Finally… Learn What the Slope of a Roof Is!

Ariel — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 14:06:27 +0000

Last week, we talked about the questions people often ask their roofing contractors. In general, it’s very helpful to understand the jargon that contractors use so you can better communicate with them. That’s why we’re featuring a series on roofing terminology. We’ll start with the term slope (also known as pitch).

What’s a Roof Slope?

For homeowners who aren’t too familiar with roofs, think of the slope as the steepness of the roof.

If you remember way back to high school algebra, you learned that the slope is calculated as the rise over the run.

That’s how it works with roofs too! A low slope is closer to flat (horizontal), while a high slope is very steep.

In roofing, the slope is the answer to this question: How many inches does the roof rise for every number of inches it runs horizontally? You’ll hear this expressed in terms of 4/12 pitch or 1/4 pitch.

Determining the slope is an important part of any roofing job. The slope of your roof is higher in areas like Miami because there’s often lot of rain to redirect off of your home.

And that’s what the slope is. Now, when you hear roofers talking about slope or pitch, you’ll understand what they’re talking about!

Check back next month to see us define another roofing term.

~J.C.

The post Finally… Learn What the Slope of a Roof Is! appeared first on Metal Master Shop.

Pitch Perfect or A Little Pitchy?

Ariel — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 12:00:40 +0000

In manufacturing metal roofs, as we do at Metal Master Shop, one of the many things we take into account when forming the roof panels is the pitch of the roof.

Roof Pitch, defined

In a nutshell, the pitch of a roof is the steepness or the angle of the roof. It can vary a great deal, from flat to an extreme angle and everything in between.

Depending on the material you are using, your pitch will have to be adjusted.

Thatch, a very old roofing material, drains best when it is at a steep pitch.

Stone will leak if the pitch is too shallow. If it’s too steep, the stone can slide off.

Shingled roofs with a high pitch, a.k.a. very steep, are too dangerous to walk on so safety precautions have to be taken to work on it securely.

Metal Roof Pitches

The short answer here is that metal roofs can be manufactured and installed for any roof pitch, from steep to dead (flat). There are important things to consider as you go to the extremes of either range.

Water damage is a main consideration when choosing the steepness of a roof. Steeper roofs will drain the water very quickly, which will help it last longer. A flatter roof makes it so water can pool and sit longer, seeping into the joints and seams.

The safety and installation process is also a factor of roof pitch. Steep roofs will require a little more time because they are more dangerous to install. The roofing panels will also need more fasteners to hold together since gravity works on a roof just as it does on everything else.

If you are interested in calculating the pitch of your roof, you can find a lot of tools online. Here’s a good one.

Of course, as a roofer, you know all about the pitch of roofs and the different materials involved. Hopefully now you are a little more familiar with metal roof pitch concerns as well. And, as always, we are a resource if you need it!