If asphalt shingles are to be installed on a low slope roof special steps are required to avoid short roof life and roof leaks.
Steep slope roofs have a pitch of.
Roof slope is a very important aspect and it is considered the primary factor in roof design.
However in general terms low slope roofs commercial roofs are those below 2 12 or 3 12 while steep slope roofing would consists of roof pitches above either 2 12 or 3 12 and higher.
Many residential rooftops are designed for steeper pitches because they look elegant and pleasing to the eye.
These roofs have more than a 3 12 slope ratio meaning that for every 12 inches the roof rises more than three inches.
For most home styles roof pitches fall in a range 4 12 a moderate slope up to 8 12 fairly steep.
Simply put pitch is expressed as rise over run just as the grade is simply this fraction expressed as a percentage.
Slopes around 6 12 are the most common while anything below 4 12 is typically considered a low pitch.
Most roof s have a pitch in the 4 12 to 9 12 range.
The slope of a roof has an effect on the interior volume of a building the drainage.
Some sources consider low slope to include 3 12 pitch roofs.
For example a roof with a pitch of 2 12 3 12 will work best with 3 tab shingles the roofing most commonly found on homes in jacksonville.
The table below shows common roof pitches and the equivalent grade degrees and radians for each.
Low slope roofing which requires special materials and techniques to avoid leaks and ranges from 1 12 2 12 to 4 12 1 in 3.
The slope of a roof often referred to as the pitch is determined by rise over run the roof s vertical rise in inches for every twelve inches of horizontal length the run.
In roofing it is expressed in inches of vertical rise over inches of horizontal run.
And steep slope roofing which is above 9 12 3 in 4 21 12 7 in 4 and may require extra fasteners.
Conventional from 4 12 1 in 3 to 9 12 3 in 4.
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a steep pitch versus a shallow or low pitch.
A 4 12 pitch being 4 inches of vertical rise over one foot or 12 inches of horizontal run.
Examples of extreme slopes range from 1 4 12 almost flat to 12 12 sloping down at a perfect 45 degree angle.
So a roof with four inches of rise every 12 inches horizontally run would have a slope of 4 12 sometimes displayed as 4 12.
The basic ranges of pitch are not uniformly defined but range from flat which are not perfectly flat but sloped to drain water up to 1 2 12 to 2 12 1 in 24 to 1 in 6.
A pitch over 9 12 is considered a steep slope roof between 2 12 and 4 12 is considered a low slope roof and less than 2 12 is considered a flat roof.
This is why they tend to be very tall resulting in a large overall footprint.
2 12 4 12 conventional slope roof.
9 12 20 12 steep slope.
High and low pitch examples two examples at each end of the spectrum.
Roof repairis also easier to carry out because of the relatively flat surface.
Understanding your roof s pitch and slope.