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What Types Of Roofs Are There

Top 6 Roofing Materials

Modeling 9 Different Types of Roofs in SketchUp – SketchUp Quick Tutorials

From wood shake to asphalt shingles, roofing material is an important consideration that contributes to the overall look and style of your home.

Updating your existing roof allows you to add value to your home and communicate your home’s look and feel. While roof framing, preparation and proper installation are always important, the material you choose for your roof can bring the exterior of your home to the next level.

“It’s really an opportunity to upgrade your home in terms of look, style and color,” says Tom Bollnow, senior director of technical services for the National Roofing Contractors Association .

Types Of Roof: A Complete Guide To The Most Common Options

There are so many types of roof out there that it can be hard to know which is which and the style that will best suit your home our guide makes it simple

With such a massive range of types of roof in the world of architecture it can feel overwhelming when it comes to either understanding the style you already have in place, or the design which would most suit your new house.

The roof type you choose will have a huge effect on the final look of your home so it really does pay to get to grips with what your options will be and understand the jargon that relates to this crucial design element.

Our guide to roof types is here to simplify things, laying out the most common options here in the UK, along with the houses they best suit. We have also included a handy terminology explainer to ensure that there is no chance of you feeling befuddled by any information you receive along the way.

How Do Flat Roofs Drain

First of all, a flat roof is never absolutely flat. Wood battens are installed at intervals to allow for a slight slope The water then flows into gutters that take the water to a downspout and away from the foundation. Larger structures like apartment buildings and malls have a drain at the edge of the roof. Pipes carry the water to the downspouts and safely away from the building.

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Roof Styles And Roof Types

By: Author Ryan M.

Roofs are one of the most important parts of any building. They protect us from rain, snow, and other harsh weather conditions. There are many different types of roofing materials that can be used to construct a roof, but there are also basic design principles that should be followed in order to achieve an aesthetically pleasing result.

In this blog post we will take a look at some popular Roof Styles And Roof Types and how they function as well as discuss what you need to know before deciding on which type is best for your project!

What Is A Pyramid Roof

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As you might guess, this is a type of roof that is shaped like a pyramid.

A type of hip roof with no gables or vertical sides, pyramid roofs are usually used for smaller homes like cabins and bungalows, or sheds, garages, or other outbuildings.

Pyramid roofs are popular in hurricane or windstorm prone areas, since they are extremely wind resistant.

They also provide good ventilation and extra storage or attic space, or the interior can be left open for a high ceiling.

The overhanging eaves of a pyramid roof help to improve energy efficiency as well.

Note that pyramid roofs may be costlier to construct and maintain due to the complexity of the roof design, but they do provide the aforementioned advantages.

They can be crafted from nearly any common roofing material including asphalt shingles, composite shingles, metal shingles, slate, clay or concrete tiles, or wooden shingles or shakes.

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Pros: Metal Retrofit Roofing

Refurbishing a metal roof is an easy and inexpensive way to cover an old unused metal roof with a durable membrane.

The main advantage is the cost of modernizing the metal roof. Not only does this material significantly extend the life of the roof, but it is also not as expensive as a traditional metal roof replacement. While having a metal retrofit roof installed over your existing metal roof can extend the life of your roof by up to 20 years, a complete metal roof installation is generally estimated to last between 30 60 years.

During installation, the original metal cover protects the interior of the building so that you can continue with your daily work after work is finished. This protects your employees, your stock and does not stop production.

Customization is also environmentally friendly. Without removing the cover or damaging/dismantling the materials reduces landfill waste and makes the cover an attractive choice for those who respect the environment.

When renovating a metal roof, you can benefit from the reuse of existing roof insulation and additional membrane insulation. This saves energy and ensures a constant building temperature.

Tear Off Or Second Layer

It was once common to lay a new shingle roof over the preexisting layer at least once, or sometimes even twice. This is no longer allowed in some jurisdictions, where complete tear-off of the previous roofing is now required. Even where layering is allowed, applying a new layer of shingles over the old should be carefully considered on the basis of its pros and cons:

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Composite Asphalt Shingle Roof

Composite shingle roofing is the most popular of all roofing materials, found on more than 80 percent of all homes. Composite shingles use either an organic or fiberglass base that is saturated with asphalt, coated on the bottom side with asphalt, and the exposed surface impregnated with small chips of slate, schist, quartz, or ceramic granules.

The vast popularity of shingles owes to the relatively low cost, easy installation, and decent life expectancy. These roofs are normally installed by professional crews, but installation is not out of reach for a skilled DIYer.

Types Of Roofing: Roof Panels

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Essentially, a roofing panel is a large, rigid or semi-rigid roofing unit formed from some type of sheet material.

Panels can be flat, corrugated, or shaped to resemble shingles or tiles. They can be installed with interlocking seams or joints, or they can overlap to shed water like big roof tiles.

Many simple panels are intended for use on canopies, pavilions, and outbuildings like barns or sheds, where minor water intrusion is not considered much of an issue.

High-quality metal panels for residential or commercial roofs consistently outlast and outperform cheaper roofing materials such as asphalt shingles.

Standing Seam Metal

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What Kind Of Roof Should I Get

Naturally, each type of material offers different benefits when roofing in Idaho, and most people decide based on price and preference in the look of the material.

All of these roofing types have an underlaid material under them, whether that is 15 or 30 pound tar paper or 15 or 30 pound synthetic felt. The felt is accompanied by Ice and Water Shield to protect cold surfaces such as eaves as well as in the valleys .

The separate roof types for pitched roofs often found on residential buildings are the following:

Asphalt Shingles

Roof Types: 15 Most Common Styles

If youre building a new home, you have many roof types to choose from each with its own pros, cons, and unique look.

Some types of roofs, like hip roofs, are better suited for windy climates, while options like a standard gable do well in the snow. The best roof shape for your house depends on its architectural style, the local climate, and your budget.

Heres an overview of different roof design styles with pictures.

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Is Metal Roofing More Expensive Than Other Roofing Types

A metal roof will likely cost you around twice the amount of asphalt shingles when professionally installed. DIY installation for either will present roughly the same difference in price. Your metal roof costs will also depend on your exact choice of material. Zinc, stainless steel, tin, aluminum, and copper all have different price points, which weve outlined above.

Types Of Roofing: Shingles

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Shingles can be characterized as units of roofing material which are flat, relatively small, and designed to be installed in an overlapping pattern, most often in horizontal courses.

While shingles can, strictly speaking, be made out of clay or concrete, shingles made from those materials are conventionally referred to as tiles.

A 100 sq. ft. roof area will require around 90 individual asphalt shingles, and as many as 400 wood shingles.

Asphalt Shingles

First manufactured in the early 1900s after someone had the bright idea to cut up asphalt roll roofing into shingle-sized pieces, asphalt shingles are now the most popular type of steep-slope roofing in North America by far.

Attractive due to their light weight, good water-resistance, and most of all their low cost, these shingles are produced in a huge variety of colors, styles, and thicknesses.

Today, asphalt shingles are formed by coating a fiberglass reinforcement mat with an asphalt-based mixture and embedding a protective layer of ceramic-coated mineral granules on the top side of the shingle to prevent UV rays from damaging the asphalt.

Asphalt shingles can perform anywhere from 10 to 50 years, depending on the thickness and quality of the material.

In use as a roofing material for about a century, fiber cement is made by using fibers to reinforce Portland cement.

Originally, these fibers were asbestos, but fiber cement shingles today are manufactured with cellulose and synthetic fibers.

  • Aluminum Shingles

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Common Metal Roofing Materials

Metal roofing is typically made from recycled and recyclable materials. This makes metal roofing a sustainable option in addition to being extremely durable and long-lasting. You can feel good about choosing a metal roof, knowing youve made an environmentally-friendly choice thats worth the cost.

Here are a few of the most common types of metal roofing materials and their pros and cons.

What Is Modified Bitumen Flat Roof Material

Modified Bitumen is when a polymer is added to Bitumen or asphalt to change the properties of it. The two types of polymers used are Styrene-Butadiene- Styrene and Atactic Polypropylene .

SBS modified Bitumen is more of a rubber ashpalt because it is more flexible and elastic than the APP. It also turns into a gooey paste when melted.

APP modified Bitumen is more of a plastic ashpalt because it is firm and more brittle than SBS, but melts into a free-flowing liquid like hot wax.

Modified Bitumen roof system contains two layers the base and cap. The base layer provides waterproofing and a surface for the cap sheet to adhere to.

The base is made out of a sheet of either fiberglass, non-woven polyester, or a combination of the two that is covered in the modified bitumen.

The top layer or the cap is made in a similar manner to the base layer except for the cap is coated in a layer of granules. The same type of granules used on shingles.

There are 3 different ways the cap layer can be adhered to the top of your flat roof.

  • Self-adhesive: This means that each layer has a sticky backside that is covered in plastic. Upon removal of the plastic the layers stick down and seal when the sun hits it.
  • Heat adhesive/welded: This usually involves a propane torch to melt the bitumen and seal it together. SBS and APP act differently when heated.
  • To learn more about Modified Bitumen, you can to view the Pros and Cons list of using Modified Bitumen as a roofing material.

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    Various Roof Types To Accommodate Your Needs

    In any case, now that weve covered various roof types. Some specific applicable cases in which certain roofs are better than others. Established a checklist for choosing the best shingles for you. And provided examples of the top-rated roofing shingles.

    You are well on your way to choosing the best type of roofing for you. Keep in mind that the best roof is the one that accommodates your needs. Climate, budget, and house.

    Regardless of the type of roofing, there is always a chance of it getting damaged. Roofing can be expensive, so make sure that you have proper insurance and coverage to protect you from unseen expenses.

    To find out whats best in your area, check out our roofer locator to help you find the best contractor in your area.

    What Is The Most Commonly Used Roofing Material

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    Asphalt roof shingles are currently the most popular roofing material and are currently used on more than 80% of all residential roofs. Their versatility, ease of installation, and affordability are all among the leading reasons for their popularity. The drawback is that youll have to replace asphalt more often than you would for other roofing systems.

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    Synthetic Rubber Slate Tiles

  • Pros Synthetic rubber slate tiles have a natural appearance. They can cut with a knife to fit more intricate roof styles. The synthetic rubber slate tiles are much lighter than slate tiles. The lifespan of synthetic rubber slate is determined by the type used.
  • Cons The cost of installing synthetic rubber slate tiles is still high but it is lower than natural slate. They are susceptible to damage from satellite dishes, walking on them, or hail. Synthetic rubber slate tiles are not as durable as slate tiles. It can be harder to find a skilled professional that can install synthetic rubber slate tiles.
  • What Is The Cheapest Type Of Roof

    Another category in which asphalt shingles wins is cost. In any case, asphalt shingles are the cheapest roof type to install.

    This is also based on the fact that a coated asphalt shingle meets EnergyStar pre-requisites for the tax rebates, making the overall cost even lower.

    Installing asphalt shingles can be as low as $8000, and this has to be done only once every 20 to 30 years. However, laminated or architectural roofing will cost a bit more.

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    Types Of Roofing: Bitumen

    One of the oldest types of roofing material known, bitumen formed the great bulk of all flat roofing installed in the 20th century.

    With their durable, redundant layers and gravel surfacing, bitumen roofs provide excellent protection against hail and foot traffic.

    Installation commonly requires special kettles for heating mop-applied bitumen , or propane torches for roll products, although these can also be applied using special cold adhesives or even fasteners in some cases.

    Built-Up Roofing

    • Coal Tar Pitch BUR

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    Contents

    A building without a roof is inhabitable. Even if you choose to pay less attention to your roof type, it remains an essential part of building construction.

    A beautifully designed roof also defines the overall look of a house. The shape creates a unique appearance for your home.

    Roofs also provide insulation and ventilating properties. The structure of your roof can determine how energy efficient your home will be.

    Heres a compilation of the best types of roofing, the materials that best go with constructing them, and their pros and cons.

    Go through the list and choose the roof type that best suits your needs.

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    What Are Flat Roofs Used For

    Flat roofs are an old form mainly used in arid climates and allow the roof surface to be used as living space or a residential roof. Whether you have a commercial or residential building, some type of roof covering is 100% mandatory. Flat or low roofs are also common in commercial buildings around the world.

    What Color Roof Is Most Energy Efficient

    White is the perfect roof color for energy efficiency due to the albedo effect.

    The albedo effect is when light and heat are reflected off a lighter surface instead of being absorbed by a darker surface. White roofs or colors with similar light hues will reflect the suns rays instead of absorbing them.

    White or light-colored roofs are proven to be more energy efficient. They offer a drastic reduction of electricity usage during the summer and temperature regulation for a comfortable atmosphere inside the home.

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    What Is A Gable Roof Or Gabled Roof

    A gable roof is the typical pitched triangular roof that you see on many houses in the U.S., and its probably what you think of when you picture what a suburban home looks like in most states with the standard peaked roof lines.

    These types of roofs can be fairly inexpensive and simple to build, since the shape is not complex.

    In fact, the standard or basic gable roof is the design that most other pitched roof types are built upon.

    Basic gable roofs can use all types of roofing materials, including but not limited to asphalt shingles, cedar shingles or shakes, slate, and clay or concrete tiles especially if you are building a standard or basic gable roof.

    This versatility makes gable roofs even more cost-effective.

    However, if the roof is more complex and contains hips and valleys, then standing seam or metal roofing tiles could be a better choice since they are more likely to be leak-proof.

    And if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, it is considered best to use a 10/12 or 40-degree pitch angle for a gabled roof.

    Another reason that gable roofing is popular because the triangular shape allows snow, rain, and ice to slide right off, which is beneficial in most regions.

    The shape also allows for attic storage or even additional living space under the roof, or vaulted ceilings.

    One thing to note is that gable roofs might not be advisable in areas that regularly experience high winds or are located along some of the more common hurricane corridors.

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