Get to know your home. What type of roof do you have?
Gable, hip, gambrel, mansard the shape of the roof indicates that the house is connected to the earth and sky.
The most common type of roof is the gable roof. Gabled roofs, the shapes of houses and building
materials drawn by children in Monopoly games, can be found in almost every culture.
Although this roof type is inexpensive and easy to make, I don’t think its simplicity explains its
popularity. Instead, we believe that the images that elevate us to the sky speak of optimism and
hope. Perhaps this is why many churches use gable roofs to cover their meeting spaces.
And lest you think gable roofs are just for traditional style homes, their simple shapes and forms
make them easily adaptable to more modern aesthetics.
Gable goes mobile, micro and mod. https://kdroofers.com
Another common roof type is the hipped roof. Unlike a gable roof, this roof is sloped on all sides,
cradle and hold down the house. In this way, we talk about the horizontal plane that binds the house
and the land. It’s no surprise that it’s the favorite roof type of TVET College architects.
A hip roof is another simple and easily built roof that sheds water efficiently. However, unlike the
gable roof, this roof eliminates the large space of the outer wall. This can be a cost-effective option
as it can reduce the amount of exterior siding or other finishes. But I wouldn’t choose it simply for
that reason.
Rather, they opt for a hip roof to keep the house low and level, allowing it to rest softly on the
ground.
The type of roof that retains the traditional aesthetic is the gable roof. This roof has multiple slopes,
unlike a gable which has a single slope on each roof face. A steeper slope follows the shallower
slope in the roof structure. The advantage of this roof type is that it provides more interior space
under the roof than a gable roof.
Gambrel roofs have been popular for sheds, but they can also give a home elegance and
considerable exterior height.
Older roofs have multiple slopes, whereas barn roofs only have one slope. Starting low and high,
this roof is surprisingly simple to design and construct. This is the ideal roof type for wide views
or lots of sunlight you want to bring into your home.
The barn roof also creates a dramatic interior space by allowing the underside of the roof structure
to be the ceiling of the room. And the barn roof with a high wall on one side lets in plenty of
sunlight and offers skyward views.
The deep overhang of the shed roof accentuates the flat nature of the roof and creates a shading
that allows winter sun to enter the house while blocking summer sun.
One of the more interesting roof structures is the butterfly roof. This roof is like two barn roofs
that meet above the house in the shape of butterfly wings. Used on more modern style homes, this
roof type allows for two tall exterior walls opposite each other.
If the low point of the roof is lower than the inside of the house, this can be a disadvantage as it
can cause water leaks if not properly constructed. However, it can be considered an advantage if
used for water collecting purposes.
A really cool attribute of a butterfly roof is that the exterior walls are taller, allowing views and
light into the home. Another welcome feature is that it can be used to create a sheltered exterior
space under a roof that fits into the overall structure of the house.
As roofing materials improved and modern aesthetics became popular, low-slope roofs came into
use. Low-slope roofs, also called flat roofs, are not completely flat because they require a slight
slope for drainage. Think of this roof as analogous to a shower floor. Regardless of whether it has
a center drain or drains along the edges, the shower floor or roof should be sloped for good
drainage.
In many ways, this roof isn’t a roof, at least not visually. It disappears visually, allowing the exterior
walls of the house to become the dominant architectural feature. So, whether the design intent is
to create a low-slope, flat house, or if you need a wrought and precise Euclidean aesthetic, you
should consider a low-slope roof.
A more traditional style of roof that has been used for centuries is the mansard roof. Its refined
aesthetic belies its reputable departure from French cities in response to tax policies.
In a sense, this roof is more like a wall than a roof with near-vertical slopes on all sides of the
house. Although it is called an ‘attic’, it makes full use of the interior space on the upper floor,
which can be a living room.
Traditionally used primarily in urban environments, mansard roofs became popular on 19th-
century American cottages, probably because of the fascination with French culture and design. I
like to think that mansards became popular because they gave a sophistication to even the shabbiest
homes and buildings built at the time.
There are many more roof types, including barrel vault, domed, Dutch gable, and awning. All
perform the function of shedding water and keeping the interior dry, but each exhibits a different
design aesthetic and thus has a different relationship between home and earth and sky.
Learn more about roof styles, materials and their impact on home design. https://kdroofers.com
Nitharsana
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published.
