This image shows a relatively shallow roof pitch of 15 degrees.
Ideal pitch for a shed roof in snow.
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a steep pitch versus a shallow or low pitch the most obvious of which is the roof s ability to shed or withstand heavy snow rain or wind.
There are some standing seam metal roofing options available from atas and other manufacturers that can be installed on a roof with pitch of 1 12.
You could also opt for a pvc flat roofing membrane.
The loft space would be much larger with a roof pitch of 45 degrees.
Basically the steeper the pitch the better it can shed snow and rain.
So you would need to pick the right option as most regular standing seam metal roofs will require a roof pitch of 2 12 or even 3 12 at a minimum.
However it can depend a lot on the roofing design and environment circumstances such as weather.
Slopes greater than 6 12 will tend to shed snow regardless of the texture of the material on them so roof slopes should be configured to avoid shedding anywhere people might be walking or exiting.
This can be accomplished by measuring the number of inches the roof rises vertically for every 12 inches it extends horizontally.
The flip side to this is that it also becomes more expensive to build both in.
Remember that pitch is calculated as the height or rise of a roof pitch over 12 inches of horizontal run.
The universal measurement of minimum pitch is inch increase every 12 inches of run.
In general determining the pitch of an existing roof is a simple calculation.
The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run.
However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing.
To have a safe access to the roof from the inside part of building you need to determine minimum pitch for shed roof.
So in general the shallower pitch can be more dangerous with bigger slides.
As stated in the video speed squares have useful markings on them from 0 to 12.
Snow tends to accumulate more on roofs with pitches of 14 degrees or less 3 12 or less because it cannot easily slide off.
The higher the roof pitch the more often the snow slides off.
If you live in an area with a lot of annual snowfall consider creating a also remember that metal roofs tend to shed snow more easily than shingled roofs.
For example a roof with a 6 inch 12 pitch is one where it rises 6 inches vertically for every 12 inches of the horizontal run.
