Proper Roof Slope For Rain

The primary reason roof pitch exists in the first place is to redirect water.

Proper roof slope for rain.

Roofs at the lower end of the range about 4 12 to 6 12 are relatively easy to walk and work on. To put it in perspective the angle of this slope would be around 30 degrees. To ensure that gutters drain properly make certain they slope inch for every 10 feet toward a downspout. The slope of a roof or pitch is determined by how many inches the roof rises over 1 foot or 12 inches.

The pitch of your roof also helps determine the type of materials that can be used on your roofing system. The roof pitch would be described as a 6 12 pitch. An example for a steep sloped roof is 8 12. A small roof with a shorter length on the other hand will not collect a lot of water within a short period of time and will work just fine with the minimum roof slope for drainage.

The standard slope for rain gutters is half of an inch for every 10 feet. Divide the results by the number of 12 inch segments in your level. This means that your gutter should be a half inch lower in height at every 10 foot mark until you reach the downspout. If you have 30 feet of guttering as above you know the slope should be 3 4 of an inch.

It is an essential element to ensure water drains properly off of your roof. For example if you used a 24 inch level and your measurement was 12 inches the pitch in your roof is 6 in 12. Or you can slope the gutters down from each end toward a single downspout placed in the middle of the run. Use a string level to ensure the string is completely parallel to the ground.

For spans longer than 40 feet it s wise to have a downspout on each end and start the high spot of the gutter in the center. Take the downspout end of the string lower it 3 4 of an inch and reattach it. This means that the rise of the slope goes up or down 8 inches for every 12 inches. A handy roof slope estimator can help you determine if your roof slope is likely too low for shingles.

The majority of north american residential roofs have historically been constructed with a slope between about 4 12 and 9 12. The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. Measure the length of the string to determine the distance between the two points. At that point measure down from the exposed butt end back to the roof surface.