Just like your tools falling off a steeper roof, so does all the debris like snow, leaves and pine needles. 4:12 tends to hold on to a lot more of that stuff.

 

Aesthetics, strength, use of space.

 

What makes them stronger?

 

can't stand low pitch roof....

6/12 is ok, i'm at home on a 12/12....

 

true branches hold on to a 4/12 easier which can then collect other debris and leads to moss etc , but cleaning a 4/12 so easy.

ice and snow stay on a 4/12 longer = more likely for ice to expand into areas it shouldn't, but I'm still not convinced steeper roofs last much longer. Some people clear snow from roofs, and a 4/12 much safer.
Ice dams: a fascia vent could prevent let alone not only 4/12 roofs get ice dams, it's more from attic heat

steeper roofs add about an extra foot or two to an attic which no one really utilizes though. Ok a cathedral church or something will have a smaller footprint but it's still not 'living space'.

Steeper may look more showy but I'm just ranting that's opinion.
Respect to roofers though. there's working at height,, and then there's working at height without a good footing. don't even have to mention tying off really.


true less rafter thrust = less rafter sag, but is a 4/12 going to collapse.

 

....but is a 4/12 going to collapse...

if loaded over the design criteria, yes....

 

Because that’s what the architect put on that big paper thingy.

 

Me likey 4/12


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Especially if hanging 6 inch gutter below a steel roof.

 

Sevens and eights are a good compromise for storage strength and looks.

They can still be a bit hairy to work on though. when I used to roof full-time I remember rolling up to these jobs new construction sheathing a bit icy and start papering or using ice shield. We would start upside down until we had enough courses on 4 or 5 to turn around and start coming up the roof. Usually a rapper stuffed under the install shingles was enough to hold a bundle in place while you work.

 

Even modular homes can have vaulted ceilings, but a steeper pitch allows a steeper vault.


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If you're just talking about shingles lasting on a roof, 12/12 shingles are more susceptible to high winds.

If you have to rake, shovel, or snowblow a low slope roof, the shingles won't last as long.

 

A lot of 12/12 have living space in the attic around here. Lower slopes have less or none. The incremental cost of the roofing system to pick up that living space is pretty darn small.

 

Reduces the amount of wall siding you need

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We just finished framing this 12/12 combo with 5/12 cathedral trusses bonus room over garage. Thing is they gained a whole lot more livable space by doing full exterior wall with roof trusses instead of continuing I-joist over the remaining system.

Side note: We took over this project from a different GC, hence differing housewrap, etc.

 

nice, that looked like a mess before you guys showed up. If I remember right.

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You want a the top board on the shed trusses to be 2 x 10 or 12" for maximum insulation and venting room under the roof diaphragm, or add a sleepers under the roof deck sheathing, much less heating and cooling year around....

Fire blocking in balloon framing?

Lots of hurricane anchors?

Is a tension cable/strapping needed to hold the rafters together, next to the trusses?

Isn't one of the rafters/trusses traditionally doubled up under the end of the shed roof?

 

I like 4/12

 

ok fair enough, for a detached garage as shown, the steep roof allows more usable space in the upper floor.
Could also just put walls for the second story with a 4/12 over it and have even more usable space, even if walls are just ~4.5 feet at the sill. But I get that it's not meant to look like a 2 story building.

But most houses, people won't gain much usable attic space or even have access to some parts if it's steeper.
With steep roof to do a small repair may also lead to someone nailing in roof jack platforms which can leak even if seal over the nails.
I dunno, it just seems strange to me.

 

during a wind storm the high pitch roof helps keep the shingles on the roof as well.


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See installation instructions for steep pitches, you have to add nails and roofing cement.

 

4/12s Are barely legal with most codes for several reasons, they don't last as long due to heat buildup.... hold dirt, hold snow loads, more likely to form ice dams that create leaks, actually have more uplift in high winds, and weaker truss geometry(flatter trusses are weaker)

And less room for insulation at the wall line,:sad:

In general 4/12 roofs are the pintos and Yugos of the home world, Not to be ashamed of, but nothing to be proud of....

A 4/12 should never be re-shingled without removal of the old shingles IMHO.

Higher pitched roofs = longer, and cheaper to own homes.

 

And less room for insulation at the wall line,:sad:

I

Energy heels.

 

4/12 down the road has so many layers that the Chinese contractors put another layer of 1/2 inch ply OVER THE OLD then shingles over that lol...

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At least it stayed dried in.

 

true a steeper roof is more wind resistant in terms of wind getting under them. Someone said:

"If you're just talking about shingles lasting on a roof, 12/12 shingles are more susceptible to high winds"
which is wrong.

Put a mailing envelope in front of a fan with the envelope straight up and down and it won't flap open, the more you tilt to towards 4/12, the easier it is to flap open when it's less steep.

BUT I just don't see steep roofs lasting noticeably longer than 4/12s unless you're talking Florida or somewhere very hurricane-prone, otherwise they seem to last the same. and what kills the roof is eventually the granules dis-adhering and are left with a fiber mesh the sun eats away.
Most of the country, 4/12s stay put in wind as long as the tar strip is good.

I just think steep = purely aesthetics most of the time. end rant.

add Christmas lights to the list of things that will cost a homeowner with a steep roof.
This video,
~$200 up, ~$200 down, $400 a year for xmas lights over 10 years = 4,000 that could go towards a brand new roof if 4/12 (but would probably last about as long as a 9/12 anyway).

oh and dude is tempting fate around 5:10 mark, hanging with one arm holding the ridge - all it takes is those ridge shingles to be a tad overnailed and it'll rip out like cardboard. Besides the fact that most of the exposed area of the shingle is only held on by tar strip. If grab over where the nails are, there's an overlapping shingle and still only held by tar strip.

things like the roof goat steep assist are good, hooks over the ridge and have something solid to grab onto.

https://youtu.be/u9j_WCBOTVw?t=302

 

Put a mailing envelope in front of a fan with the envelope straight up and down and it won't flap open, the more you tilt to towards 4/12, the easier it is to flap open when it's less steep.

BUT I just don't see steep roofs lasting noticeably longer than 4/12s

the famous mailing envelope experiment


? where the hell is that damned shovel

 

I’ve never seen an “older” 4/12 roof that didn’t have at least some sag.

 

" However, in general terms, low slope roofs (commercial roofs) are those below 2/12 or 3/12 while steep slope roofing would consists of roof pitches above either 2/12 or 3/12 and higher."

Flat Roof: 2:12
Low Slope: 2:12-4:12
Conventional Slope Roof: 4:12-9:12
Higher Slopes: 9:12 - 20:12
Steep Slope: 21:12 and higher

"Steep slope roofing also generally lasts longer than low slope roofing because the systems shed water much more efficiently and generally are subject to less direct U/V activity." - Certainteed

 

Walls are completely different, there are houses aroung here that still have stuff that looks like msr roll roofing with a pattern on the walls. It was put up at least 60 years ago. The houses have probably 12 inch eave overhangs. I'm not saying it's in great condition, but it's still on the wall and still has granules.

 

I was gonna get around to mentioning Insul-Brick eventually.

 

Landmark installation, goo the edges down.

STEEP SLOPE
Use six nails and four spots of asphalt roofing cement for every full
laminated shingle. See below. Asphalt roofing cement should meet
ASTM D 4586 Type II. Apply 1" spots of asphalt roofing cement under
each corner and at about 12" to 13" in from each edg

 

Many homes out here just have a 1/4" to the foot fall. They usually get TPO. very common in areas where ocean veiws are important.


Mike.
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[emoji631] [emoji631]

 

I've seen that with height restrictions.

 

We have a mean hieght of 35 ft so every cape they add a level to needs a lower pitch roof to maximize the second floor ceiling hieght