a guide to a "pitch-perfect" roof

A Guide to a “Pitch-Perfect” Roof


Understanding Roof Pitch and Its Place in Home Design

PART 1

When it comes to building your home, there are countless things to consider in order to make it comfortable for you and your family to live in. From the ceiling to the floor, as well as your home’s exterior, all these are equally important aspects of home design that have to be carefully planned. There is one thing, however, that seems to be taking a backseat in home design and planning, but should actually be given

more priority, and that is the steepness of a roof.

When it comes to building your home, there are countless things to consider in order to make it comfortable for you and your family to live in. From the ceiling to the floor, as well as your home’s exterior, all these are equally important aspects of home design that have to be carefully planned. There is one thing, however, that seems to be taking a backseat in home design and planning, but should actually be given

more priority, and that is the steepness of a roof.



LET’S TALK ABOUT ROOF PITCH

For many Americans (and Canadians) the steepness of a roof is called the “pitch”. It is one of the key attributes of a roof. When you decide on a particular steepness, you will be able to determine the following:

Span

Pitch or Slope

Run

Rise

▲ what materials you can use for your roof ▲ the number and size of materials that you need to use

▲ how much you need to spend on future replacement costs

In addition, many roofing contractors use roof pitch to quickly calculate their customer’s roof area.

HOW IS ROOF PITCH MEASURED?



The first thing you should remember is that the slope of your roof is a measure of its incline or steepness. In order to compute for the pitch, you need to know the measurements for the rise (how tall the actual roof is) and the run (the horizontal distance from the edge of a roof to the highest point of the roof).

Why? Because the formula for the pitch or slope is the number of inches of vertical rise per foot (that’s twelve inches) of horizontal distance (also known as run). Example: Four inches rise per 12 inches is written down as 4/12 or 4 in 12.

OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OF ROOF PITCH

Angle – Slope can also be represented as an angle, so if you have a 4/12 pitch, that’s equivalent to 18.43° slope.

Percent – Also known as grade, you calculate (rise / run) x 100. Therefore, if it’s 4/12, you have a pitch of 33.33% or grade.


Steep, Low, or Flat: Determining the Right Slope

for Your Home

PART 2

The slope of a roof is one of the most important considerations when building a new roof for your home. If you’ve read the first part of our blog series, then you would have already learned about how the steepness of a roof is measured. You are now also familiar with the rise, run, span, and area of a roof. If not, then it would be best to read that before jumping on to this one. Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to know the right roof slope that you’re going to have for your home.

The slope of a roof is one of the most important considerations when building a new roof for your home. If you’ve read the first part of our blog series, then you would have already learned about how the steepness of a roof is measured. You are now also familiar with the rise, run, span, and area of a roof. If not, then it would be best to read that before jumping on to this one. Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to know the right roof slope that you’re going to have for your home.


Steep, Low, or Flat: Determining the Right Slope for Your Home

CHOOSE YOUR ROOF SLOPE WISELY

The slope of a roof plays a crucial role in shaping the character of any dwelling. However, not every roof type works for every application or preference. It is important to find the right pitch for your home if you want to get the most out of your investment.

THERE’S A PITCH FOR EVERY PERSONALITY

The pitch can affect several things in your home, such as the drainage, roof maintenance, roofing materials. What protection or feature you get depends on what steepness you choose for your home, so let’s see what options are available to you:

▲ Steep roof - Slopes that are generally steeper often last longer than those low sloped or flat roofs because their high pitch allows water to run off faster, avoiding ice dams. Steep roofs are quite a vision to behold, with a pitch that exceeds 9/12.

Go For It If… You’re okay with spending more for the extra materials needed (to build a steeper slope) or if you’re prepared to undergo a more complex roofing process, not to mention riskier for roof installers.


Steep, Low, or Flat: Determining the Right Slope for Your Home

▲ Flat roof – If the pitch is 2/12 or lower, it is already considered as a flat roof, despite the fact that technically, there is still a degree of steepness in the roof. You will see these types on many houses with contemporary styles.

▲ Medium slope – Roofs with medium or conventional slopes have a pitch that is anywhere between 4/12 and 9/12. These types are widely used in residential houses.

▲ Low slope roof – Low slope roofs, on the other hand, are commonly applied in commercial buildings and have a pitch of 3/12.

The key to determining the right pitch is to find the right balance between your vision and what is best suited for your home. This means considering the environment, local weather, and the roofing materials that you will be using.


Selecting the Right Roofing Material for a Specific Slope

PART 3

The roof is probably the most prominent external feature of any home. Ask your friends and neighbors what they first notice when visiting your home and they would probably answer your roof. Other answers would be your doors and windows, but your roof is pretty

much the external focal point of your home.

The roof is probably the most prominent external feature of any home. Ask your friends and neighbors what they first notice when visiting your home and they would probably answer your roof. Other answers would be your doors and windows, but your roof is pretty

much the external focal point of your home.



A huge part of what gives a roof its personality is the pitch. Also called the slope, the pitch is the steepness of the roof. Our two previous posts have stressed (1) its importance in home design and in prolonging the roof’s lifetime, as well as (2) the different types of pitches found in buildings. Our main focus now is on helping you find the right material for the particular roof slope that you will have for your home.

GETTING IT RIGHT

Roof material selection is very much dependent on a roof’s pitch. We know that there are low, medium, and steep slopes, as well as flat roofs that have little to no slope at all, but how do you know which materials are okay for a particular slope?

▲ For starters, single-ply rolled roofs such as torch-down systems are often used in low to flat roofs, but are not appropriate nor are they recommended for high-slope applications.

▲ Built-up (tar and gravel) as well as sprayed polyurethane foam are designed for flat and low-slope roofs,

▲ Green roofs are perfect for flat-pitched roofs, although there are new technologies that seem to allow green roofing for roofs with a pitch of up to 7/12.



▲ Popular roofing materials like shingles, slate, clay, and tiles are ideal for conventional and steep roofs but are not compatible with flat or low-slope roofs. This is why you don’t see homes that use shingles and tiles with flat roofs.

▲ Metal is good for just about any roof pitch. If you have a low-slope roof, standing seam roofing would be best for you, although it might need machine seaming to prevent water from seeping through the gaps or layers.

Now, you may just be in the process of building your dream house, or you could be one of those homeowners undergoing a full roof replacement. Either way, it is important that you select the right material for your roof and make sure that it is compatible with the pitch of your roof.


Bill Ragan Roofing & Associates, LLC938 4th Ave. South Nashville, TN 37210

(615) 242-0333www.BillRaganRoofing.com

http://www.BillRaganRoofing.com

a guide to a "pitch-perfect" roof

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