← Building on the homestead H62-05 · Module 5 of 7 · Pages: 19 · Worksheets: 5

Roofs

Roof shape and pitch, snow and wind loads, rafters and holding-down, battens and coverings of metal sheet, tiles, slate and shingles, gutters, safe work on the roof and checks after winter

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Roofs

In short

  • Pitch follows the covering: metal sheet from 5–10°, clay tiles roughly from 22–30°, slate from about 20–25°, shingles from 15–30°, thatch from 45°. Check the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Wet snow weighs 100–120 kg per m² (20–25 psf) at 30 cm deep. Build the roof for the snow where you live, not for an average winter.
  • Wind lifts a roof: every rafter is fixed to the wall plate, and the wall plate to the wall or post.
  • Never alone on a roof, never in rain, frost or wind, always with a harness tied to a secure anchor.
  • Old grey corrugated sheets (asbestos cement) often contain asbestos: don't break, drill or sand them.

What's inside

Chapters

  1. Roof shape and pitch
  2. Loads: snow, wind and the weight of the covering
  3. Roof structure
  4. Battens, membrane and ventilation
  5. Coverings: metal sheet, tiles, slate, shingles
  6. Gutters, flashings and snow guards
  7. Working on a roof without falling
  8. Inspection and repairs
  9. Common mistakes
  10. Printable checklist

Worksheets

  • Roof area calculator
  • Covering and load calculator
  • Roof cost sheet
  • Roof inspection log
  • Roof sketch and calendar

Fields and checkboxes can be filled in with Adobe Acrobat Reader (desktop and mobile), and the calculator adds up by itself. Filling in may not work in some browsers. A print version comes with the screen PDF.

This guide in other languages:

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