Steep Pitch Roof For Snow

P s c s p f.

Steep pitch roof for snow.

Our approach in north america is to use a metal roof with a steep slope that will allow the snow and ice to slide off. Snow loads acting on a sloping surface shall be assumed to act on the horizontal projection of that surface. Pitched roofs including gabled and hipped roofs are the most common types in the united states. Even without a cold roof system a steep roof is generally better in a snowy environment which is why you see those dramatic a frame homes in colder areas.

They encourage snow to slide off before it builds up too high. Thanks to gravity rain and snow will fall off a steep pitched roof more easily than a low pitched roof. The sloped roof snow load p s shall be obtained by multiplying the flat roof snow load p f by the roof slope factor c s. Be sure to keep the climate in mind when picking out the perfect roof pitch for your home.

It used to be thought if you live a snowy area you will need a higher roof pitch. Holly smith architects designed this louisiana home. Local snow codes are set for this exact reason. The primary reason is a fear of having the building collapse under a heavy snow load.

Steep slope roofs can also be a problem however because snow is likely to slide down to the eaves a situation that can cause damage to the roof and present a danger to people below from. As i design roofs today in ski resort areas i use one of the above types of roofs and plan to keep the snow on. Why do we design this way. In areas where snow accumulation is heavy low slope roofs can be problematic because excessive buildup of snow can become so heavy that the roof fails.

The purpose of pitching a roof is to enable water and snow to run off so the greater the amount of rain and or snow an area receives the greater the amount of pitch needed for the roof. The slope of the roof on this modern pond side house allows the solar panels to take in as much energy as possible and lets rain water fall back into the pond to help with drainage around the house. Any pitch higher than 9 12 is considered a steep pitch. This mentality is a thing of the past.

It really doesn t matter if you have a 1 12 roof pitch or a 6 12 pitch as long as the building is engineered to code.