Popular Roof Types for Residential Homes

Gable: The gable roof is a very popular type of roof. The gable roof is easy to build, sheds water well, provides for ventalation, and is applicable to a variety of house shapes and designs.

Hip: The hip roof is slightly more difficult to build than a gable roof, but is still a popular choice. It does not provide for ventalation as well as some other roof designs and increases the chance for leakage due to the hips and valleys.

Flat: A flat roof is the most economical roof to build, but does not add much to the design of most houses. It requires a "built-up roof covering rather than conventional shingles. A built-up roof consists of layers of roofing, felt, tar topped with gravel. Actually, most so-called flat roofs are pitched 1/8 to 1/2 in per foot to aid in drainage. The flat roof is popular in warmer areas of the country where wide overhangs are desirable for shade and where little or no snow falls.

Shed: A shed roof is similar to a flat roof, but has more pitch. It is frequently used for additions to existing structures or in combination with other roof styles. A built-up roof is generally required unless the roof has a pitch of over 3:12 ( three feet of rise for each 12 feet of run)

Winged Gable: The winged gable is a standard gable with each end drawing to more of a point. It serves the same purpose as the gable, just slightly different in appearance.

Mansard: The mansard roof is gaining in popularity after being used infrequently for several years. Originally it is a French design and is more difficult to build than the hip or the gable

Gambrel: The Gambrel roof is sometimes referred to as a barn roof, because this type of roof is primarily used on barns. It provides additional headroom needed for the Dutch colonial.

Dutch Hip: The Dutch hip is similar in design to the traditional hip with the exception of what looks like a gable on top. This provides for increased ventilation.

A-frame: The A-frame provides not only a roof but the walls as well. Originally, it was used for cottages, but in recent years has been applied to homes, churches, and other structures.