Having the Right Pitch is the Secret to the Perfect Roof, Says Roofers

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Date Posted: Nov. 07, 2016

Even if you've tried everything to liven up your home's exterior, it will be for naught if you get the roof wrong. As experts will tell you, the roof is the most prominent external feature of your house, mostly because it can be seen from a distance. It's important, then, that you get it right for the first time.

Keep in mind, though, that having the perfect roof doesn't mean choosing the right materials. Roofers will tell you that it all starts with the right pitch, which will then determine the right materials for your roof.

secret to perfect roof

The Roof Pitch

In simple terms, the pitch is the angle or slant of your roof. Traditional UK homes often have a roof pitch between 40 and 50 degrees, though other homes might go up to 70 degrees. Having the correct roof pitch is an important consideration among owners of traditional-style homes, since the roof dominates the exterior of these homes.

If you've already talked to an architect, you might have heard of the "Golden Ratio" and why it helps differentiate between satisfying and unsatisfying roofs. These architects use the Golden Ratio, or a roof pitch with a ratio of about 1:1.62, as a benchmark to test their intuition on an unsatisfactorily-designed roof.

The Pitch Architects Prefer

Most of the time, architects would choose a pitch between 48 and 51 degrees to emphasise the roof and achieve satisfying results. You'll also be surprised to know that architects avoid pitches with 45 degrees, even going as far as calling it the "ugly angle" because it doesn't conform to the Golden Ratio.

Choosing the right pitch, however, largely depends on the style of your home. As a general rule, steeper pitches should go with more traditional homes. For instance, Victorian and Arts & Crafts design homes go well with steeper roof pitches, and Georgian homes should have a shallow pitch.

How the Pitch Affects Everything

Other than choosing the pitch that goes well with your home's design, you must also choose a pitch that is more efficient when it comes to collecting and discharging water. This is where choosing the right roofing material comes in: your chosen material must be able to cope with the expected volume of water and the speed of water movement without the risk of leaking.

Having the right pitch for your roof can be a difficult process, so make sure to work with a Surrey roofer, like those from Brunwin Professional Roofing Services.

Sources:

Getting the Right Pitch, Homebuilding & Renovating

A Guide To Roof Construction – Part 1, Great Home