Roof Design

Roof Design

Objectives (students will be able to):

Select a traditional roof style and create a

roof plan for a two-story house

Calculate the pitch of a roof using a pitch
ratio triangle
Define important vocabulary related to roof
design

Roof Design

Definition: The exterior surface and

its supporting structures on the top of
a building
A roof greatly affects the overall
appearance of a house

Roof Design- Videos

Roof Systems
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTt7zaYKmqA&feature
=channel
Roof Framing Animation (Google SketchUp)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlzJD9geAgE
Interior Framing (Rafters)
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/35700-gimme-s
helter-roof-construction-elements-video.htm
Roof Types (Gable vs. Hip)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8PhTekho3s

Traditional Roof Types

Gable Roof

Traditional Roof Types

Gable Roof
Pros: Easy to build, sheds water well, provides for

ventilation, and can be applied to most house

designs (popular)
Cons: Extra wall leading up to the gable is more
expensive to build. Can collapse from wind.

Traditional Roof Types

Hip Roof

Traditional Roof Types

Hip Roof
Pros: Aesthetically-pleasing. Could be cheaper than

gable roof because there is less exterior wall and

more roof material. More wind-resistant.
Cons: Slightly more difficult to build than a Gable
Roof. Does not provide as well for ventilation

Traditional Roof Types

Flat Roof
Pros: Most economical to build
Cons: Adds little to a design. Requires a build-up

or membrane roof covering. Bad idea for rainy or

snowy climates

Traditional Roof Types

Shed Roof
Similar to a flat roof, but has pitch. Frequently used

for additions or with other roof styles.

Traditional Roof Types

Traditional Roof Types

Slope & Pitch

One of the main reasons for having a roof is

to keep out rainwater and snow. This is done
by providing a slope (pitch) to angle the roof.

Figuring out the slope:

In Europe & Australia: They define the pitch in degrees.

So a 5 degree pitch is pretty flat, and a 45 degree pitch

is fairly steep.
In the USA: We refer to the slope of the roof as the
ratio of the rise over the run. The ratio always uses 12
as the run value.

Slope & Pitch

Section through the Roof

Slope & Pitch

How to calculate roof pitch
312

156

Slope & Pitch

How to calculate roof pitch

X
156
156
____

5
12
12 65

Slope & Pitch

How to calculate roof pitch
312

65
x

156

Slope & Pitch

How to calculate roof pitch

12
5

Slope & Pitch

Slope & Pitch

Slope & Pitch

The pitch angle determines what material can

and can't be used for the roof sheeting. For
example, if you want to use corrugated iron
sheeting, there is a minimum pitch specified by
the manufacture (it may be 5 degrees).
Similarly, with roof tiles, it could be 15 degrees.
Architects usually check the material
specifications before designing the roof pitch.

If the structure is built in an area with high

rainfall or snowfall, be wary of almost flat roofs.
Roofs with less of a slope are better for warm,
drier climates.

Roof Construction
RIDGE

Roof Construction

Roof Construction

Roof Construction

Roof Ventilation Methods

Roof Construction

Gable Type Ventilators

Roof Construction

Eaves
The overhang of the roof at the wall
Perform valuable functions apart from the

appearance. They protect the walls from bad

weather.
Eaves overhang the exterior walls 12

12

Roof Construction

Roof Construction
Nail Plated Timber Trusses

All Steel Roof Construction

Roof Construction

Exposed rafters on interior

Roof Construction

Chimney Placement

Roof Construction

Chimney Placement

Roof Construction

How to draw a chimney on a roof plan

Roof Construction

Skylights

Making a Roof Plan

Making a Roof Plan

Making a Roof Plan

Step 1: Open a new drawing. Save it in your folder

and name it: 2storyhouse-RoofPlan.dwg

Step 2: Insert xrefs of first and second floor of house

Step 3: Manage layers so that you can only see the

walls of the first and second floor (turn of all xref
layers)

Step 4: Put each floor on a new layer:

First Floor = Default Cyan
Second Floor = Default Red

Making a Roof Plan

Step 5: Fit the second floor on top of the first floor

(use the stairs as a guide)

Making a Roof Plan

Step 6: Using Layer 0, draw lines on top of the

exterior walls

Making a Roof Plan

Step 7: Use the offset tool to offset those lines 12

out (b/c the eave is 12 from the walls)
Step 8: Change the inside black lines to Hidden
Lines

Making a Roof Plan

Step 9: Hide the First Floor and Second Floor

layers so we can only see the Layer 0 (the roof).
Decide where ridges should go.

GABLE ROOF

Making a Roof Plan

Step 9: Hide the First Floor and Second Floor

layers so we can only see the Layer 0 (the roof).
Decide where ridges should go.
HIP ROOF

Resources

Roof Basics:
http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/roof.html

Roof Slide Presentation:

http://www.slideshare.net/stootypal/roof-ty

pes#