When you decide to repair, install or replace your roof you can hire a contractor that can do the job for you. In the provided services package, the contractor will also calculate roofing, but if you decide to do the job yourself, you must learn the methods of measuring the pitch of your roof and how to use a roof pitch calculator. If you already give contractors this information they will cut down the costs for the work, as the estimation process will take a lot less time. For the configuration of the slope you need a level and 2 rulers or other measuring tools that have the same units. The measurement unit of the roof pitch is 12, no matter if they are yards, inches or feet, still inches are the most common. For instance, when a roof has a slope of 4/12, the roof is 4 inches high for every 12 inches long, or in other words, the roof has a rise of 4 and a run of 12. So, calculate roofing is quite simple.
Start by holding the ruler horizontal with the bottom edge against the bottom of the roof and use the level to ensure that it is perfectly horizontal. After that, hold the other ruler vertically from the twelfth unit and use the level to make sure that the ruler is perfectly vertical. The top number of the roof pitch will be the number where the ruler intersects with the bottom of the roof. So, if the number is 7 it means that the roof pitch is 6/12. Knowing how to calculate roofing help you fit it into one of the categories: low-slope roof or steep-slope roofs. Low-slope roofs, known as flat roofs as well, is not really flat as it won’t have a draining way and it can easily get damaged, but the roof pitch is between 2/12 and 4/12. For a flat roof it is recommended to use a membrane roofing system, like EPDM or TPO. On the other hand, a roof pitch over 4/12 is categorized as a steep-slope roof that requires a pitched roofing system such as architectural shingles, metal roofing or tiles.
Moreover, when you know your roof pitch, you will be able to know what type of system you need for your roof and will help you contact a roofing contractor, as they like working with people who actually have some knowledge in their field. If you have basic knowledge, contractors find it easier to give you useful information and advice about your roof. Additionally, you will even be able to obtain an estimation of the expenses over the phone if you can provide the contractor all the information he needs.
In conclusion, to calculate roofing may be very easy for some people, or very difficult for others, and it depends on the type of the roof, but with the right instruments and with the help of a roof pitch calculator you can get the job done very fast. There are different possibilities to calculate roofing, but the most accurate one is to climb up the roof and measure is physically, with a tape measure, recording the length of the gables, hips, valleys and ridge. The one story ranch type house with a simple shallow slope has the easiest roof to measure. But, when the roof is three levels above the ground and the roof pitch is 12 you need a complete protection equipment to avoid slipping on the roof. Otherwise, the roof pitch calculator is very useful and make the process a lot easier.