What Are the Different Types of Roofs?

The style of a roof is essential to the home’s overall appearance and protection. Consequently, architects choose from various types of roofs to find the perfect match for a home’s design. When it comes time to replace your roof, a roofer also uses the type of roof you have to help you choose the right shingles. 

Why Do Roof Types Matter? 

The type of roof you have makes a significant difference when it comes time to replace it. A professional roofer will look at the slope of your roof to see if it adequately prevents water from collecting on the roof, where the water can cause damage. 

One aspect of your roof’s design that determines water movement is its slope. Steep slopes allow for water to flow off the roof quickly. However, if your home has steeply sloped areas of the roof, discolored or damaged shingles become readily visible, even from the street. Therefore, in houses with steeply pitched roofs, good roof maintenance is essential in keeping up the home’s value and curb appeal. 

What Are the Different Types of Roofs? 

Architects specify dozens of types of roofs. However, many of these don’t appear in homes. Some specialty roof types appear more frequently on commercial and industrial buildings, such as flat roofs or barrel-vaulted roofs. You’re more likely to see the following types of roofs on homes around Charlotte. 

Gable Roof 

The simplest type of roof is a gable. This triangular-shaped roof has two angled sides that meet at the ridge. Due to its simplicity, gable roofs also have several variations that make subtle changes to the basic shape of the top. 

One variation of a simple gable roof is the bullnose, also known as the jerkinhead or clipped gable. This type of roof has the ends at the open sides of the gable bent inward, forming small hips at either end.

Another form of this type of roof is the box gable. Commonly seen in American Colonial architecture, this roof has both open ends closed off with siding or other material. 

The Dutch gable roof merges the hip roof and gable styles together. It places a gabled roof on top of a hipped roof to create four sloping sides from the ceiling. 

While gable roofs frequently appear in their many forms on Charlotte homes, there are other types of roofs you may see in the area.   

Hip Roof 

A hip roof is a prevalent roof form in modern homes. The standard hip roof has four equal sides that slope to a typical ridge. However, like gable roofs, hip roofs have many variations. 

Homes with L-shape, T-shape, or other complex designs that include right angles often have cross-hip roofs. These roofs place hip roofs over each part of the home and meet at a right angle, often at the same ridge. The parts where the two sloped sides of different hips meet create a valley, which channels water off the roof. 

Hip and valley roofs may include cross-hip roof designs, but they also appear on homes with more complex designs, including those with multiple roof lines. Hip and valley roofs are great for the Charlotte area because their self-bracing design helps to keep the roof intact in the high winds caused by hurricanes or summer storms. 

Hip roofs are some of the more popular types of roofs, especially in new homes, because they offer strength and adapt to complex home designs.

Skillion Roofs 

Modern architecture often uses skillion roofs to create dynamic lines on the top of the home. These roofs use one or more slopes to form various shapes, from shed-roof styles with one plane to butterfly roofs with two planes meeting in a V-shape in the center. 

A similar-looking roof to a skillion is a clerestory roof. This type of roof has two single planes that connect with a windowed vertical wall. The windows on this high wall admit light into the main area of the home. 

Dormer Roof 

Dormer roofs are the types of roof coverings used for dormer windows. Depending on the home’s design, these can have gable, hip, or flat shapes.

The dormer windows bring light into the upper areas or the attic of the home. From the outside, the dormer windows break up the expanse of the roof and add visual interest to the exterior of the home. 

Roofers typically use the same type of roofing materials for the dormer roofs as they do for the main roof to blend the two together. 

Mansard Roof

Mansard roofs have four steeply sloping sides that meet at another set of sides with shallower slopes or a flat roof. This type of roof frequently appears in French architecture and also goes by the French name roof or curb roof. Thanks to the steep slope of the bottom portion of the roof, the attic area has more space. Often these roofs have dormer windows in the bottom part of the roof to create a liveable space. 

Thanks to their heritage, these roofs enhance property values, but they need special attention. These types of roofs require the greatest level of attention to the roofing material because the upper portion, whether flat or shallowly sloped, can collect rainwater and cause leaks. However, with regular maintenance and expert installation of roofing materials, this type of roof can look great and avoid leaking. 

Gambrel Roof 

You may recognize a gambrel roof without knowing that it is one. These types of roofs have the open ends of gable roofs but the pair of different slopes seen on mansard roofs. Thanks to the shallower slope on the upper part of the roof, these types of roofs allow for more space in the attic or upper story. 

You may not see as many gambrel roofs in the Charlotte area because these types of roofs don’t do well in high winds and hurricanes. 

Get Roofing Help from the Experts at Charlotte Roofing Specialists

No matter what type of roof your home has, you need a professional to help you with the repairs or replacements you need. In the Charlotte area, choose the experts at Charlotte Roofing Specialists. Contact us to schedule an estimate for your roofing repairs or replacement or to learn more about our company.