The type of roof on your house significantly impacts its look, feel, and overall value. It can also affect your home’s energy efficiency, ability to withstand the elements, and potential to provide additional storage or living space.
Are you planning on buying or building a new home soon? If so, it’d be great to learn about the various styles and types of residential roofs. Fortunately, we’ve done the homework for you. With so many options available, we’ve narrowed them down to three of the most common types. Here’s a quick overview of each, plus their pros and cons.
Flat roofs aren’t completely flat, as their name might suggest. They’re fitted at a very low pitch at a nearly horizontal level. The slight slope is crucial to allow rain and snow to drain. However, there are better options than flat roofs for rain or snow-heavy climates.
Durability is one of the key selling points of flat roofs. They’re one of the longest-lasting roof styles on the market, typically lasting up to 50 years. And since flat roofs allow installing some HVAC components, they can save valuable square footage for homeowners living in crowded quarters.
Many flat-roofed homes have a design that allows the roof to be used as an extra outdoor living space. This makes them ideal for a gathering area, grilling space, or rooftop deck.
Flat roofs are available in three main varieties:
Membrane: This flat roof has a sheet of material, for example, rubber, that lies horizontally on the roof. The membrane can be glued or held in place by weights.
Modified bitumen: This type of roof features a mixture of rubber, plastic & fiber.
Built-up: This flat roof consists of various layers of building materials, chiefly ply sheets, tar, and gravel.
The Pros:
– They provide a unique design not found in most homes.
– They allow you to add floors to your home.
– They allow for large, wide-open floor plans.
The Cons:
– They’re highly vulnerable to leaks which require proper sealing.
– They need a little more maintenance to keep the sealant (tar, rubber, etc.) in place and prevent leaking.
Gable Roofs
Gable roofs feature a pair of slopes below a ridge, creating a triangular roof frame. You can customize the roof’s shape by changing the slopes’ angle, adjusting the slopes’ layout, or combining at least two gables.
Gable roofs drain water and snow quickly, but they’re more vulnerable to damage caused by wind or hurricanes.
Common types of gable roofs include:
Dutch gable: This hybrid of a gable roof placed on a hipped roof creates extra space and increases the aesthetic appeal.
Crossed gable: These are two sections of a gable roof meeting each other at a right angle.
Front gable: This is a gable roof installed above the entrance of a home. This style is common in Colonial-style homes but catches on in different types.
Side gable: This simple pitched roof features two equal panels set up at an angle and meeting at a centrally-located ridge. The triangle section is either left open (open gable) or enclosed (boxed gable).
The Pros:
– Their basic design makes them effortless to install
– They offer a timeless look, perfect for any new building.
– Their high pitch facilitates quick drainage of water and snow.
The Cons:
– Not ideal roof style to withstand severe weather–strong winds can blow them off.
– Their simple design doesn’t make them stand out.
Hipped roofs feature four sides that come together to create a ridge. They’re the most stable style of roofs because weight is distributed evenly around the base.
They also have a shape that’s more resilient against heavy rains and strong winds, making them perfect for people who live in areas prone to severe storms.
One popular variant of hipped roofs is the cross-hipped roof. It’s made up of a pair of intersecting roofs that create a “T” or “L” shape.
Hipped roofs feature a narrow-angle pitch that offers additional attic space, allowing homeowners to turn their attic into a living area.
The Pros:
– The four sides enhance stability and let rainwater run off easily
– These roofs can provide a lot more extra attic space, depending on their size
– All four sides can feature downspouts and gutters, enhancing water and snow drainage
– Works with a range of shingles or roofing materials
– These roofs have curb appeal.
The Cons:
– Their complex design and huge surface area make them more complicated & expensive to install
– They’re flat-sloped, so they can’t provide extra space in the attic.
– They may need additional ventilation features in the attic.
The type and style of roof you want to install in your home can make a massive difference in how your home looks, how it’s protected, and how long the roof will last.
Here are crucial factors to consider in order to choose the right roof type and style for your home.
– Your area’s weather and climate.
– How long do you intend to live in the home.
– Whether you’d like to make additions in the future.
– The level of maintenance you’re ready to put in.
– Your budget.
There you have it! These are three of the most popular types of roofs in residential buildings. Once you learn more about them and their pros and cons, you should make a more informed choice that best suits your budget and needs.
After deciding which roof type to install in your home, you should start looking for the right roofing contractor. Pick the right roofer for your new home because your decision will arguably be more critical than choosing the roof itself.
