A roof, the highest part of a house, catches the brunt of wind forces, and wind effects such as wind-driven rain. These helmets for houses need to be strong, they need to keep water out and they have to stay on the house, not collapse, and not cause other parts of a house to fail. There are three vital aspects of your roof: the covering that keeps your house dry, all the structure (sheathing and framing) that supports the covering and maintains the shape of the roof, and the connections between the roof structure and the walls below ( the helmet strap, to take the analogy one step further).
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| roof construction |
Design Elements
The elements in the design of a roof are;
- The Material
- The Construction
- The Durability
The material of a roof may range from banana leaves, wheaten straw, or seagrass to laminated glass, Trusses, copper (see: copper roofing), aluminum sheeting, Ceilings, and pre-cast concrete. In many parts of the world ceramic tiles have been the predominant roofing material for centuries, if not millennia. Other roofing materials include asphalt, coal tar pitch, EPDM rubber, Hypalon, polyurethane foam, PVC, slate, Teflon fabric, TPO, and wood shakes and shingles.
The construction of a roof is determined by its method of support and how the underneath space is bridged and whether or not the roof is pitched. The pitch is the angle at which the roof rises from its lowest to the highest point. Most US domestic architecture, except in very dry regions, has roofs that are sloped or pitched. Although modern construction elements such as drainpipes may remove the need for pitch, roofs are pitched for reasons of tradition and aesthetics. So the pitch is partly dependent upon stylistic factors, and partially to do with practicalities.
Some types of roofing, for example, thatch, require a steep pitch in order to be waterproof and durable. Other types of roofing, for example, pantiles, are unstable on a steeply pitched roof but provide excellent weather protection at a relatively low angle. In regions where there is little rain, an almost flat roof with a slight run-off provides adequate protection against an occasional downpour. Drainpipes also remove the need for a sloping roof.
A person that specializes in roof construction is called a roofer.
The durability of a roof is a matter of concern because the roof is often the least accessible part of a building for purposes of repair and renewal, while its damage or destruction can have serious effects.