6 Roofing Styles to Consider When Building Your Next Home

Choosing an appropriate roof for your home requires making plenty of consideration. Besides your architectural preferences, climatic conditions and budget are other vital factors you need to consider when installing a roof over your home. Below are six of the best roofing styles to consider if you plan to build a house in Richmond or in a similar locale like Long Island.

1. Gable Roof

A Gable roof is the typical triangular-shaped roof found on many houses across America. Pitched roofs are reasonably inexpensive to construct due to their simplistic shape and versatility in material choices.

Popular gable roof variations include crossed gable, dutch gable, side-gable, and front gables. Pitched roofs can use various materials ranging from asphalt shingles to concrete or clay tiling.

Pros:

Easy and inexpensive to build
Allows the use of many material choices
Provides good ventilation
Provides space for attic addition

Cons:

Unsuitable for windy and storm-prone regions

2. Butterfly Roof

This modern roofing style appears V-shaped with two raised wings converging to form a valley in the middle. They are excellent for homes in arid regions where they allow water collection. The roofs require solid member frames made from durable materials, preferably steel. Despite its complicated design, you can trust that expert roofers in Richmond VA will get this roofing style installed properly.

Pros:

Their design allows the inclusion of larger windows which help improve home ventilation
Their spectacular appearance adds value to a home

Cons:

Costly to build.
Butterfly roofs require extensive maintenance.

Besides protecting your home from the elements, modern roofing systems also facilitate the installation of electrical wires, water piping, heating, and ventilation components. Your choice of roofing style and material can affect your ventilation and energy efficiency in your new home. Visit the site below for more roofing styles and tips.

3. Hip Roof

Hipped roofs are the second most popular roofing style after pitched roofs. Hip roofs comprise four sloping sides that form a ridge at the top, unlike the two-sided gable roof. The inward pitch makes hip roofs more stable than gable roofs. There are three variations of hip roofs; simple hip, half-hipped, and crossed hip.

Pros:

Their four-sided valleys make hip roofs ideal for windy areas.
The roof styling leads to more living space under the roof.
More durable than gable roofs.

Cons:

Hip roofs require more maintenance and inspection than pitched roofs
They are costly to make
Complex design

4. Mansard Roof

Mansard roof, also commonly referred to as a French roof, is primarily four-sided with double slopes on each side. The sides meet at the top to form a flat top in the middle. Mansard roofs can be made extra tall when homeowners desire extra living or attic space. Designers may add dormer windows for improved lighting and ventilation to the living spaces under the roofs.

Pros:

Mansard roofs add plenty of living or total attic spaces to the home
The flexible roof designs leave room for more additions in the future.

Cons:

French roofs are costly to build
Mansard roofs are not ideal for areas with high rainfall or snowfall.

5. Gambrel Roof

Gambrel roofs feature a typical barn-style design that sometimes resembles mansard roofs. However, gambrel roofs have two sloping sides, unlike the mansard’s four. The gambrel roof often has a steep lower slope and a gentle sloping upper slope. This design allows homeowners to add extra attic storage and living spaces under the roof.

Pros:

Gambrel roofs are inexpensive to construct because they only require two roof beams.
The roof design gives room for additional living and storage space.

Cons:

The roof is unsuitable for windy areas.
Gambrel roofs need regular maintenance.

6. Saltbox Roof

Saltbox roofs spot an asymmetrical design with two front sides and one backside. They are common in many colonial-style homes. One side of the roof is gently sloping and elongated, while the other is shorter and has a “lean-to” structure. Saltbox roofs support the use of a broad range of materials.

Pros: