Shallow Pitch Garage Roof

Finding the right products for your low slope roof.

Shallow pitch garage roof.

A low pitched roof is anything that is any roof with a pitch of 3 12 or less. As roof materials a shallow roof pitch became possible. From a practical perspective it s difficult to use high rafter ties on a low pitched roof because the force in each tie increases with the inverse of the pitch. Many roofing shingles do not allow applications onto roofs at this pitch.

These are often steeply pitched roofs. Since a roof with a minimal pitch requires less material and less labor it is cheaper than a steep roof. For example wood and slate shingles might work for roofs steeper than the top recommendation of 12 12 but you should not install them below the 4 12 lower range. Keep in mind the rafter approach can take several days and up to 3 weeks to complete a suitable frame.

It features tow pitches one a shallow pitch atop a steeper slope. Sometimes seen on square buildings a tented or pyramidal roof feature four slopes rising to a peak. In some rare cases i will grudgingly grant that a roof with a shallow pitch looks good. Most roof materials have a recommended pitch range for which they are most appropriate.

The rules can occasionally be broken but generally you should not exceed the low range of the recommendation. Larger flat roofed applications low slope such as residential condominium complexes row homes and town houses and smaller applications such as residential porch and garage transitions from the main home where the slope of the roof changes dramatically. A completely flat roof is a poor design as water and snow will collect on it eventually leading to your roof collapsing in from the weight of it all. Simply put it s a shallow roof.

More commonly roll on membranes such that use heat to bond seams together is used as a roofing material. That means the roof doesn t shed water as easily as steeper roofs which is why choosing the right type of roofing material is so important. Residential low slope roofing can generally be divided up into two broad categories. A low slope roof design typically has a pitch of between 2 12 and 4 12.

The smallest pitch of a roof is 0 5 12. Just like any other roofing system low slope roof designs will have several effects on the overall construction of the building including the interior volume the style and design of the house the drainage system and the material used for covering. If going the non trussed route for a moderate to low pitched roof the rate per square foot of framing including labor is a range of 11 to 22. This has driven a push to go against our cultural inheritance and accept these lower pitched roofs.

A common choice for flat roofing material is epdm rubber as it is highly durable waterproof and can be made from recycled materials.