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The Pros and Cons of Different Types of Roof Designs


Top flat roofing company in Vancouver

The most important part of a house or commercial place is the roof. The roof is crucial because it gives shelter and protection from sunlight, UV rays, and rainwater. Since it protects us from nature's rage, this part of a construction is vulnerable to damages. If you ignore roofing design, you will find frequent hassles with the roof. Eventually, it will make you pay for the repairing services. For this reason, one should find the best roofing companies in Surrey.

Different Types of Roof Designs


At first, you should know about different roof designs. Depending on weather conditions and the structure of the building, you will find different roof designs. Understanding the roof design is vital to enhance the aesthetic value of a house and crucial to making the house protected from the rage of nature. In the following section, you can find a guide to different roof designs. Along with the designs, you will learn their positives and negatives.

1. Gable Roof


For developing a gable roof, one needs to find the top flat roofing company. In the USA, a gable roof is the most popular roof design. The design is also popular in various European countries. You can easily recognize such roofs, as they come in a typical triangular shape. Such roofing is suitable in the areas where heavy snowfall happens in winters. Due to the triangular, snow cannot stay on the roof. As a result, the roof stays protected from damages. For developing gable roofs, experts use various roofing materials such as concrete tiles, metal shingles, asphalt composition shingles, etc.
If you consult a flat roof company in Vancouver, you will know that gable roof has many sub-categories. Find those sub-categories in the following section.

  • Side Gable: If you basic pitch roof for the house or office, a side gable is a suitable design. The side roof comes with two equal panels that meet at the middle of a building. If the triangle section stays open, it will be an open gable roof. If the triangle section stays closed, it becomes a box gable.
  • Crossed Gable: In cross gable design, you will notice that two gable roof sections meet at a right angle. According to the size of the roof, cross gable roof has different pitches, lengths, heights, etc.
  • Front Gable: You can find front gable designs in colonial structures. In this case, you can see the gable roof at the entrance.
  • Dutch Gable Roof: Dutch gable is a mix of gable and hip roofs. You will find a gable at the top of the hip roof. It gives more space and a better aesthetic appeal.

Pros and Cons of Gable Roof

The gable roof design has some pros and cons. In the following section, you can find those benefits and shortcomings.

Pros:

  • • A Gable roof is ideal at the place where heavy snowfall happens in winter

  • • It gives more space in the attic rooms

  • • Simple design and easy to build

  • • Affordable roofing design

Cons:

  • • Not suitable for areas with high winds

  • • The roof is vulnerable to damages if frames are not good

2. Hip Roof

After gable roof, the hip roof is the most popular roofing style. In hip roofs, you will find the slopes on all four sides. The best flat roofing company can provide such a roofing solution. A hip roof needs materials similar to gable roofs. One can also say that hip roof is an upgraded design of a gable roof. A Gable roof is not suitable for areas with high winds. But, a hip roof is suitable for such areas.
You can find different sub-categories of the hip roof. In the following section, find a guide to different types of hip roofs.

  • Simple Hip:The most typical type of hip roof is the simple hip roof. In such roofs, you will find polygons on the two sides, while there is a triangle on the remaining two sides. All the sides meet at the top to create a simple ridge.
  • Cross Hip: The cross-hipped design is a cross-gable roof. In such a roofing arrangement, you will find two separate hip roofs. The point where they meet is known as the valley.
  • Half Hip: For creating an eave, two sides of the roof get trimmed in this design. The half-hipped design is lesser popular compared to the types mentioned above.

Pros and Cons of Hip Roof

Pros:

  • • The hip roof is more stable than the gable roof

  • • Suitable at high wind regions

  • • Suitable for places with heavy rain and snowfall

  • • The roof offers extra living space in the house

  • Cons:

    • • Not affordable like a gable roof

    • • A complex design that takes time for designing

    • • The design needs an additional dormer

    • • Design is vulnerable to water leaks

    3. Mansard Roof

    Mansard roof, also known as the French roof, comes with a four-sided design with double slopes on each side. Typically, the lower slope is steeper than the upper slope of the roof. According to your requirement, the flat roof company Vancouver can customize the sides. The sides can either be flat or curved.
    For constructing the mansard roof, builders often use metals such as copper and zinc. The steep portion needs top-quality material for long-lasting performance. The cost of developing a mansard roof is high, though the roof requires limited maintenance. Thus, the roof design is cost-effective in the long run.

    Pros:

    • • The roof design creates extra living space

    • • The attic looks beautiful with such a roof design

    • • Flexibility for future home additions

    • • Add dormers if required

    • • Long-lasting and lesser maintenance required

    Cons:

    • • Not suitable for areas with heavy snowfall

    • • An expensive roof design

    • • A complex design

    4. Gambrel Roof

    A gambrel roof, also known as a barn roof, is similar to the mansard roof design. However, the gambrel roof design comes with two different slopes. You will find four sides in the mansard roof, while the gambrel roof comes with two sides. In gambrel roof, you will find steep and veridical slopes. Nevertheless, the upper slope of the roof will be much lower. In barns and farmhouses, you will find this type of roof design. However, the design is not obsolete in a residential and commercial place. The design has similarities with the Gregorian and Dutch Colonial roofs. For developing such roofs, roofing contractors use wood and asphalt shingles.

    Pros:

    • • Gambrel roof gives extra living space

    • • The design uses two beams only

    • • The construction is simple and affordable

    • • Suitable for outdoor sheds

    Cons:

    • • Not suitable in areas with heavy wind

    • • The roof requires frequent maintenance

    • • Damages are common after storms, rainfall, snowfall, etc.

    5. Flat Roof

    As the name suggests, a flat roof comes with a flat surface. You will find this type of roof at many places, and thus it is one of the commonest roofing designs. As the roof has a flat surface, it allows rainwater to accumulate. In the regions where snowfall is common, you will not find the use of such roofing design. However, a flat roof is common in tropical areas where rainfall occurs frequently.
    A flat roof needs a good drainage system. When there is a perfect drainage system, the water passes easily. You need to find the best flat roofing company to build flat roofs. For concrete buildings, a flat room is ideal. The best thing is the durability of such roofs. Even after water damages, the roof can stay intact.

    Pros:

    • • The extra living area on the roof for the patio

    • • Easy to build more floors in future

    • • Easy to develop roof gardens

    • • The design is suitable for placing the solar panel

    Cons:

    • • Flat roof construction is lengthy and expensive

    • • Not suitable in areas with heavy snowfall

    • • The upfront cost is low, but the maintenance cost is high

    • • It easily gets damaged due to logging

    Common Questions about Different Roof Designs

    1. What is the Most Cost-Effective Roof Design?

    If you want a cost-effective roof design, a flat roof is the best option. However, flat roofs have some limitations. In areas with heavy rainfall, a flat roof will become water-damaged. In areas with lesser severe rainfall, a flat roof is suitable. However, the roof should have an excellent water clearance channel. Find the top flat roofing company to develop a flat roof.

    2. What Is The Best Roof Design In Areas With Heavy Snowfall?

    For areas with heavy snowfall, you have a gable and hip roof designs. These two roof design does not let the snow to accumulate on the top. Thus, the roof does not get damaged despite heavy snowfall.

    3. How Many Types Of Roof Designs Are There?

    In today's building construction technology, you will find different types of roof designs. Choosing the best roofing companies in Surrey will help you find the best roofing solution for your house. Choosing the right roof design is crucial to protect the roof from damages and enhance comfort in living in a house.

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