Roofs of houses - 11 varieties, their features, advantages and disadvantages

When building your own home, it is important to protect it from the negative effects of climate and weather, as well as to give it a pleasant aesthetic appearance. In all this, the roof of the building plays an important role.

Different types of roofs, based on their size, shape and design, require a preliminary calculation. Then - the use of appropriate building and facing materials.

I will tell you what types of roofs there are in general, what are their features, advantages and disadvantages.

When choosing one or another type of roof at home, consider not only its characteristics, practicality and service life.Take into account the appearance of the roof from an aesthetic point of view.

Types of roofs by slope angle

Based on their slope angle, the roofs of private houses can be flat or pitched.

View 1. Flat design

A flat roof is a structure whose slope angle is 0–5°. Until recently, such roofs for their own houses were practically not used.

Maintaining a flat roof is difficult.:

1. During the rainy season, water accumulates and stagnates on it.
2. In winter, a snow cap builds up. It has to be removed by hand.

However, a flat roof is not without advantages.:

1. She has no truss system, therefore, during its construction, building materials are saved.
2. Horizontal additional area can be put to good use. For example, lay out a flower garden or garden on the roof, equip a sports or playground, build a swimming pool, etc.

View 2. Roof with slopes

In a pitched roof, the slope angle is 5° or more.. To create it, a truss system is used.

Pitched roofing is practical. In the rainy season and in winter, water and snow do not accumulate on it. Precipitation quickly descends on an inclined surface. The main types of pitched roofs:

• lean-to;
• gable;
• gable attic (broken line);
• four-slope hip;
• four-slope semi-hip;
• four-pitched hipped and conical.

The most popular roof structures

The demand for different types of roofs is explained by the local climate, the ease of construction and the cost-effectiveness of the structure, as well as its aesthetics. What types of roofing for private houses are the most popular?

View 3: Flat surface roof

Now the demand for flat roofs of private houses has grown significantly. This is due to the growth of the well-being of our citizens and the development of building technologies.

Due to the horizontal surface, a flat roof significantly expands the useful area of ​​​​the house:

1. Here you can arrange sports ground, swimming pool, summer kitchen, garden, etc.
2. This is a great place to accommodate solar panels, utilities, satellite dishes and other equipment.
3. area can can also be used for commercial purposes, for example, to arrange a summer cafe on the roof.

Flat roof - the best solution for places with a warm climate. But even in the cold regions of Russia, this design can be used if removable canopies are used.

They will protect the used area or the entire roof from precipitation. There are many types of awnings, but the best ones are glass or plastic. It will provide additional rooms of the house with daylight.

1. Drainage is a problem for flat roofs. But it's easy to solve. The roof surface should have a slight (3–4°) slope. Through it, rainwater will flow to the drainage system. They settle down inside and outside the house.

The best option is to build a storm drain into the internal sewerage of the building. However, here it is necessary to take into account the amount of precipitation in your area and select the appropriate section of the pipeline.

2. flat the roof has another problem - thermal insulation. For example, it is difficult in the summer to cope with the heating of residential premises. Therefore, between the ceiling of the rooms and the roof, you will need to lay heat-insulating material and equip ventilation ducts.

View 4. Roof with two slopes

Gable roof - one of the most common in our country. This is a structure formed by two inclined slopes in the form of rectangles. They rest on walls with the same height.

The triangular space outlined by the slopes and the wall on the facade of the building is called a gable. Therefore, a gable roof is often called "gable".

Mounting it is more difficult than a single-sided counterpart. But its functionality is better - it copes with precipitation and wind more easily. And the choice of roofing material for it is much wider. From an aesthetic point of view, a roof with two slopes looks better than with one.

The disadvantage of a conventional gable roof - you can not effectively use her attic.

View 5. Broken roof

This gable roof has broken slopes. This form of roof increases the usable area of ​​the attic and makes it possible to equip it with a residential attic.

A mansard roof is the most economical solution for getting extra space in your home. In a residential attic, you can place a bedroom, a guest room, a recreation room, etc.

The construction of the attic will require from you to increase financial costs when compared with the construction of a conventional attic. There are two reasons for this:

1. You will need to insulate the roof under the living space. Thermal insulation material is attached to the inside of the rafters. From the outside, a crate is stuffed, on which the roofing is mounted.
2. Additionally, money will have to be spent on complicating the roof truss system.. It should not have stretch marks and struts that interfere with the use of the room. They are replaced in a sloping roof by racks and braces under the attic ceiling.

You will also need to strengthen the truss system due to the multi-layered roofing pie. To do this, you will have to increase the number of rafters and reduce the step between them.

View 6. Roof with hips

A hip roof is a design option with four slopes.. The two lateral inclined planes have a trapezoidal shape. Two frontal slopes are made in the form of triangles. They are called hips.
In the construction of this design, beams with double tightening are used. Gutters are installed on each slope.

Only with a sufficiently steep slope will snow and rainwater come off the roof. Therefore, the angle of inclination of the hip structure is 20–45 °.

View 7.Half hip design

The difference between a semi-hip roof and a hip roof consists in the fact that its triangular slopes are truncated. They are located higher than the lateral trapezoidal planes.

The advantage of a semi-hip roof - it is most effective in regions with a strong wind load.

Design flaw - high costs of roofing material in areas adjacent to the roof ribs.

Less popular types of roofs

There are varieties of roofs that have a beautiful appearance, but they are not so popular in domestic construction. The point here may be in their inefficiency or too complex design.

View 8. Roof with one slope

In this design, the truss system relies on walls of different heights. One of the walls is made a little higher than the other, thanks to this, a slope is created.

Advantages of a pitched roof:

1. Low building cost.
2. Precipitation does not accumulate on the roof, flowing smoothly from it.
3. The roof can be covered with inexpensive materials: roofing material, slate, ondulin.

Design flaws:

1. It is impossible to equip a residential attic.
2. The shed roof has a high windage.

View 9. Tent structure

Hipped roof - a design of four identical triangular slopes. At the top they converge to one point.

Such a roof can only cover buildings of a round shape, as well as in the form of a square or other equilateral polygon.

The disadvantage of the tent structure - it is not easy to build it, since the system of rafters is quite complicated.

View 10.Dome and spherical structures

In most cases, only part of the house is covered with a dome. (for example, towers). It is very rare for an entire building to be covered with such a roof.

During the construction of the dome, a frame of curved parts is used. It can be lined with soft roofing materials (bituminous tiles, roofing material, waterproofing) and flexible (sheet iron and copper, polymer tiles).

If you are a lover of antiquity and build your house in the form of a medieval palace, castle, then the domed roof is just for you.

The demand for spherical structures has recently increased. They have beautiful lines and look very good on small buildings: gazebos, indoor barbecues and seating areas.

View 11. Multi-forceps design

A multi-gable roof has a very complex structure and truss system. At its frame at the junction of the slopes, a large number of internal corners (valleys) and external edges are obtained.

This type of roof is optimal for the construction of polygonal houses, which have many different outbuildings, verandas, side attics.

Design flaw - a multi-gable roof is very difficult to construct. You cannot build it on your own. It requires the work of specialists who have experience in the construction of such roofs.

Conclusion

Types of roofs of private houses are very diverse. Choose their design based on the climate in your area, the features of your home and your financial capabilities. The video in this article will help you with the choice. If you have any questions, then ask them in the comments.

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