Traditional Roof Structure

Timber lends itself to a great variety of roof shapes.

Traditional roof structure.

There are two basic methods of pitched roof construction. Curved roofs do help to reduce resistance to wind but are mainly chosen due to the stunning aesthetic look they can add to a building. They span from the wallplate to the ridge board providing a platform for the underlay battens and tiles. Where the insulation is not included within its structure maybe the insulation is laid on the ceiling of the floor below then it is called a cold roof.

The supporting structure of a roof usually comprises beams that are long and of strong fairly rigid material such as timber and since the mid 19th century cast iron or steel in countries that use bamboo extensively the flexibility of the material causes a distinctive curving line to the roof characteristic of oriental architecture. A typical roof pitch in the uk for a traditional house will be 40 50 but at the extreme can. A cut roof this is the traditional method of cutting the timber on site and building up the roof using rafters ridge boards joists and purlins etc the exact details being determined by the size of roof size of timbers etc. Span in general trusses can span longer distances.

Traditional or cut roof. Where a roof has insulation as an integral part of its structure it is called a warm roof. Modern roofs take advantage of the flexibility of metal materials creating one large curved structure. The best roof shape for a high wind area would be a hip roof but it s more expensive to construct than a traditional gable roof a common roof for sheds.

This reflects the weatherproofing requirements of older roofing materials like thatch and peg tiles. In terms of roof covering standing seam metal roof would be the best option in terms of strength and durability but you could also go with architectural shingles light color roof. The overall construction of a traditional cut roof is to ensure that the load of the roof is evenly transmitted to the walls below. A truss might be the only feasible solution in a wide building that does not have a structural ridge beam as the collar ties of a conventional roof would require mid span support.

Pitched roof construction. The finished structure is readily adaptable. Modern construction methods make use of another type of roof structure and this is known as trussed rafter roofs see. Also in a structure with exposed roof framing trusses produce a manufactured appearance that may be undesirable.

A curved roof adds an extremely modern interesting feature to any building. Not only is the volume large enough to convert into living space but the structure can generally be easily.