Many homeowners may not typically think about it, but their roof can make up to 40% of the exterior of their home. However, when considering curb appeal most homeowners think about landscaping and exterior painting. There are eight main styles of roofing for single family homes and the style which you should select for your home is based on a combination of external elements and look which you would like for your home. Below we have outlined the eight most common styles of roof for single family homes.
Gable Roof
In what may be considered the most “basic” roof style is the gable roof. A gable roof consists of two graded sides meeting at the top of the home to form a simple triangle. This style of roof is likely the style of roof which you drew when you first drew a home in kindergarten! The gable roof is one of the most common roof styles and can be used in a wide range of homes and climates.
Clipped Gable Roof
A clipped gable roof is extremely similar to the gable roof, as the name would imply. A clipped gable roof is the same as a gable roof with both sides meeting at the top of the roof to form a triangle. However, with a clipped gable roof, the top “corners” of the triangle are instead replaced with flat hips. Another name for the clipped gable roof is a bullnose roof and this type of roof can add an additional cosmetic appeal.
Dutch Gable Roof
The dutch gable roof is another style of roof and utilizes aspects of both the gable and hip roof style. This style specifically has a miniature gable roof on top of a traditional hip roof. This style of roof provides for additional attic space within a home.
Gambrel Roof
When thinking of a gambrel roof, it is most likely to line up with a roof style which you would picture with a traditional barn. Rather than two sides on a grade meeting at one joint at the top of the roof, the gambrel roof has two slopes to reach its peak. The first slope is a steeper grade before reaching the first joint, then becoming a gentler slope before meeting the other side of the roof at the top. Due to the visibility of the side of the roof in the gambrel roof style it is extremely important to consider how your shingles visibly look.
Hip Roof
A hip roof is much different than the gable roof styles listed above. The hip roof has four graded sides to it. All of these equal length slopes meet at the top to form a ridge across the top of the structure. On a hip roof, more of the roof is visible from the street. This means that selecting the color and style of your shingles is much more important than with a gable roof style.
Mansard Roof
Mansard roof originated in France and perhaps the most famous mansard roof is at The Louvre Museum in Paris. While the roof style originated in France, it also has achieved a level of popularity within the United States due to the increased attic space which it offers compared with other roof styles.
Shed Roof
A shed roof is a more modern style of roof design. Many new trendier homes opt to build with a shed roof. A shed roof consists of just a half gable roof style. This style of roof typically has a lower slope of 4 in 12 rather than 6 in 12 as found with most other roof styles. In the past, this style of roof has most commonly been used on small structures and home additions.
Flat Roof
The flat roof style is the most common style of roof for rowhomes in Philadelphia. While the name of the style is a flat roof, these roofs are not entirely flat. There is a slight grade to the roof to ensure proper drainage of water during storms.
The low grade of the roof does create a problem which is unique to flat roofs. Flat roofs are much more likely to leak than their sloped counterparts. The reason being is that these flat roofs rely on proper craftsmanship to work properly. If the roof is not installed, or repaired, properly this could result in water pooling during storms and a roof replacement in Philadelphia becomes necessary. This water then can leak into the home and results in costly repairs. This is why selecting a roof company in Philadelphia who will complete a professional quality service is crucial.
In the city of Philadelphia, we have a large number of flat roof homes. Since many of our city’s residents live in rowhomes, it is extremely common to have a flat roof. However, many of the other roof styles listed above are commonly seen in the suburbs of Philadelphia where detached homes are the norm. Fortunately, for those who are in need of roofing services in the Delaware Valley, they can trust Top Tier Roofing to work on their home no matter the style of home you have.