Roofing:
Your roof is likely the most complicated and important part of your home. Roofing is what keeps your home dry all year round. There are many different types of roof structures but for the purpose of this post we will focus on the basic theory and structure behind most residential roofs. Before we can have a discussion about what parts make up a roof, you will need to know a few terms. These terms describe the typical architectural aspects of a pitched residential roof. Becoming familiar with these terms will enable you to understand how roofs are constructed. The first term is the roof pitch. Pitch is usually assigned an integer that describes common rise over run (angle) of a roof plane. If you recall from geometry class, a plane is a flat surface. In roofing terms, the roof plane is the pitched face of the roof. To describe the areas where roof planes meet, we use the terms ridge, hip and valley. The ridge of the roof is the highest point on the roof where two pitched planes meet. A hip is a place where to planes meet and prject away from you. A hip is similar to a peak, but is usually not at the top of your roof and is usually not horizontal. A valley, just like in geography, is the area where two planes meet and project towards you. A dormer is a common feature on many two-story houses. It is a parallel projection from the main plane of the roof that usually houses a window. The dormer is usually constructed to add space or natural light to an attic or top floor. The gable is not exactly part of the roof, but still an important term to recognize. It is the triangular part of the exterior wall that connects and supports the area between the pitched roof planes. The gable will also support the ridge beam.
Your roof is likely the most complicated and important part of your home. Roofing is what keeps your home dry all year round. There are many different types of roof structures but for the purpose of this post we will focus on the basic theory and structure behind most residential roofs. Before we can have a discussion about what parts make up a roof, you will need to know a few terms. These terms describe the typical architectural aspects of a pitched residential roof. Becoming familiar with these terms will enable you to understand how roofs are constructed. The first term is the roof pitch. Pitch is usually assigned an integer that describes common rise over run (angle) of a roof plane. If you recall from geometry class, a plane is a flat surface. In roofing terms, the roof plane is the pitched face of the roof. To describe the areas where roof planes meet, we use the terms ridge, hip and valley. The ridge of the roof is the highest point on the roof where two pitched planes meet. A hip is a place where to planes meet and prject away from you. A hip is similar to a peak, but is usually not at the top of your roof and is usually not horizontal. A valley, just like in geography, is the area where two planes meet and project towards you. A dormer is a common feature on many two-story houses. It is a parallel projection from the main plane of the roof that usually houses a window. The dormer is usually constructed to add space or natural light to an attic or top floor. The gable is not exactly part of the roof, but still an important term to recognize. It is the triangular part of the exterior wall that connects and supports the area between the pitched roof planes. The gable will also support the ridge beam.