Are you thinking about a new roof for your Florida home? Before you start, it’s essential to get acquainted with the most common roof designs and their influence on your roofing material choices. In sunny Florida, where style and durability matter, let’s explore the 8 common types of residential roofing styles that will help your home shine under the sun.
Roof Styles and Their Importance
Your roof could be a significant part of your home’s outer appearance, maybe even 40%! It plays a great role in how your house looks and feels. When you’re getting a new roof, it’s crucial to choose the right materials and shingle colors that match your roof’s shape and angle and go well with your home’s style.
Knowing how different roof shapes and slopes can affect your home’s performance and appearance will help you choose the best shingles and roofing materials that not only work well but also look appealing.
When you’re picking roof materials, remember that the steeper the slope, the more you’ll see your roof from the ground. This can greatly affect how your home looks from the outside.
Usually, your roofing contractor will handle these details. But it’s essential to have a basic understanding of how steep your roof can be with different types of shingles, like asphalt.
8 Common Types of Roofing
1. Gambrel Roof
When you picture a charming red barn with white edges, and you’re picturing a gambrel roof. It has two sides, each with two slopes – one steep, one gentle. This design lets you use the upper floor as an attic or loft. Adding windows on the sides brightens it up and makes the upper space more usable. Since the steep parts of gambrel roofs are quite noticeable, homeowners should choose their roofing shingles carefully to create an overall appealing look
2. Gable Roof
If you ask a child to draw a house, they will probably draw a gable roof. It’s like a triangle, starting at the house’s top and going up to a point in the middle. Gable roofs can be super steep, like chalets, or gently sloped. Gable roofs are popular and fit many home styles. You can make them look fancier with front gables above your doors or try a crossed gable design with two ridges at right angles.
3. Dutch Gable Roof
The Dutch gable roof is like a mix of gable and hip roofs. Imagine a small gable roof, like a “gablet,” sitting on top of a regular hip roof. That extra gable part gives you more attic space, and you can even put windows there for more sunlight.
4. Clipped Gable Roof
The clipped gable roof, also known as bullnose, blends the gable and hip roof styles. It starts like a regular gable roof, with two sides meeting at a ridge. But then, it adds a twist: the top parts are “bent in,” making little hips at the roof’s ends. These hips add a cool architectural touch to homes and give you a chance to show off designer shingles.
5. Hip Roof
A typical hip roof has four equal-length slopes coming together to make a straightforward ridge. But there are twists, like a half-hip with shorter sides. If you have a hip roof, you’ll notice most of your roof shows from outside. The type and color of roofing shingles you pick will greatly impact how your home looks, as it’s easily seen.
6. Shed Roof
If you’re into modern home designs, you’ll probably like a shed roof. It’s like half of a regular gable roof, kind of like a “lean-to” style. Shed roofs have been used for porches and add-ons, but now they’re used for the whole modern house. Most shed roofs have gentle slopes, often less than 4 in 12, but steeper ones can make water flow off quickly. Houses with shed roofs are unique and show the owner’s style. You can install windows under the roof or big picture windows in front.
7. Mansard Roof
The Louvre Museum in Paris shows off a classic French-style roof called the mansard roof. It’s got four sides with two slopes on each side. The bottom slopes are super steep and can be either flat or curved. Even though it started in France, the mansard roof became a hit in the United States as well. It’s great for giving you lots of space inside your home’s attic and many windows. Adding dormer windows further increases the appeal
8. Flat Roof
When we hear “flat roofs,” we usually picture strip malls and big buildings. But from 1945 to 1970, cool architects tried flat roofs for fancy homes of movie stars and rich folks. Flat roofs fit the style of that time, blending with surroundings, and giving big open spaces. Some houses mix flat roofs with gable or hip ones. Sometimes, flat roofs are added to houses to make more upstairs space.
Tips for Picking the Right Shingles for Your Roofing Style
We’ve explained various roof shapes, and some can even be mixed. But when it comes to choosing the perfect shingles, the decision is all yours. Here are some tips:
- Explore different neighborhoods, check out houses online, and flip through magazines to discover a roof style and color that matches your dream home.
- Also, think about your neighborhood. You can choose to blend in or stand out based on your personality and your goals for the look of your home.
- Remember, there might be rules from the city or neighborhood association that limit what you can do with your roof, so make sure to research before you begin any project.
- Contact a residential roofing provider for professional tips and expert insight on the best roofing styles.
Get in Touch with Our Team at American Roofing FL for Top Quality Residential Roofing Installation in Florida
Serving Orlando, Winter Haven, Tampa, and Osceola, we at American Roofing FL are a reliable residential roofing company in Florida. Contact us today and we’ll give you a free estimate on your next roofing project with us.
