Proper Roof Pitch For Snow

A flat roof would have a 2 12 pitch while the average roof pitch would be between 4 12 and 9 12.

Proper roof pitch for snow.

In areas with high rain and snow fall roof pitches traditionally tended to be relatively steep to encourage water and snow to drain and slide off. The smallest pitch of a roof is 0 5 12. 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. Divide the results by the number of 12 inch segments in your level.

What is the smallest pitch of a roof. The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. Whereas in dry areas roofs could be flatter. The higher the roof pitch the more often the snow slides off.

However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing. With regards to the pitch the building standard code bs 5534 recommends a minimum pitch of 200 for slate roofs. Have a real chance to soak in and find the weak spots. Pitch is a measure of the steepness of a roof.

Once in the attic hold your level against the bottom of a roof rafter ensuring that all bubbles are resting in the center. You can safely measure the roof pitch from inside your attic with a level that is either 18 or 24 inches a tape measure and a pencil. You can also estimate a roof pitch by eyeballing it from the ground from the gable side with a level and ruler. So in general the shallower pitch can be more dangerous with bigger slides.

Roof pitch degree table. Any pitch higher than 9 12 is considered a steep pitch. For example if you used a 24 inch level and your measurement was 12 inches the pitch in your roof is 6 in 12. Begin by measuring 12 inches on your level and marking it with a pencil.