Quality roofing is very important for every building. The roof protects the home from sun, rain, snow and other elements, so it must be sturdy. In addition to protection, the roof is the distinguishing feature of a structure and contributes significantly to the whole visual aspect of the building. Roof shape contributes stability to the building as well as beauty to the whole house or building design. For a replacement roof Houston, it is important to look at the current roof and be sure that it is the right shape.

Roofs come in various shapes: gable, hipped, flat and skillion are generally recognized roof Houston shapes. Gable and hipped roofs are the two basic roof types and other designs can be based on these two.

Gable

The gable roof is the most common roof shape in the United States and the choice of most contractors.

Its simplicity makes this roof design more popular to home and building owners because it can be easily installed and less expensive when compared to other roof Houston designs. The following are subtypes or designs that are based on this type of roof shape.

• Cross-gable – This design is two or more gable roofs that intersect with one another. This is a more complex design when compared to the standard design of gable roofing.
• Gambrel – This design is commonly found on large barns and also used on some colonial homes. This Dutch-inspired design has vertical gable ends.
• Mansard – This design is also commonly called the French gable roof. Instead of having a perfect triangular design, a mansard roof  Houston has a flat area on top.

Hipped

This is another type of roof design that is slightly more difficult to build. Unlike the gable roof, ventilation is not provided and there a greater chance for leakage because of hips and valleys. This is still one of the most popular choices for replacement roofs. Below are other designs that are based on this type of roof Houston shape.

• Cross-hipped – This design is two or more hipped roof parts that cross each other. As compared to the standard hipped design, this is more complex and needs a more skilled contractor for installation.
• Pyramid – This is similar to the hipped roof with a design like that of a pyramid. This adds visual appeal to the design.
• Mansard – This is similar to the gable design, having a flat area on the top instead of having the regular hipped design.

Flat

A nearly horizontal one surface design is considered a flat roof. The slight inclination design allows water to run off the roof. Although this type of roof  Houston is very low cost, it is not recommended for homes in colder climates as the surface tends to fail due to ice build-ups blocking the water flow.

Skillion

This is also called a shed roof or a lean-to. It is a type of roof that has a single surface that is inclined slightly, covers the whole structure, and is not attached to any other roof surface. This type of roof is not very expensive and can be easily installed.

The above roof shapes are very basics types of roof construction. Knowing about these roof designs can help achieve the best replacement roof Houston that can be found. Most buildings undergo renovation as some time or another and understanding the basic roof shapes will help you make a wise decision when the time comes!