Your roof is a complex piece of construction, made up of many parts. The support structure alone must be carefully engineered to enable it to support the weight of your chosen cladding material and any additions, as well as resist pressure from strong winds and storms.
Roofs have evolved over time to incorporate elements which help to protect your home from the weather. Guttering transports water away from your walls and foundations. Eaves do double duty by keeping sun and rain at bay, and flashing and cladding stops rain from leaking through the roof.
The shape and design of your roof will have long term implications for the appearance and liveability of your home, so choose wisely!
Roof framing elements
From purlins to beams, props, struts, rafters, ties, crowns and fascias. Find out what the different parts of a roof frame are called, and what purpose they serve.
Eaves
Eaves are the lower parts of the roof that project out beyond a house's walls. While not always built into modern houses, they provide crucial shading and protection from the elements.
Guttering
Guttering is an important part of most roofs. Find out how it's installed, and how it works to collect and channel rainwater from a roof.
Roof flashing
Roof flashing refers to metal sheeting (or sheeting of another material) which is used to prevent water from seeping into joints and holes in roofs.
Roof penetrations
Roof penetrations, as the name suggests, are holes in the surface of the roof. Penetrations need to be carefully planned to ensure that they're properly weather sealed.
Roof cladding
Roof cladding refers to the materials used on the surface of the roof (like tiles or steel sheeting). As well as determining how the roof looks, cladding also determines how well it performs.