If you’re anything like the majority of us, you probably don’t give your roof much thought until it needs to be fixed or even replaced. However, the type or design of your roof can have an impact on the property’s overall worth in addition to how your home looks and feels. Additionally, the sort of roof you have can increase your home’s energy efficiency, waterproofness, and capacity for extra storage or even an attic for extra living space.
When contemplating the purchase of a new piece of land, the construction of a house, or the replacement and modernization of your home’s roof, all of these issues and more should be taken into account. Other important considerations to think about are whether you want to permit solar panels or other energy-saving or “green” elements.
Do you know the specifics of the roofing system on the house you are thinking about buying or the type of roof you currently have? In this article, we will go over some types of roofs you can see being built, as well as their strong sides and possible structural or aesthetical weaknesses.
Gable Roof
A gable roof is the normal pitched triangular roof you see on many modern homes, and it’s certainly what comes to mind when you imagine what a suburban home with the typical triangle-shaped roof lines looks like in most places. As a result of their straightforward construction and simple shape, these kinds of roofs can be relatively inexpensive.
In actuality, most other forms of pitched roofs are based on the conventional or basic gable roof design. If you are building a basic or conventional gable roof, you can use any sort of roofing material, including but not limited to asphalt shingles, cedar shingles or shakes, slate, and clay or concrete tiles. Because of its adaptability, gable roofs are even more economical. Standing seam or metal roofing tiles, however, might be a better option if the roof is more intricate and has hips and valleys because they are more likely to be leak-proof.
There are four primary types of gable roofs:
Side Gable
A side gable roof is referred to as an open gable roof if the middle is left unclosed, or a boxed gable roof if the middle is closed in. The most typical and basic type of gable roof has two sides that are steeply pitched to create a triangle.
Crossed Gable
Two gable roofing sections united perpendicularly or at a right angle form a crossed gable roof, which is typically found on Cape Cod or Tudor-style residences. They might be symmetrical with the same pitch, length, or height, or they can be more asymmetrical to highlight distinct wings or other parts of the house, such as porches, garages, or dormers.
Front Gable
Typically found on Colonial-style homes, a front gable roof is positioned there to draw attention.
Dutch Gable
Last but not least, a Dutch gable roof, also known as a gablet roof, is a combination of a hip roof and a gable style roof that entails adding a gable to a hip roof in order to add interest to the home’s architecture and lend some more attic space beneath the roof. For the best of all worlds, this style of gable roof essentially layers a gabled roof on top of a hipped roof.
Hip Roof
After gable roofs, hip roofs or hipped roofs are arguably the second most popular style of roof.
What are the features that make a difference between a hip roof from a gable roof? While gabled roofs only have two sides, hip roofs have four slopes that combine to form a ridge at the top. Because of this variation, hip roofs are even better suited for snowy areas because the slopes make it simple for water to drain off the roof. Due to the inward pitch on all four sides combining, hip roofs are thought to be more sturdy than gable roofs. Since there is an overhanging eave on all four sides, hip roofs also offer more shade than gable roofs.
Hip roofs frequently have decorative features like front gables to draw attention to a porch or entrance way or dormers or crow’s nests to provide additional living or storage space beneath the roof. They can be made from the majority of common roofing materials, including clay or concrete tiles, standing seam metal, or metal tiles.
Due to their versatility and longevity, hip-style roofs are still extremely popular despite being more expensive than gable roofs due to their more intricate design. In spite of the fact that hip roof framing and overall construction demand more resources and skill, the result is more stability, storage, and living space beneath the roof. Another thing to bear in mind is that the seams around the valleys or dips in the roof will need to be very carefully considered by you and your roofing contractor if dormers or any other special features are added.
Mansard Roof
Mansard roofs or French roofs are a type of roof that have four double-sloped sides that meet to create a low-pitched roof in the middle. These roofs are popular because they allow for easy future expansion construction and are valued for the additional living space, also known as a garret or loft, or attic storage they provide. The sides of that slope may be straight or curved, but they are usually steeper on the lower slope. Concave, convex, and straight angle are just a few of the different silhouettes that mansard roofs can have.
If you intend to use the garret or attic as living space, bear in mind that adding dormer windows are necessary for bringing in light. Higher-end homes might have ornate masonry work, quoins made of wood or stone, other masonry accents, or other trim around the dormers. Due to all the extra elements involved, mansard roofs are often more expensive than other types of roofs, but they may be worthwhile for the future flexibility and value they provide to a property.
Gambrel Roof
Commonly known as barn roofs or barn-style roofs, these roofs have many positive characteristics. Gambrel roofs, as opposed to mansard roofs, have two sloped sides rather than four, creating a somewhat triangular shape for the roof as opposed to a square or rectangle.
This kind of roof offers some extra storage or living space in the form of an attic, loft, or garret in addition to having a steep bottom slope that is virtually vertical and a gentler higher slope. The term “gamberal” or “gamba,” which refers to a horse’s hock or leg in Latin or French, was first used in the United States, but the term “curb” or “kerb” roof is used in Europe.
Butterfly Roof
This particular style of roof has two elevated wings that meet in the midst of a valley, resembling the wings of a butterfly in flight. Since the valley in the middle enables for rainfall to be collected, butterfly roofs can have a dramatic effect and are an excellent choice for homes with contemporary architecture.
In addition to allowing for larger windows, which let in more natural light, butterfly roofs also make it simple to add solar panels, making them a popular choice in locations where this kind of building is appropriate. However, because of how difficult and expensive it is to construct and maintain these kinds of roofs, it is crucial to have a top-notch drainage and waterproofing system.
Skillion Roof
Skillion roofs are single-angled sloped roofs that can be affixed to a taller wall or used in place of a flat roof for a standalone construction. They are also known as shed roofs or lean-to roofs. These roofs are frequently used for extensions to older homes and make a suitable choice for sheds and porches, but they may also be seen on more modern structures as a statement of design.
Skillion roofs provide a number of benefits if your property is in the mountains, the northern Midwest of the UK, or New England because of their slope, which allows for quick water and snow runoff, making them perfect for areas that experience heavy snowfall or rainfall. They are frequently a less expensive option due to their ease of construction. The ideal option for a skillion roof may be standing seam metal roofing, especially because it enables the installation of PV solar panels, which inevitably improve the home’s energy efficiency.
This list of possible roof types is far from being exhaustive, but it’s a solid overview of types of roofs you may consider if you’re looking into building a new house from scratch, or if you’re on a market for a house and you want to know how to name what you’re looking for. We hope that, with the help from this article, you’ll have more appreciation for the covering of your house that is not just a simple barrier between you and the elements, but an integral part of a home.
