A roof covers a large portion of the visible shell of any home, and its design impacts aesthetics, energy efficiency, attic space, and maintenance needs.
A gable roof looks like a standard triangle and is one of the most common designs. A dormer is an extension of a sloped roof that holds windows. Click here for more info.
Curved Roofs
Curved roofs are dramatic, eye-catching structures that add a stunning “wow” factor to buildings. They are often used to add a modern aesthetic to structures like homes, stadiums, and auditoriums.
They are available in a variety of materials including metal, wood, and concrete. Metal is typically the most popular roofing option for curved roofs due to its durability and low maintenance requirements. Concrete is also an excellent choice for curved roofs because it offers great structural integrity and can be molded into the desired shape.
Depending on the design, a curved roof can be either concave or convex. Concave curved roofs are those that have a symmetrical round appearance, while convex curves are reminiscent of a wave.
When building a curved roof, it’s essential to ensure that the structure is strong enough to support the weight of the roof and resist damage from high winds or other weather conditions. Ideally, it’s best to use an experienced architect when constructing a curved roof to ensure that the design is safe and effective.
M-Shaped Roofs
The M-shaped roof combines the aesthetic of both the gable and hip silhouettes, offering a unique style to single homes and multi-unit dwellings. They’re often used for boosting lighting and air circulation in a home, while also helping water drain into a central gutter system. They can be topped with various materials to complement the design of the building, including copper and zinc metals.
The saltbox roof resembles the shape of a traditional gable but is taller and features a lean-to look on one side. This design is common on Colonial-style buildings and also has the benefit of resisting wind uplift.
The butterfly roof is eye-catching and modern looking, mimicking the wings of a butterfly with two tandem pieces of roofing that meet midway and are angled upwards. This is another roofing style that offers a number of practical benefits, such as providing rooms with ceilings tall enough to allow for large floor-to-ceiling windows and creating a central valley ideal for harvesting rainwater.
Sloped Roofs
A roof is an essential part of a house. It shelters the structure from adverse atmospheric and exposure conditions and enhances the overall personality of the home.
There are several types of sloped roofs available to homeowners. The most popular is a pitched roof. Sloped roofs generally slope downward in one, two or more sections (depending on the design) from the central ridge to the eaves.
The angle of a sloping roof is called the pitch, or its pitch ratio. The ratio is defined as the number of inches a roof rises vertically for every 12 inches it extends horizontally.
A pitched roof can be built with a stick-built rafter system or a truss framing system. Roofing felt is typically used as the underlayment on a pitched roof, although certain climates require additional products like an ice and water shield or self-adhesive rubber. A mansard roof is another type of sloping roof. It has 4 sloping sides and is more prominent in French architecture.
Sawtooth Roofs
This type of roof is characterized by a series of ridges with dual pitches on each side. They usually look like the teeth of a saw and sometimes resemble a row of skillion roofs. Designed to block direct sun penetration while welcoming natural light, this type of roof is commonly used in large industrial buildings like factories.
Unlike conventional roofs, sawtooth roofs allow air to circulate through the building’s interior. As a result, they are more effective in lowering indoor temperatures and providing more ventilation. Additionally, the pitched shape of these roofs increases the performance of solar panels placed on them.
Sawtooth roofs are highly adaptable and can be easily shaped to suit design requirements. They are also cost-effective and have a longer span than other traditional roofs. However, constructing these roofs requires high-strength wood, metal, and concrete materials. As a result, the construction process is more time-consuming and complex than other roofs. Therefore, builders must carefully plan the construction of these roofs. Browse the next article.