.
If you think your roof may be due for a cleaning or periodic maintenance, call Advanced at 256-603-9171 and schedule a roof tune-up.
Gambrel Roof
The gambrel roof is a symmetrical, two-sided structure that makes use of multiple slopes on each side. The upper angle on each side is typically less intense than the lower one, which contains a much larger incline. Due to the roof pitch of the gambrel roof variant, it is not viable for use in an area with heavy snow or heavy rainfall. The angles on the top of the roof simply wouldn’t be able to handle rain or snow to an extreme extent. The only real upside to gambrel roofs is that their simplistic design doesn’t call for a large amount of material and they look rather unique when compared to other roof types.
Mansard Roof
This roof shape comes from French architecture and has four sides to its design accompanied by double slopes and steeper lower slopes. These deeper slopes could be flat or curved depending on the design. After originating in France, this roof type became very popular in the United States for its large amount of attic space, options for windows and dormers to be added and the ability to use the upper story to its full potential.
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Who Do I Call About My Roof?
As you can see, the design of your roof can ultimately impact your roof’s overall durability and can affect whether your roof is more likely to withstand intense inclement weather events. The type of roof you choose or have already can determine the appearance of your home and play a part in how much your roofing project will cost depending on the complexity of the design. At Advanced Roofing & Construction, we are able to assist with a wide variety of roofing projects. The pitch of a roof and its design are some of many details that we take into consideration for every job we take on. We offer many roofing services in Huntsville AL including but not limited to: roof replacement, roof repair, roof maintenance, gutter installation and commercial roof services. We operate in Huntsville, Madison, Harvest, Athens, Meridianville, Owens Crossroads and many other locations in North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley. We will take into consideration your roof’s specific needs and customize our recommendations accordingly. We will sit down with you and educate you so that you are equipped to make the right decision about your roof. If you’re in the Huntsville area and in need of a roofing expert, give us a call at 256-603-9171 for more information and a free roofing estimate.