Proper Roof Slope For Rain
Divide the results by the number of 12 inch segments in your level.
Proper roof slope for rain. The slope of a roof or pitch is determined by how many inches the roof rises over 1 foot or 12 inches. A handy roof slope estimator can help you determine if your roof slope is likely too low for shingles. Or you can slope the gutters down from each end toward a single downspout placed in the middle of the run. An example for a steep sloped roof is 8 12.
To put it in perspective the angle of this slope would be around 30 degrees. If you have 30 feet of guttering as above you know the slope should be 3 4 of an inch. 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. For gutter runs longer than 40 feet it s best to pitch the gutter down from the middle to a downspout at each end.
The pitch of your roof also helps determine the type of materials that can be used on your roofing system. The primary reason roof pitch exists in the first place is to redirect water. Use a string level to ensure the string is completely parallel to the ground. The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run.
This means that the rise of the slope goes up or down 8 inches for every 12 inches. The majority of north american residential roofs have historically been constructed with a slope between about 4 12 and 9 12. The standard slope for rain gutters is half of an inch for every 10 feet. It is an essential element to ensure water drains properly off of your roof.
However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing. A wide roof with a steep slope will lead to faster runoff hence necessitating a slightly steeper slope for effective discharge of the rain water. Measure the length of the string to determine the distance between the two points. This means that your gutter should be a half inch lower in height at every 10 foot mark until you reach the downspout.
The roof pitch would be described as a 6 12 pitch. To ensure that gutters drain properly make certain they slope inch for every 10 feet toward a downspout. Roofs at the lower end of the range about 4 12 to 6 12 are relatively easy to walk and work on. 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.