Rolling Roof Structure

Rolling Roof Basics

• Rolling roofs, more or less, are roofs that roll. They can roll from side-to-side, or into and out of a specially designed recess. You'll find rolling roofs in greenhouses, observatories and sports facilities. Retractable roofs provide the option of an open-air facility, so that astronomers can observe the sky on a clear night or athletic events can take advantage of good weather.

Roof Structure

• Rolling roofs all contain the same basic structural elements: panels, tracks and rollers. Basically, a rolling roof consists of one or more panels placed on rollers. The rollers, in turn, fit into a track. Rolling the roof requires operating a hand crank or machine.

Roof Types

• The specifics of a rolling roof system depend upon the size and type of roof. For instance, a small, homemade observatory may contain an entire roof that slides to the side. Such a building usually contains a normal roof truss system and an angled roof built on rollers. You roll the entire roof structure to the side with a pulley or crank. Large buildings always have rolling panels instead of a whole rolling roof. On a flat roof, for instance, a pair of panels may cover the center of the roof and roll to the sides to reveal a large opening. Or, on an angled roof, individual panels may roll independently.

Building a Rolling Roof

• A homeowner with some experience in building projects can create a small rolling roof without much trouble. On an existing building, the job may require little more than cutting a hole in the roof, creating a panel and building a track and pulley system. However, when you cut a hole in your roof you need weatherproofing around the sliding roof panel, which requires some technical know-how.