GAF Roof On House

The 4 Most Common Residential Roof Types

If you are building a new home or considering a new roof your existing house, you have 4 main types to choose from. This “roof type” will form the foundation of your new roof and serve as a starting point to build the roof of your dreams! Before you make that decision on a new roof, take a look around and see what options are available, you may be surprised what you can get and how good it looks!

Choosing a roof type depends on the style you are looking for, the type of home you have and it’s construction, and of course your budget. Contact your local roof contractor to determine which type is best for you!

Gable Roof

Gable Roofhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:KDS444
Gable Roof

One of the most popular roof types, the Gable is easy to build, provides for ventilation, shed water well, and can be applied to a variety of house designs and shapes.  It consists of two roof sections sloping in opposite directions and placed such that the highest, horizontal edges meet to form the roof ridge.

Hip Roof

Hip RoofWikiwikiyarou / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
Hip Roof

Being slightly more difficult to build than a gable, the Hip Roof is a popular choice among homeowners and builders. While a generally good roof, it doesn’t provide ventilation as well as other types and is more prone to leakage due to the hips and valleys.

A-frame

A frame
A-frame Roof

Providing not only a roof over your head but walls as well, this frame type was originally used for cottages but in recent years homes, churches and other structures began using this design.

Flat Roof

Flat Roof
Flat Roof

Exactly what it sounds like, a roof that is flat! A flat roof is considered the most economical roof to build, but it doesn’t do anything for the aesthetics of a home. It is actually made up of layers of roof (a “built-up roof”), rather than conventional shingles. The layers of a “built-up roof consist of layers of roofing, felt, and tar topped with gravel. Most “flat” roofs are actually pitches 1/8 to 1/2 and inch per foot to aid in draining. Flat roofs are very popular in warmer areas (especially here in the south) where wide overhangs are desired and snow rarely falls.

For more information or to obtain an estimate on your next roof project contact Atlanta Roofing Specialists at 770-419-2222 if you are in the Metro Atlanta area!

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