Roof Pitch For Snow Shedding

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.

Roof pitch for snow shedding.

Therefore if your roof rises 4 inches over the course of 12 inches of horizontal run then your roof pitch is 4 12. If you are building a new roof however consider the climate to determine the correct pitch and proper materials. Snow can certainly slide off of a 4 12 roof. People have been killed by snow avalanches sliding off roofs during big snow winters.

However the larger factor is that when the sun comes out radiant heat passes through the snow is reflected outward melts the snow from underneath and causes it to slide. This has more to do with weather conditions than pitch. 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. Your shed roof pitch may also be influenced by your project specific requirements to let light into the building through the roof or create storage space in the roof void.

Slopes greater than 6 12 will tend to shed snow regardless of the texture of the material on them so roof slopes should be configured to avoid shedding anywhere people might be walking or exiting. This will extend the life of your roof. Basically the steeper the pitch the better it can shed snow and rain. The higher the roof pitch the more often the snow slides off.

Roof pitch is the degree of building s roof slope. How to choose the right shed roof pitch for your. Remember that pitch is calculated as the height or rise of a roof pitch over 12 inches of horizontal run. Constructing a new shed roof at the desired pitch is as easy as knowing how to use a speed square.

On january 19 2020 by jaka santuy. It makes sense when designing a metal roof to shed snow not to keep it on. It determines how many inches the roof should rise for every 12 inches expanding on the horizontal side. With expansion and contraction of the metal it is difficult to attach snow retention devices into the roof decking without causing a roof leak or slotting of the metal panel from the snow bracket fastener.

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. Minimum roof pitch for metal building. Amongst many decisions one has to make when designing a metal building determining metal roof minimum slope is one of them.