Characteristics and Basic Roof Styles

Roofing specialists know that the only limitations to the number of possible roofing styles are the human imagination, the laws of physics, and the homeowner's budget. You can often see several styles of roof combined in a house. Roofing specialists, however, agree that there are some more common roof styles than others, which we will review next.

Gable style - They are gable roofs. It is one of the most common styles in homes in the USA. They are easily identifiable because they have two slopes and the ridge extends throughout the length of the house. The lower edges of the roof are called the eaves and the sloping edges the gables or rakes.

Hip Roof Style - An experienced roofing company can make these roofs that have four slopes. They are also very common in American style homes. There are two types of hip roof. The basic hip roof has a ridge level that does not extend up to the outer walls. Instead, four sloping beams are placed diagonally downward for each corner. The other is the complete hip roof which does not have a real crest, but the hip beams join to form a line at the top of the roof

Style Mansard - This style was invented by the French when owners began to have to pay more taxes according to the height of the building. They are short steep roofs that frame the perimeter of a semi-flat or flat roof. In some cases, they are built too vertical, which causes problems in the installation of roof covering materials.

Flat style - They are never really flat since they have a discrete slope known as "Pitch", which is the term used to describe the degree of slope of the roof. The typical slope would be ¼ inch for each foot length (less than 10%). They usually also have a small eave around the perimeter to prevent water from draining or dripping to the walls.

Shed style. It is a roof with only one slope, more inclined than the flat roofs. They are normally used for additional rooms to the main structure, in which case there is a potential danger in joining the shed style roof with the main structure if the Roofing Company is not adequately waterproofed. Another problem with this type of roof is the risk of freezing the lower end of the roof.

Barn style -They are usually associated with granary but are not infrequent in households. They have two slopes, convex, each of which gradually changes its degree of inclination.

Style dormer window - It is commonly used to refer to the combination of roof and windows. In this style the windows are incorporated to the roof, breaking the symmetry of it.

Style dome - They are small structures built on top of a roof, often to provide light to the interior. They usually use windows or materials that allow the passage of a certain amount of light.

Conical style - They are often used to cover Towers. They are often very steep and end up in a sort of beak. The contours of the slopes can be rounded or flat forming polygonal figures.