The roof of the house: types, their design and coverage

Having decided to build your own house, you will need to choose the type of roof. A lot will depend on the correctness of your choice, and above all - the functionality and degree of durability of the building.

The design of the roof is different, depending on its shape, geometry and type of roofing materials. Let me tell you in detail about this most important element of buildings.

Roof types

Give roof design top priority. After all, it transfers the loads from the roofing, truss system, wind and snow to the supporting structures of the house.

Incorrect calculations of the slope angle and the structure of the roof truss frame are fraught with its destruction, and in some cases, the entire building. Therefore, my instruction recommends that you design a roof based on the norms of SNiP No. II-26-76 "Roofs".

There are many types of roofs for individual houses. They are selected based on the climate in the area and the roofing used.

Roof types are classified according to the following criteria:

• by the number of slopes;
• by type of truss system;
• by the shape of the roof;
• by slope angle.

All types of roofs are united by two common nodes - an attic floor and a roofing pie. Based on their slope angle, roofs are divided into flat counterparts and pitched.

What is a flat roof?

Flat roof — it is an almost horizontal and level structure with an inclination of less than 5˚. Such roofs are used on the site for garages, baths, outbuildings, gazebos, country houses. They do not have an attic, they are most often insulated from the inside.

Advantages of flat structures:

1. Additional buildings. Such roofs can be used for additional buildings (winter garden, summer kitchen, greenhouse, swimming pool, etc.). Or equip a playground there for recreation, sports, etc.
2. Minimum expenses. Such structures do not require large expenditures of building materials.

Flat roofs are split into three varieties:

1. Ventilated design. She has a free gap between the layers of moisture insulation and thermal insulation. Due to this, air flows freely to the heater and its current removes excess moisture.
2. Non-ventilated roof on the house. This is a hermetically arranged structure, without the influx of atmospheric air.
3. Inversion roof. In such a structure, the reverse order of installation of the insulating and moisture-proofing layers is used. When thinking about which roof is best for a home, keep in mind that this is the best option for building "green" and exploited roofs.

Features of pitched structures

pitched roof - This is a design with an angle of inclination of 5 or more degrees.

The most common types of such structures are presented in the table.

Image	Pitched roof view
	Shed roof This is the simplest and most economical type of inclined design. The only slope rests on two load-bearing walls of the house, one of which is higher and the other is lower. Like flat counterparts, a shed roof is most often used for warehouses, industrial buildings, garages, utility buildings, bathhouses, etc.
	Roof with two slopes These are two inclined planes resting on external walls of the same height. With each other, the slopes are mated on one side, creating an attic space of various sizes under them. The sides of the building without slopes are closed by gables protecting them. The gable roof can be mounted with a different angle of inclination and the length of the overhangs.
	Broken roof The second name of the design is a mansard roof. Its pair of slopes is formed by two planes. They mate with each other at an obtuse angle. Such structures are built to get a spacious attic space and place a residential attic in it.
	hip roof This type of attic roof has two large trapezoidal and two small triangular slopes. Lateral inclined planes are mated like a gable roof. Where there should be gables, triangular slopes (hips) descend along the ends of the ridge. When small planes do not reach the walls, this type of construction is called half-hip. The advantage of a hip roof is that it is resistant to wind loads.
	Hip roof She has four slopes of the same size. They connect at the top at one point. All slopes have a triangular shape. Thanks to this, the roof looks symmetrical on all sides.
	Combined roof Its second name is a multi-gable roof. It can combine one-, two- and four-slope structures of different types. It is used to cover houses that have many outbuildings, verandas, terraces, etc. Such structures have the most complex design and the highest price.

All types of pitched structures can have different heights. A steep roof makes it possible to equip living rooms in the attic and allows rain and snow to quickly descend from it. Sloping roofs have greater resistance to wind loads.

What should be the frame and roof covering

The design of the roofs of private houses combines many elements. Interacting with each other, they create the necessary protection for the building.

When even one of the roof elements is mounted incorrectly, this negatively affects the durability and strength of the entire roof of the house. It is especially important to correctly equip the truss system.

What is the rafter system for?

The truss system forms roof slope. It consists of a mauerlat, rafter legs, racks, struts, puffs and supports. All this is a frame for the roof and its facing material.

In most cases, the elements of the truss system are constructed from coniferous wood. It has a relatively small mass, a long service life, and its resin protects the material from decay.

Mauerlat - these are bars of large section, which are the support for the rafter system. They are mounted above the outer walls of the house, on both sides of it.

The Mauerlat is fixed to the base with wire, studs or bolts.

A waterproofing material is laid between the timber and the wall. Protecting wood from moisture, it increases its durability. The cross section of the Mauerlat is usually 10 × 15 or 15 × 15 cm.

When thinking about which roof is best for a home, take into account that its rafter system is very significant. She supports the entire roofing pie. Rafters are layered or hanging.

1. If there are supporting partitions or columns inside the building, then layered rafters are installed. They are used for roof spans from 4 to 8 meters. If the gap is greater than these values, then additional supports are placed.
2. Sloped rafters consist of a pair of rafter legs. At one end they rest on the Mauerlat, and at the opposite end they are mated with each other or fixed to the ridge beam.
3. To give rigidity, the rafter pair at the top is connected by a crossbar.
4. The timber or boards for rafters must have a thickness of at least 5 cm.
5. The optimal step between pairs is 100-150 cm.
6. As necessary, supports from pieces of timber are nailed under the legs.

The hanging type of rafters is used when the span between the walls is up to 6 m, and there are no partitions inside the house.They are also used in the construction of the attic, when supports for the rafters are unnecessary.

The hanging structure consists of a pair of rafter legs, which are connected by a horizontal puff. It is fixed to the bar with inclined struts and a vertical stand. Such a knot does not need to be strengthened, due to the fact that the tightening on both sides rests on the Mauerlat.

Types of lathing and roofing

The lathing is stuffed on top of the rafters and is the basis for the roof cladding. Based on what finishing material will be used, the type of crate is selected.

It is sparse and solid:

1. Solid crate mounted by hand if rolled facing material, shingles and other soft or fragile finishes are used. The gaps between the base boards here should not be more than 1 cm.

It is desirable to make a continuous type of crate two-layer and lay a roll of waterproofing between the levels. This gasket will protect the roof frame from moisture and wind.

2. sparse crate used in the installation of durable sheet and piece roofing. It can be ceramic and metal tiles, asbestos-cement and bitumen-cellulose slate, profiled flooring, etc.

Since here the loads on the individual elements of the crate increase, I recommend using timber or boards with a thickness of 2.5 cm or more. The step between the rails should not be more than 0.6 m.

The selected roofing is laid on the prepared base. It gives the roof a finished and aesthetic appearance.

If the climate in the area is cold, then the roofing cake should contain a layer of thermal insulation. These can be solid styrofoam or extruded polystyrene foam boards, or soft mineral wool rolls.

In the latter case, the insulation will need to be protected with hydro and vapor barrier, since the mineral wool is afraid of precipitation.

Conclusion

Choosing which roof will decorate your home — gable or four-slope, first of all, pay attention to its functionality and efficiency. Do not forget about the appearance of this most important element of the building. The video in this article will help you make your choice. If you want to ask questions, leave them in the comments.

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