Types of roofs by design are determined at the design stage of the house. When choosing a configuration, it is worth considering the appearance and facade of the building, as well as the climatic conditions in which the building is located, and general architectural requirements.
General about rooftops
Types of roofs of private houses and their names are determined by their technical characteristics. In many ways, the aesthetics and character of the building depend on the roof. It can have one, two or more slopes, be flat or exclusive. Roofs with two or four slopes are more typical for cottages.
Flat structures are used in high-rise and industrial buildings. These are the most common types of roofs for garages and outbuildings. However, flat roofs have a big drawback - they leak quickly and cost more to maintain than a pitched roof.
The concepts of "roof" and "roofing" should not be confused, since these elements, although related to each other, but the essence of their device is different. The roof is the uppermost element of the structure, which performs the enclosing,load-bearing, water- and heat-insulating function. The roof is the part of the roof that protects the structure from external influences of the atmosphere. For its installation, slate, tile, metal and other roofing materials are used. Types of roofs for a private house will be presented in this article.
Classification by tilt angle
According to the angle of inclination of the slopes, the roofs are divided into flat and pitched. A roof with a flat slope is considered to be one in which the angle of inclination of the opposite edges does not exceed 2.5 degrees. This design has a significant drawback - precipitation lingers on it, subsequently leading to wear and leakage.
Fallen leaves and precipitation from the sloping roof are removed by hand. For the construction of cottages and private houses, this design is not used. Flat roofs crown multi-story and industrial buildings, non-residential buildings and garages.
Pitched structures are almost always used in the construction of private houses. The roof will be considered as such if the angle of inclination is equal to or exceeds 10 degrees. Snow and moisture do not stagnate on the slopes, which reduces external pressure on the roof.
Types of roofs by design: photo and definition
There are roofs that are separated from the room, that is, attic, and combined with the room - non-attic. Attic, in turn, are heated and unheated. Non-attic are divided into fully or partially ventilated and non-ventilated.
The possibility of using the roof for domestic and other purposes divides them into operatedand unexploited. Technological progress and the imagination of designers have given us a wide variety of types of roofs by design. The photos and drawings presented in this article will allow you to visually familiarize yourself with them.
Types and designs of house roofs in geometric shape
Shed roofs are a single plane lying on rafters installed at different heights, due to which a slope is formed in one direction. The most suitable roof option for an outbuilding is not too expensive and not too laborious. Any roofing material can be used as a coating. There is no attic room with one slope. However, it is still possible to equip an attic under a pitched roof, but this will require a special additional project.
Gable roofs consist of two planes lying on load-bearing walls, on the same level. In another way, such roofs are called gable. A triangular section of the wall, “sandwiched” between two slopes, is called a “tongue”. The gable construction is more complicated than a shed, but at the same time it is much simpler than all other types of roofs.
Gable structures are also divided in a certain way. Types of gable roofs: mansard and multi-pitched. The attic is characterized by broken lines of slopes at different angles and pentagonal pediments. This design provides more free space for organizing the attic. The upper slopes are at a low angle.
Dignity anddisadvantages of a gable roof
Gable types of roofs of private houses give the opportunity to adjust the plumb lines. Drawings and additional projects in this case do not need to be done, since the integrity of the common roof is not violated. The gable roof has other notable advantages over other configurations:
- Affordable construction.
- Simplicity and economy of design.
- Full height of the building and the possibility of arranging windows in the gable area.
- Easy self-assembly without the involvement of expensive specialists.
Disadvantages include:
- Dependence of the height and angle of inclination on the area of the house. The larger the house, the more material is required to create a gable roof.
- The organization of the attic requires an increase in the height and number of load-bearing elements, which increases the cost of construction.
Roof for a house with an attic
Mansard types of gable roofs are built during the construction of cottages and cottages. The height of the mansard roof, according to technological standards, cannot be less than 2.3 m, since such a height is provided for the ceilings of residential premises. The attic truss system can be layered and hanging.
Layer system is allowed only when the distance between two load-bearing walls is no more than 7 meters. Its essence lies in the fact that one end of the rafters enters the load-bearing wall, and the other end enters the interior wall or a specially erected support structure.
On the principle of layeredrafters are based on some types of roofs of private houses with an attic. Hanging rafters are used when the structure does not have internal main walls. The support for hanging trusses is a Mauerlat (a log or a very thick beam located on the upper edge of the outer wall). To resist loads, trusses are fastened with staples or wire.
Mansard roof is also divided into several types. This is:
- Symmetrical.
- Asymmetrical.
- Polyline.
- Tent.
A symmetrical attic is created with a gable roof. In this case, the attic will have walls of the same height and width. The symmetrical shape allows you to install full-fledged windows under the roof, and, if necessary, doors if access to the balcony is expected.
The asymmetrical shape is provided by the hip arrangement of the slopes. In this case, the attic room will be a small area. Two of its walls will be in the form of triangles, and the other two will be trapezoid.
The sloping gable roof is so called because it has external breaks in the edges to expand the attic space. A feature of the broken structure is the small height of the walls in the attic room. Such a roof is often mounted in cases where the attic is built on an already built house. The broken structure eliminates the load on the foundation, which was not intended to create another residential floor.
Under the hipped roofthe attic can be round, conical, pyramidal. It is very difficult to equip window or door openings in such a specific room, since they must be made according to special drawings. Simple rectangular openings in this case will not work.
More about the hip and hip design
As mentioned above, hip and hipped roofs are suitable for the construction of the attic floor.
Hip (four-slope) design, differs in that two of its faces are in the form of triangles, and the other two are isosceles trapezoids.
Triangular slopes are located on the same plane with the gables, and they are called "hips". For the hip roof, a beam structure with double tightening is used. Precipitation from such a roof is removed quite simply. Hip slopes usually tilt at an angle of 45 degrees.
Steep slope implies the need for a drainage system. It is difficult to equip such a structure with your own hands, since it is characterized by a complex system of rafters, the installation of which requires precision and special skills.
There are also half-hip roofs. This is the same hip design, but its triangular slopes are truncated and set at a lesser slope relative to the trapezoidal slopes.
A hip roof is considered to be a hip roof, in which all the slopes have the same geometric shape. A hipped roof is equipped if the base of the house is laid out inin the form of a regular quadrilateral or other regular polygon. This design resembles a pyramid in appearance, since all the slopes converge at one point at the top.
Advantages and disadvantages of hip and tent construction
The advantages of these types of structures are:
- The fact that houses with such roofs have an original, peculiar appearance.
- Strength, durability and reliability.
- Stability to loads caused by winds and precipitation.
- The attic space warms up evenly from all sides, which allows you to equip the attic with comfortable living conditions.
Hipped and hip roofs also have some drawbacks:
- The structures are very difficult to erect and require special engineering calculations.
- Due to the vast area of the slopes, the design is heavy.
- The high cost of building an attic, since additional walls are required in the attic for its perimeter.
Multi-gable and other rare types of roofs
There are more complex types of roofs of private houses. The multiplier is one of those. This design is used on buildings of a polygonal shape, with attics and extensions. It is distinguished by an abundance of internal and external corners.
A large number of ribs and ridges gives the house a unique zest and distinguishes it from others. Multi-gable configurations are the most spectacular types of roofs for private houses with a balcony and other domestic and decorative extensions.
A multi-gable roof implies the presence of a complex and verified truss system, it is advisable to entrust its construction to experienced workers (since correcting mistakes made during self-construction will cost a lot). Multi-gable and hip are the most convenient types of roofs for private houses. With or without an attic, a building with such a roof structure will be reliably protected from the influence of external negative factors.
Conical and domed roofs are rare, but interesting options in their own way. Not every building can be crowned with such a design. At the heart of a building that claims to have a conical roof or dome, there must either be a circle, or only individual fragments of the building are covered by it - terraces, towers, verandas. The cone and the dome are quite rare types of roofs of private houses with a veranda.
In the cottage architecture there are combined, complex combinations that combine elements of tent, dome, gable and hip roof structures. Such original types of roofs crown houses created according to intricate designs, with several living levels, several balconies, verandas, terraces.
Basic elements of the roof
The final step in building a house is the installation of a roof, designed to protect the home from rain, wind, cold and other weather "troubles". The durability of the building itself depends on how professionally the roof will be erected.
Despite the choicematerials and constructive solutions for the construction of the roof is very diverse, the principles and common elements in any case will be the same.
Roofing cake - a structure consisting of several layers, creating a protective barrier against the penetration of moisture, thermal condensate, temperature losses and other negative circumstances associated with the operation of the roof. The layers of the cake are mounted in a strictly defined sequence, and each is interconnected with the previous one.
Frame - a system of rafters (bearing elements) on which the roofing cake is laid.
Roofing is a special material designed to protect the building from climatic influences.
Slab - a structural element made of reinforced concrete slabs or lighter building materials, "lying" on load-bearing walls and serving as a ceiling for rooms on the top floor of a building.
Types of roofing materials
There are the following types of roofing, and when choosing them, it is not necessary to take into account the types of roofs by design. Each of the following types is suitable for any frame shape.
- Slate is a "budget" roofing material, but it is in great demand among developers. Recently, slate production has declined due to the introduction of new profile coatings on the market.
- Rolled (soft) materials are made on a bitumen basis and are also distinguished by an affordable cost. However, they have a significant drawback - poor resistance to temperature extremes. Bituminous materials soften easily in extreme heat and are damaged in severe frost. Fragments of the coating are glued together with mastic, which also loses its elasticity when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. It is believed that the service life of the roll coating does not exceed 7 years.
- The next type of coatings are polymer mastics. They are used both to create a new roofing using seamless technology, and to repair old roofs of any type. Mastics are applied to the surface in liquid form and after hardening create a smooth, seamless, thermally insulating monolithic coating. Their important property is plasticity, which preserves the integrity of the roof in case of temperature deformations.
- Mastics are stable to sun and low temperatures, are light in weight and very durable. Their service life is 25-28 years. Coatings based on rubber mastic are best suited for all types of roofs of private houses with an attic.
- Iron or galvanized sheets coated with an anti-corrosion alloy of copper, titanium or zinc are always popular with customers. They are released in rolls or sheets. Galvanized coating guarantees the safety of the roof up to almost 90 years.
- Profiled sheets created by cold forming steel, imitating the texture of roof tiles. The thickness of the sheet is 0.5mm, its surface is treated with zinc-aluminum alloy and anti-corrosion agent. The disadvantage of profiled steel is that it is not designed for bending and is absolutely not ductile. It is believed that this material is most suitable for simple pitched species.roofs of country houses and individual cottages.
- The next, no less common and well-known roofing is ceramic and cement tiles. This material is very heavy, so only slopes with an angle of inclination of at least 25 degrees can be covered with it, otherwise a powerful holding system of rafters will be needed. The durability of tiles is high - 90 years or more.
Roof insulation and waterproofing
Whatever the types of roofs, they all need additional insulation and protection against moisture penetration. This is especially true for roofs, under which attic rooms are located.
Insulation is an important step in creating a reliable and high-quality roofing pie. In order to live comfortably in the attic at any time of the year, it is necessary to choose the right thermal insulation material and professionally install it.
Insulation, made in compliance with all technological rules, provides a normal microclimate in the room. In winter, the attic will be warm, and in hot weather it will be cool here.
Thermal insulation of a mansard roof is made according to the same principles as a conventional roof structure, but with increased requirements due to the characteristics of the attic space. Its walls are formed by roof slopes and pediments, due to which the sun overheats them in summer, and in winter such walls freeze quickly.
Attic roofing cake consists of several layers, the sequence of which cannot beviolate. This is:
- Vapour barrier layer.
- Directly insulating material.
- Ventilation gap.
- Waterproofing.
- Roofing.
When choosing insulation for a mansard roof, it is important to consider its thermal conductivity. This characteristic shows the ability of the material to pass heat into the room or out. The lower the thermal conductivity, the better the insulation, and the better it will protect the attic from cooling. Any types of roofs of private houses with an attic and a garage lose heat during the cold season, as warm air rises according to physical laws.
Heat passes through the roofing cake and enters the roof, which is covered with snow in winter. If the air temperature is not lower than -2.5 degrees, the snow, due to its porous structure, acts as an external heat insulator.
If the heat loss is too active, the snow on the roof begins to melt, resulting in an ice crust. It increases the load on the roof and, unlike snow, allows heat to pass through. If the roof insulation is installed according to the rules, the snow on the surface will not melt, and accordingly, there will be no ice crust.
In the summer, when it is too hot, excess heat penetrates into the attic. The air heats up so much that even with an air conditioner it is impossible to maintain a normal microclimate in the room. To avoid such problems, the attic roof is also thermally insulated from the inside.
Before installing the roofing cake for the atticchoose thermal insulation material. The number of layers and the thickness of the insulation segment depend on the correct choice. The most common and affordable materials are:
- Extruded polystyrene.
- Polyurethane foam.
- Mineral and slag wool.
- Glass wool.
- Foamed glass.
Insulators based on natural materials can also be used: reed mats, wood shavings, straw, slag.
