Building Roof Designs Boston MA

The shape of your house roof design will play a large part in determining the style of your house. Certain roof shapes are associated with various historical periods as well as home classifications. You would not want to put a modern house roof design on a period house. The shape of your building roof designs can also have an effect on the ease of future expansion, as some styles are easier to add extra rooms or extend the house with an addition. The shape of your roof will also play a large part in how the structure can withstand variations of weather and climate.

Building roof designs are all variations of three basic categories: flat, gabled, and hipped roofs. Of course, many roofs incorporate several styles of roof in one structure, which can complicate the matter of classification. Extra design elements that can play a part in choosing a shape for your roof include things like gables and dormers, which are easier to incorporate into certain roof styles than others.

Flat roofs are pretty self explanatory, as they are created on single plane horizontal to the ground. While it is usually not noticeable to the naked eye, flat roof styles will still have a very slight angle to them in order for water to drain off. Without this angle, the building will eventually have a problem with water damage and leakage that can cause severe structural damage if not taken care of promptly.

Gabled roof styles are characterized by a straight slope falling from ridge to eave which creates a triangular roof shape on either the front or side facade of the house. These building roof designs will feature eaves on the non-gabled sides and rakes on the gabled facades. Popular variations of a gabled roof design include the saltbox roof, gambrel roof, shed roof, and of course, the classic gable roof.

Hipped roof styles are characterized by the avoidance of creating a triangle at the roof junction. This design family breaks the roof plane along the slope line, therefore allowing the roof to wrap around the house. Houses built with a hipped roof will have even roof to wall junction height on all four sides. Common variations of a hipped roof design include the pyramidal hipped roof, cross-hipped roof, and the mansard roof.

Rolled roofing materials are generally the least expensive option for your building roof designs. It is one of the easiest materials to work with for those who wish to do it themselves rather than hire a contractor. This type of roofing material is commonly called asphalt or mineral surface rolled roofing.

Asphalt rolled roofing is similar to asphalt shingles and usually comes in rolls that cover 100 sq. feet of roof. It is made with a base of petroleum and composition fiber with a layer of crushed stone granules on one side. There are varieties of rolled roofing that can be used on steep or low slope roofs, but it is more common in low sloping roofs. It is recommended to use an under layer to increase the life of your roof and protect the structural elements below.

There are two main disadvantages with this type of roof material. It is one of the least durable materials to use and has a life expectancy averaging only 10 years. It does not hold up well to extreme weather conditions, so it is not a good choice for areas that get a lot of rain, snow, or ice. This is also one of the plainest, least attractive roofing materials, so is often better suited to sheds or other outbuildings.

There are a variety of materials used for roofing shingles, but the most common materials are asphalt and wood shingles. Shingles are more expensive than rolled roofing and are harder to do yourself unless you are fairly experienced in home repairs. There are advantages and disadvantages with both these shingle types.

Asphalt shingles are generally the least expensive option with even the extra durable architectural shingles still being cheaper than wood shingles. Asphalt shingles come in a large variety of colors and styles to complement all your building roof designs. These types of shingles are also easy to repair as well as being fire resistant.

There are several disadvantages to asphalt shingles that you will need to keep in mind. They are one of the least durable materials in that the life span of asphalt shingle roofs is relatively short, averaging less than 20 years. Asphalt shingles are easily scarred, especially when hot, and are subject to mildew and moss growth. Being petroleum based, these are also not environmentally friendly.

Wood shingles and shakes offer a natural look to your house roof design that will actually improve in looks, as they weather over time. Very environmentally friendly, wood shingles are easy to repair or replace and even offer some insulation value to your roof. Very durable when properly maintained, a wood shingle roof can last up to 50 years.
There are some drawbacks to this roof material, however. They are much more expensive than asphalt shingles and are difficult to do yourself so most often will require a professional contractor to install. Wood shingles are very high maintenance, as the shingles tend to split or rot and are prone to mold and mildew growth. Wood shingles will need to be pressure treated in order to be very fire resistant.

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