Ideal Roof Pitch For Snow

One can use shingles and tiles for steep roofs.

Ideal roof pitch for snow.

With regards to the pitch the building standard code bs 5534 recommends a minimum pitch of 200 for slate roofs. For example if you used a 24 inch level and your measurement was 12 inches the pitch in your roof is 6 in 12. Divide the results by the number of 12 inch segments in your level. The primary reason roof pitch exists in the first place is to redirect water.

The graphic below helps flesh this out. In this case you ll probably want a traditional 4 12 or so pitched roof. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a steep pitch versus a shallow or low pitch the most obvious of which is the roof s ability to shed or withstand heavy snow rain or wind. Begin by measuring 12 inches on your level and marking it with a pencil.

The final point influencing the roof slope is the preferred choice of roofing material. Live in the desert. Or is your climate more tropical. The roof pitch would be described as a 6 12 pitch.

These factors include the pitch of the roof the type of slate being used the size of the lap the size of the slate as well as the site s exposure rating. The flip side to this is that it also becomes more expensive to build both in. You can safely measure the roof pitch from inside your attic with a level that is either 18 or 24 inches a tape measure and a pencil. Basically the steeper the pitch the better it can shed snow and rain.

Shallow roofs don t really like moisture. If you are adding an addition to your home or installing skylights knowing the existing pitch is important. If you sketch that out on paper you ll see that a roof angle of 60 degrees requires a very tall north wall or an altered plan for the greenhouse. Traditional roofing materials such as traditional clay tiles and timber shakes shingles need a relatively steep pitch in excess of 40 degrees to be waterproof.

According to the conventional rule of thumb this would require roof glazing to be about 60 degrees off the horizon 40 20 60. Common roof slopes include standard designs based on residential or commercial applications. You can also estimate a roof pitch by eyeballing it from the ground from the gable side with a level and ruler. Better raise that roof pitch a bit more to account for the buckets of snow you get every winter.

Some conventional slopes are preferred for residential constructions with pitch size of 4 12 or 9 12 whereas for commercial applications low slope type roofs are a good option.