Minimum Roof Pitch For Snowy Climates

This month we ll examine the design of metal roof systems for cold seasons aided by the metal construction association s helpful guide guidelines for commercial roofing.

Minimum roof pitch for snowy climates.

If you are building a new roof however consider the climate to determine the correct pitch and proper materials. Flat roofs are common with industrial buildings boasting wide roof spans and are also popular in dry climates for houses where there is no need for the roof to help disperse rain and snow. They provide excellent weather resistance great value and now more than ever a tremendous range of beautiful designs and color blends. This will extend the life of your roof.

The purpose of pitching a roof is to enable water and snow to run off so the greater the amount of rain and or snow an area receives the greater the amount of pitch needed for the roof. The key factors are usually snow loading requirements adequate slope and the use of snow guards when needed. Minimum pitch metal roof snow metal roofing system when properly designed and installed is famous for its strong performance against harsh climate environments. The minimum roof pitch for shedding snow is around 30 or a 6 12 or 7 12 slope although this is not a definite as the material of your roof the direction of the snow and wind are some factors that can affect whether or not snow will slide as roofs of as little as 10 have been reported to shed snow.

If these issues are addressed during the design stage and the roofing contractor does his job these systems will almost always perform as intended. The minimum roof pitch is also subject to the standards set forth by the various building codes used in the respective regions. Metal roof design for cold climates. Even in these arid regions so called flat roofs are still installed with a slight pitch to keep water from pooling on top of the structure.

There are several other factors that add up to this quality certainly such as proper slope snow loading requirements or the snow guard usage. Importance of a roof pitch. The short simple answer is 2 12 has traditionally been considered the absolute minimum acceptable roof slope suitable for asphalt shingles. The safest way to determine the pitch of an existing roof is to measure from inside your attic using a level tape measure and pencil.

If water does not properly run off of a roof it will begin to seep in causing rot interior damage and possibly dangerous black mold. Metal roofing systems have a good track record of performance in harsh winter environments as long as they are properly designed.