Steel building construction allows for the quick and economical building of boxlike warehouses and simple manufacturing facilities. However, with just a simple and affordable change in the steel building’s roof pitch, you can improve its exterior appearance, taking it from a drab-industrial look to an upscale-aesthetically-pleasing church or medical center. In addition, boosting a building’s roof pitch expands the interior space, adds clearance above the eaves, dissipates heat in non-air conditioned structures, and helps shed snow and rain.
Pre-engineered steel building kits, like those made by Allied Steel Buildings, offer spans with no obstruction and higher eaves than those allowed with standard construction methods.
What is Roof Pitch?
Roof pitch ratio refers to the slope or rising in the roof for every foot of horizontal length along a building’s roof. For instance, a standard 4:12 roof pitch means the pitch rises 4-inches for every 12-inches it spans.
Metal Buildings Offer Classic Boxed Designs and Pitched Roof Options
For strictly practical uses, you can design a steel building as a simple, classic box with a pitch ratio of 1:12. Adaptable metal buildings allow you to add flair and personality with other pitched roof options, to give the structure a more upscale, aesthetically pleasing look, often vital for fitting in with nearby businesses or attracting customers.
What is Roof Pitch?
Roof pitch ratio refers to the slope or rising in the roof for every foot of horizontal length along a building’s roof. For instance, a standard 4:12 roof pitch means the pitch rises 4-inches for every 12-inches it spans.
Metal Buildings Offer Classic Boxed Designs and Pitched Roof Options
For strictly practical uses, you can design a steel building as a simple, classic box with a pitch ratio of 1:12. Adaptable metal buildings allow you to add flair and personality with other pitched roof options, to give the structure a more upscale, aesthetically pleasing look, often vital for fitting in with nearby businesses or attracting customers.
Common Roof Pitches for Metal Buildings
Standard metal building kits typically come with low roof pitch roofs ranging from 1:12 to 4:12. These roof pitches save on construction costs and reduce heating and cooling expenses. However, you can add valuable extra space, at not much cost, by installing a higher-pitched roof, like a sloped gable or hip roof.
Gable vs. Hip Rooflines
Two common rooflines used on steel buildings include the more economical choice, gable, and the more aesthetically pleasing, durable option, hip.
Gable Rooflines
Gable (pitched or peaked) roofs slope downward on two sides towards the walls. The walls extend from the eaves to the ridge’s peak on the other two sides, toward the walls.
Hip Rooflines
All four roof sides of a hip (hipped) roof slope downward towards the walls so that the building sits under the eaves of each roofs’ side to create a strong, long-lasting roof. The equal length sides come together at the top to form a ridge.
Metal Buildings with Pitched Roofs
Pitched roofs for metal buildings refer to any roof that slopes downwards in one or more parts, at an angle from the highest point or peak of a sloping roof. The slope of a pitched roof generally ranges between 45°- 60°, improving drainage over a flat roof.
Pitched roofs come in several styles to match the needs and aesthetics of the building project:
- Single slope, lean – to easily accommodate steel building add-ons or small sheds
- Gable slopes create the classic triangle shape with two panels, commonly used for churches because they create a steep pitch leading to a cross
- Hipped pitch gives the building a squared-off profile, allowing for runoff in four directions to reduce soil erosion in any one spot
Pros of Pitched Roofs
Pitched roofs provide many advantages for a steel building:
- More stability than gable roofs
- Slopes of 4/12-6/12 protect against high winds
- Quickly shed rain and snow to prevent any standing water
- Can add extra living space, especially with the addition of a dormer’s
- Increases the total cubic footage and inside clearance
- Extra volume lessens heat buildup in non-air-conditioned buildings
- Higher pitched roofs offer more visibility than low pitched roofs
Cons of Pitched Roofs
Pitched roofs can cost more than flat roofs for a steel building:
- Visibility requires more aesthetically pleasing and expensive roofing panels
- Needs more building materials, which costs more than flat roofs
- Dormers in a hip roof increase the chances of rainwater leaks
Metal Buildings with Flat Roofs
Flat roofs are an economical and energy-efficient alternative to pitched roofs. The simple roof design gives it an industrial look, which is fitting for storage units, warehouses, etc. However, the slope of a flat roof is less than 10°, which may impede drainage, making them only suitable for low to moderate rainfall regions.
Pros of Flat Roofs
Flat roofs are a less costly option than pitched roofs:
- Easier to build and cheaper than more complex designs
- Flat roofs lower energy costs
- Quick to install flat roofs shorten construction times
- Can increase usable outdoor space for a garden, solar panels, or gather space
- Allow safe and easy access to clean gutters, inspect, etc.
Cons of Flat Roofs
They are less expensive than a pitched roof, but flat roofs have long-term problems:
- May collapse in high wind areas if not properly constructed with adequate supports
- Winds can create an uplift underneath the overhang, causing a flat roof to detach from the walls
- Water and snow can accumulate and pool on flat roofs, leading to damaging ice dams
- Requires additional mechanisms to ensure proper drainage
- Requires replacement much sooner than pitched roofs
- Does not allow for lofts or attic space
Allied Buildings Meet Any Roofing Requirements for Metal Buildings
Allied Buildings can help adapt your steel building design to your specific roofing requirements by modifying the roof pitch, adding canopies and overhangs, and choosing the right roofing panel.
Our designers will carefully examine your local weather conditions to create a roof that will resist severe winds and ensure even shedding of snow and rain, mitigating the effects of ice, optimizing the structural integrity of the steel building.
Our canopies and overhangs add an attractive finished appearance to your building and redirect the water and snow falling from the roof away from the walls and foundation. We also offer three durable roofing panels, standard, insulated, and architectural, in various colors and styles.
To learn more about roofing pitch options for steel buildings, contact Allied Steel Buildings today.