In the simplest explanation possible, a shed roof is a flat roof installed at a steeper slope. It is also widely known as half of a conventional gable roof. According to the design, the typical roof types have two sides, but the shed roof only consists of a single-slope with a certain degree of steepness.
It is called a shed roof because the style is once used mainly for sheds – however, it gets more popular to use on residential buildings. Nowadays, it is possible to use the shed roof as an architectural addition to the house even though the rest of the building has a different roof design.
It is partly because the shed roof is relatively affordable and easy to install in the house’s newer section. If you planned to add this particular type of roof, it is essential to understand the shed roof’s pitch, which is a key part of the whole roofing installation process.
Read also : Roof Pitches in Degrees
Minimum Pitch for Shed Roof
To have safe access to the roof from the inside part of the building, you need to determine the shed roof’s minimum pitch. The universal measurement of minimum pitch is ¼ inch increase every 12 inches of run. However, it can depend a lot on the roofing design and environmental circumstances such as weather.
To measure the ideal pitch for your building’s roof, you can use these two methods below. These are the recommended ways to measure the proper pitch to get a functional design.
The first method is to calculate from the top of the roof. Mark a sign every 12 inches. Measure all the way to the roof surface in balance. However, this method may not provide sharp measurement accuracy if the roof comprises many layers of shingles.
The second method is doing the exact opposite from the first one, which is to measure starts from the rafters’ bottom. There are three different spots to measure if you use this technique: the rater’s underside in the attic, the barge’s underside at the end of the gable, or the rafter’s underside on the extended bottom of the roof.
Best Pitch for Shed Roof
There is no one-size-fits-all pitch for the shed roof because there are so many styles and pitches that can work in any location. However, to ensure that you get the right pitch, you can look at several factors below.
These are the primary elements that consist of shed purposes, local climate, and personal aesthetic style that may influence the pitched roof you’re going to install.
The intended purpose of the shed roof
A simple, single pitch for the shed roof works just fine if you’re using the building to store minimum amounts of items. On the other hand, if you’re going to stuff the building to the maximum capacity as space allows, then a steeper pitch to provide more headroom would be ideal.
Local climate
Each level of pitch steepness has its own advantages and disadvantages, whether it is low, shallow, high, etc. It is important to match the steepness with the climate and weather conditions in your location. For example, if heavy rain, snow, and wind are common, installing a steeper pitch to drain the snow or rainwater is better.
Personal aesthetic style
Matching the roof style to the surrounding architecture is not always necessary, but it may be a good idea if you’re willing to. It is all down to the personal style. The most popular style of the shed roof’s pitch is the barn gambrel shed, which wouldn’t look out of place whether in dense urban areas or the middle of farms in the countryside.
Roof Pitch for a 12X12 Shed
Now, if you have a 12X12 sized building, you might wonder what the ideal pitch for a shed roof to install. A 12X12 shed leaves exactly 144 square footprints and is huge enough to be a home office, studio office, or just a storage space to save your lawnmower.
There are various shed roofing styles, such as gable shed, gambrel roof shed, or run-in shed, that you can try. The pitch level would follow the style that you preferred.
