Without the roof, there are only walls, which offer no protection from the elements. It could be said that the roof is the most important part of any house. Keep reading to learn about how to plan and execute roof plans.

House Roof Design

Roofs have been around since people started building houses. There are several house roof designs, each with their own pros and cons:

• Cross gable: This type of roof has a portion that crosses the rest of the roof.
• Cross hipped: This roof type has a cross portion protruding from the main roof.
• Flat: Not completely flat to allow for drainage, this roof type is easy to build and requires fewer materials, though tends to leak.
• Gable: This house roof design makes a triangle with two slopes that are identical.
• Hipped: This low pitched roof design has four surfaces to allow drainage from all four sides.
• Mansard: This roof design is similar to the pyramidal roof, except it has a flat space on top.
• Pyramidal: This home roof design has four equal sides that meet at one point.
• Saltbox: This home roof design is similar to a gabled roof, but with uneven sides.
• Shed: A shed roof is easiest to build, with one slope.

Materials for Roof Plans

Roofs can be made out of any number of materials. People throughout history have used the following roofing materials:

• Animal skins
• Clay
• Grass
• Slate
• Sod
• Stone
• Wood.

Most modern roofs are made from tar shingles. These easy to install, long-lasting shingles can last up to 30 years or more. In warmer climates, metal roofs are more popular. Some of the most popular metal roof materials are:

• Aluminum
• Copper
• Corrugated iron
• Tin.

Some homes have a green roof, with solar panels for energy. Or they can be literally green: Some urban homes have sod roofs, covered with grass.

Parts of the Roof

There are many important components of the modern roof. These are the following:

• Fascia: Made of wood or metal, gutters are attached to fascia, which is affixed to the eaves.
• Flashing: These are metal sheets at the joints where the chimney meets the roof, between tiles or around skylights.
• Guttering/plumbing: A system to move rain water off the roof and away from the house is essential, as pooling water causes leaks.
• House roof insulation: Important to keep the cold out, insulation is necessary in most of the continental United States. It can also keep out sound, especially with metal roofs, which accentuate the sound of falling rain.
• Roof deck: Made of sheets of plywood, shingles adhere to this material.
• Trusses: Triangular supports help bear the roof’s weight. (This is why sloped roofs are called truss roofs.)
• Underlayment: Sarking is a foil that goes underneath tile, keeping out rain and insulating against sound, heat and cold. Roofing felt serves the same purpose.
• Vents: This roof component helps the roof “breathe” and prevents mold.