Best Roof Angle For Snow

This image shows a relatively shallow roof pitch of 15 degrees.

Best roof angle for snow.

Basically the steeper the pitch the better it can shed snow and rain. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a steep pitch versus a shallow or low pitch the most obvious of which is the roof s ability to shed or withstand heavy snow rain or wind. Roof slopes lower than 4 12 tend to perform well with metal roofs which are less prone to leakage and ice dam formation. Pitch is a measure of the steepness of a roof.

A reputable roofing contractor will be familiar with the pitch required by these codes. 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. This will extend the life of your roof. Use a handy tool like snow load calculator to help you determine if your roof can handle the weight of snow based on its pitch.

In snowy areas your roof should be at least 10 12 40 to allow snow to shed while the safest roof pitch in very windy areas is between 4 12 6 12 18 5 26 5. The smallest pitch of a roof is 0 5 12. Again the most important consideration is the weather. At these slopes snow creeps rather than slides and is easy to manage.

Any roof from 4 12 to 9 12 is considered an ordinary angle for a roof. On roof slopes between 4 12 and 6 12 rough textured roofing materials work best. Significant here means less than an 8 change. If you are building a new roof however consider the climate to determine the correct pitch and proper materials.

A flat roof would have a 2 12 pitch while the average roof pitch would be between 4 12 and 9 12. The loft space would be much larger with a roof pitch of 45 degrees. Across all materials this threshold is around 45 50 degrees away from perpendicular. To put this another way you can tilt a roof angle about 45 degrees away from the optimal angle the perpendicular angle to the sun without significantly affecting light transmission.

The pitch of the roof is determined by the vertical rise in inches for every horizontal twelve inch length. Flat and nearly flat roofs a pitch of 1 in 12 or 2 in 12 cannot be covered with shingles or shakes of any material since there is not enough angle to combat the danger of blow off. What is the smallest pitch of a roof. Simply put roof pitch is the measurement of the angle or the steepness of your roof.

These are also the most common pitches for shed roofs.