Roof Terminology
Here is a list of helpful roof building terms.
Term |
Definition |
---|---|
Butterfly Roof |
A roof with two slopes descending toward the center. |
Flat Roof |
A roof made of metal decking, usually with tapered-thickness insulation on top. The top planes of the roof usually slope slightly at 1/4" per 48, toward central points where roof drains are located. |
Gable Roof |
A roof named for the triangular wall at its end. The roof slopes from a high point down toward the exterior walls. Sloped sides are usually at the same pitch, but can vary. Gable Roof Parts – (1) eaves, (2) hip, (3) valley, (4) ridge. |
Gambrel Roof |
A symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle and the lower slope is steep. This design provides the advantages of a sloped roof while maximizing headroom in the building's upper level. |
Hip |
An inclined line formed by the intersection of two adjacent sloping planes. |
Hip Roof |
A roof with sloped surfaces on all sides. All surfaces slope downward toward the exterior walls. Sloped surfaces can have different pitches or they can all have the same pitch. |
Mansard Roof |
A four-sided gambrel-style hip roof, having two slopes on each side; the lower slope has a steeper angle than the upper slope. Sloped sides can contain dormer windows to create additional habitable space. |
Pitch |
The slope of a roof. This is expressed as: vertical rise in inches, per foot of horizontal run. |
Ridge |
A horizontal line formed at the top intersection of two adjacent sloping planes. |
Shed Roof |
Roof with a single pitch. |
Valley |
An intersection of two included roof surfaces toward which rain water flows. |