Roofers in Jacksonville, Florida: The Architect’s Roof Style Guide

Posted on 19th October 2023

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The roof over your head is one of the crucial components of your home and its primary function is to protect you from adverse weather conditions. Its shape affects the function and look of your dream home.

Numerous types of roof shapes are available to pick from, so choosing one that’ll complement your home’s overall style and meet your unique needs is vital. In this roofers Jacksonville FL style guide, you’ll find the most popular and unique roof shape types and important things to consider when picking your home’s style.

Picking the Right Roof Style for Your Dream Home

Picking the right shape of your dream home narrows down to several considerations. They include:

Pitch

The incline or slope of the roof planes defines the pitch. You may pick a steep or shallow slope. The climate and weather conditions around your area affect the pitch decisions to account for snow and rainwater runoff. Interior concerns like vaulted ceiling height may also affect your roof pitch selection.

Style

Many shapes of roofs can be easily adapted to blend with any architectural style you’re dreaming of for your home. Popular styles like gables and hips blend with different design styles, anything between traditional and contemporary. However, some unique styles lend themselves to certain architectural designs.

For instance, the saltbox roof blends effortlessly with the cape code style, while the butterfly style has a mid-century contemporary feel. When making your final choice, compare different roof styles available and pick one that will perfectly fit your home’s overall look and feel.

Finishing Materials

Your pitch and shape significantly affect the choice of finishing materials. You need to consider this during the initial design phases of your home. Specific roof styles, such as mansard, display more roofing materials compared to others. It’s vital to consider how your roofing materials will match the style of the roof and other finishes you’ll utilize.

Proportion

Your roof shape must be proportionate to your home’s overall scale. You do not want a steeper roof on your small house. Experienced architects and roofers in Jacksonville usually calculate the correct roof pitch depending on the size of the home and how the roof lines communicate or match with other components of the design.

Popular Types of Roofs

These roof types are in their basic forms. Larger homes attract a combination of different roof types to create room for more manageable projects and to maximize space.

Gabled Roof

A gabled roof is the most straightforward. This roof consists of two sloped sides meeting at the ridge or peak of the home. Your gabled roof’s slope may be steeper or could be slight. Either way, it is a gable roof.

Hip Roof

A hip roof doubles the sides of the gable roof. That means it has four sides at the ridge. Two opposing sides meet to create a smaller ridge that the other sides meet at either end. Alternatively, all four sides may be like a pyramid at the top of the roof. A hip roof allows for eaves around the four sides of the house.

Gambrel Roof

The roof’s two sides meet to form a ridge, just like a gabled roof. However, there is a simple twist. The slope changes to a more gentle degree near the top. In most cases, the gambrel roof takes a 15-degree slope at the top and then dives down to a minimum of 60 degrees. The double space creates more storage space at the top of the house.

Mansard Roof

The mansard roof tweaks a hip roof. In the mansard roof, the four sides slope at a single degree before they transition to a steeper slope. This roof’s main purpose is to offer extra usable space in the attic. It’s an interesting look and feel you can give to your home.

Always partner with experienced Jacksonville FL, architects and roofers to design and create your dream home’s roof.