If you have ever looked at a beautiful home or building and wondered, “What is that type of roof called?” then this article is for you.  At Stone Truss, we offer pre-built trusses to create every type of roofline, so no matter what design you prefer, we have a product to make construction easier.

Rooflines are designed and built to withstand various types of weather or other environmental conditions, but they are also designed with beauty in mind.  In most of North America, roofs of all types can be created to withstand snow loads, heat, or torrential rain.  Therefore, many cities feature homes with many different types of architectural styles and rooflines.

Furthermore, many builders choose rooflines to fit certain architectural styles.  Tudor rooflines, for example, often feature oversized gables, while Southern styles may feature a steeply pitched hip roof.  Many modern styles feature flat roofs that are gently sloped to provide drainage.  An architect or builder who is designing a new home may spend time researching in order to find the right style or combination of styles, as the roof is often a major portion of the construction cost and labor cost of a new home.

Basic Types of Rooflines

There are countless variations in rooflines, with combinations and permutations quite common as architects and builders look for a unique profile.  However, most rooflines are based on four rather simple patterns.

• The gable roofline is one of the oldest and most common rooflines in the world.  It features an upside-down v-shaped roof that comes to a point and usually travels the length of the home, broken only by shed or dormer windows.  Gables are relatively easy to construct; the biggest consideration is the roof pitch, which is chosen based on anticipated snow load and draining issues.  The steeper the pitch of a gable, the more expensive the roof may be, as very steep construction often leads to slower build times and higher labor costs.
• The hip roof is one in which all of the planes of the roof come to a single point.  This is an interesting variation of the gable roof and provides visual interest.  Many new homes feature a combination of hip and gable rooflines that create a grand and interesting profile for the home.  Like a gable, a hip roof must be pitched properly to shed snow or water.
• A gambrel roof, while not as common as the gable and hip, is instantly recognizable as the familiar “barn” shape.  The gambrel is another variation of the original gable shape and is often chosen to give more headroom on the upper floor of a home.
• The mansard roof, once very common, has declined in popularity over the years, and therefore lends an older look to a home.  Like the gambrel, mansard roofs offer more interior headroom than a low gable, so they are sometimes used to expand the square footage of a home by capturing what would be attic space as living space.

Stone Truss offers solutions for quick and easy construction of all roof types.  Give us a call today to learn more about how you can use trusses to cut the time and cost of your next construction project.