Designs of Roofing

Gable Roof

• One of the most common roofing styles is the gable, a two-sided inverted "V" creating a slope and straddling the top of the building. Eaves, or gutters, run along the rim of the gable. The surface side of a gabled roof is called the eave, and the "rake" side exposes both eaves. The rake does not have guttering as there is no roof to intersect the façade. A variation is the A-Frame house in which the roofing comes down almost to the ground and serves as walls and a roof. A steep gable roof is preferred in areas with heavy snow, in wooded areas where falling leaves are plentiful and in rainy climates.

Hip Roof

• A hip roof is designed to cover all facades of a building. If you can see gutters or an eave line completely around all lower edges of the roof, it is a hip roof. Hip roofs are preferred in high-wind and hurricane-prone climates as the winds bounce around the roof and the wind force is less likely to pull it from its frame. Attic storage is lessened with a hip roof.

Flat Roof

• Flat roofs are the least expensive of roofing styles. They can be covered with a variety of materials and are easily accessed for repairs. A minor slope is incorporated into a flat roof for drainage, and a parapet, or small wall, usually surrounds it to protect equipment that sits on the roof. Flat roofs are high maintenance and must be inspected often to keep the drains clear and to prevent pooling of water. They must be replaced more frequently than other roof styles.

Gambrel Roof

• A gambrel roof is a combination of a gabled and a hip roof. It is most often used when a dormer window is incorporated into the roofing design. The slope of a gabled roof is interrupted by a jutting window that has its own roof attached or has a more severely angled roof continuing down to the eaves. This style is often associated with Dutch Colonial architecture and is most common in British and American Colonial style homes.

Mansard Roof

• French renaissance architecture popularized the mansard roof. This style is four sided and combines a hip roof with inset gambrels. The top roof is sloped and extends into a deeper sloped second roof into which dormers are inset. A mansard roof expands the interior space of a building, utilizing wasted attic space. French property taxes were calculated by space extending up to the roof line. A mansard roof extended the living space without having to pay additional taxes.

Salt Box Roof

• A gabled roof that sweeps further downward on one side and ends lower than the other slope is known as a salt box roof. These are used in homes that are adjacent to seas, where high winds slide up the longer slope of the roof and over the top. Homes with rear additions also use salt box roofs as a continuation of the original roof line.