There are several types of garage roof structures. In order to choose the most suitable one, you need to familiarize yourself with the specific features of each of them. So, different options are mounted in different ways.
Features of the
A garage roof is very different from a home roof. This is due not only to the fact that the garage is used as an additional utility structure, but also by the fact that there is no need for such high-quality thermal insulation. Therefore, roofs are covered with inexpensive materials that do not cause difficulties in their installation.
A specific feature of a garage roof is that its shape and structure are selected in relation to the location of the garage house. In addition, it is determined by the stylistic coloring of the facade of the main house, as well as the surrounding landscape. However, it must be remembered that there should not be any special delights here, because the garage is still not the main structure, and in theory it should not attract too much attention.
Due to the simplicity of the construction, garage roofs will not cost much. This is due to the cheapness of material and repair work. Due to the ease of installation, construction work will cost little. Thanks to the same feature, the installation can be carried out independently, without the involvement of specialists.
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There is one more specific feature here: the absence of an attic space under the roof. Regardless of the design, the attic is not provided, since in this case it is not needed.
Such high-quality insulation is not required, so this side part can be easily abandoned.
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This is not to say that the garage roof is represented by a wide variety of types. Simplicity and functionality - these are the fundamental principles, in accordance with which the choice is made in favor of a particular design. This is the reason for such a meager choice.
The choice in favor of one type or another is made on the basis of several factors. First, the climatic zone in which the garage is built is important. How windy the area is, how much precipitation falls here, directly affects the choice of design and the slope of the roof. Second, again, overall harmony is important. It is much better if the roof of the garage is similar to that of the house. Third, the chosen material plays a role. Some types only work well on roofs with one slope, others with two.
Before choosing one or another type, it is necessary to analyze the situation with the construction of a garage. First of all, you need to know:
- the climate in which the garage building will be located;
- whether the garage will be adjacent to the house or detached;
- what material the roof is made of;
- roof height above ground level.
By answering each of the questions posed, you will be able to choose the best option that suits your particular case.
Each of the types of roofs has its own subtypes, which are also worth keeping in mind. The use of one or another subtype is determined depending on the area of the roofing. Thus, it turns out to prevent the collapse of the roof, its subsidence under the weight of precipitation, and the load on the foundation is also regulated.
Flat
A roof with a slope height of up to 3 degrees is classified as flat. Compared to pitched roofs, it has a number of advantages:
- a flat roof takes up much less space than a pitched roof, thereby saving on materials for its manufacture;
- a flat roof can be built much faster than a pitched roof, since complex calculations about the rafter system are not required;
- repair of a flat structure is much easier and safer due to the fact that the risk of falling, rolling on a surface with a steep slope is reduced;
- if the garage is attached to the house, then such a roof can be converted into a balcony or used as a terrace on the second floor.
However, flat roofs are not suitable for areas with strong winds and a lot of rainfall, as they can not withstand and collapse under the weight of the snow. This is also due to the fact that such a roof will have to be periodically cleaned of snow and icy crust.
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To drain water from such roofs, it is often necessary to organize additional drainage channels. The tightness of the roof is under threat: this must be constantly monitored, carrying out preventive maintenance every year.
Low-slope
Low-slope pitched roofs are considered a universal solution. They are suitable for areas with average climates. The garage may not be located in the city, but it should not be located in a windy steppe space. The slope angle of low-slope structures varies from 3 to 30 degrees. The advantages of such roofs are some of the features that will be discussed below. A feature is that the slope for each specific case is determined by means of calculations, while the minimum allowable value is selected. Calculations are made based on the roofing material.
When building roofs with a low slope, it will be necessary to take into account several specific features:
- The need for equipment of the drainage system of an internal or external type.
- The roof must be of good tightness.
- The need for a ventilation gap under the roof. Its size is determined in accordance with the angle of inclination: the flatter the roof, the greater the gap.
Thus, opting for a low-slope roof guarantees savings on materials, but you will have to spend a lot more effort and money on the very arrangement of the structure. Make sure that the choice of low slope is reasonable in terms of aesthetic appeal.
Steep slope
The angle of inclination of steep roofs starts at 30 degrees. As with other options, this variety has both pros and cons. It is necessary to use roofs with a steep slope in cases where the garage is located on windless areas (for example, in urban areas). If a lot of snow falls in the area, then such a roof will allow you not to waste time cleaning it, because the snow will not linger on it, rolling down steep surfaces.
This option is completely unacceptable for windy areas. So, the roof can easily be demolished by a strong gust of wind. If the area is calm, and there is little rainfall, then the costs of such construction will not be justified.
Thus, the choice of one or another variety is primarily due to the location of the garage and the site as a whole.
For windy steppe deserts, it is best to choose flat or low-slope roofs, for wooded areas, low-slope options are best suited, and for urban developments with a large amount of precipitation, the steeply sloping variety will be the best choice.
However, roofs are divided not only by the angle of inclination. There is another classification of roofs - by the number of slopes. For garages, only two varieties are used: single-slope and dual-slope.
Mono-pitched
A pitched roof is prized for its simplicity and functionality.
- Firstly, its installation really takes less time than the construction of a gable version.
- Secondly, it will not be difficult to make all the calculations for the required amount of material. This step can be taken independently, and the accuracy of the calculations will not be in doubt.
- Thirdly, much less material is spent on such a roof than on a gable structure of the same area.
- Fourthly, a pitched roof is a great option if you need to arrange a garage attached to the house. She looks the most harmonious.
- Fifth, it is believed that pitched roofs are more durable than gable roofs. In addition, they are more reliable and strong, and thanks to timely repairs, they will be able to last up to 50 years.
They are not devoid of lean-to structures and disadvantages
- Due to the fact that in most cases single-slope options are flat, the load on them increases in winter. Snow does not roll by itself, and you have to either clean it off yourself, or rely on the roof to withstand.
- With a lean-to option, you will definitely have to abandon the attic, even if initially a small attic was planned.
- This variety is more difficult to equip with decent thermal insulation.
- Many people notice that the single-slope design looks rustic against the background of the expressive gable, and in some cases this gives the owners certain inconveniences.
Gable
A gable roof is more often used for garages that are detached. It is very rare to see her on a structure attached to the house. Nevertheless, dual-slope options have their own advantages.
- Due to its special shape, snow and rain do not linger on such a roof. They roll down instead of making the structure heavier.
- Although a gable roof is more complex than a gable roof, you can make a garage option yourself, if you take into account some amendments.
- By choosing the elementary option, you can significantly save on work, since you will be able to perform them alone, at most with a partner.
- The gable design allows you to equip it with good thermal insulation, thereby achieving a decrease in heat loss. So, when planning a warm garage, other roofing options cannot be considered.
- The gable roof allows you to organize a small attic in which you can store tools and other equipment. In cases where a hinged gable structure is selected, it turns out to achieve an increase in the ceiling height.
Having estimated exactly how you want to see your garage in the end, you can easily choose the type of roof structure for it.
Materials (edit)
Roofing materials are not only those that are on the outside. For internal construction, their own types are also used. If the rafters can be made from a wooden bar, then several materials are suitable for waterproofing at once. Most often, roll insulators are used for this, for example, bikrost, roofing felt, roofing felt. Instead, you can use bitumen mastic, which will reliably protect the roof from water penetration.
It is strongly recommended to buy materials only from trusted manufacturers, for example, TechnoNikol, Soft Roof, Pokroff and others.
But it is also important not to buy too expensive materials for cladding a garage roof. For example, a garage roof lined with ceramic tiles will look strange and out of place. If the roof of the main house is trimmed with such an elite material, it is still better to choose a cheap equivalent for the garage. This will show both the owner's good taste and his practicality, allowing significant savings.
For the internal wooden structure, there is also an analogue - a concrete frame. It should be borne in mind that concrete is much heavier than wood, the load on the foundation of the building will increase greatly. In this regard, before choosing such an alternative, it is necessary to make sure that the strength of the structure is sufficient.
Corrugated board
One of the most common materials used to cover a garage roof is corrugated board. This type is so often used due to a number of advantages, including a large selection of colors, price, ease of installation. In addition, the corrugated board is durable. When properly laid down, a durable, aesthetically pleasing finish is guaranteed.
Roof decking differs in the height of the corrugation, the width of the sheets themselves and the type of galvanized steel that is used in production. The material of the HC category belongs to the roofing class, therefore, when choosing, it is imperative to look for just such a marking. Pay attention to the presence of the GOST mark. If it is not there, this means that other standards were taken as a sample during production, or there were no standards at all. From this we can conclude that professional flooring without such an icon is not always of high quality.
For the roof, it is necessary to choose profiled sheets with a polymer coating. Polyvinyl dichloride, pural and polyester are considered suitable. The first is the most durable sample, but its cost is slightly higher, but the other options are cheaper, but less wear-resistant.
Slate
Dull gray slate material has long become a classic of the genre, and when it comes to slate, everyone imagines just such roofs. Despite the unattractive appearance, slate has excellent strength characteristics. If you pick up a high-quality sample made in accordance with modern technologies, it can easily last up to 50 years.
- Slate is made from different types of raw materials. Used plastic, asbestos-cement, soft, rubber and metal. Each of these subcategories has its own characteristics and advantages.
- For example, the asbestos-containing option has excellent technical performance and low cost, but asbestos is toxic, and this type of slate is unhealthy.
- Soft slate does not have frost resistance, but it is strong, durable and at the same time flexible.
- Plastic slate lasts up to 15 years without loss of strength, but it must be mounted carefully, given that it tends to either shrink or expand depending on temperature changes.
Now on the market there is a wide variety of decorative solutions, and you can choose a slate material of any color.
Ondulin
The name of the Ondulin company has long become a household name, which is used to refer to roofing sheets that imitate other materials. The most popular are three of them.
- Smart. The material has a small mass, as a result of which it turns out to be installed and alone, without the help of a partner. Due to the optimal size of the sheets and their small thickness of only 3 mm, it is possible to completely sheathe the garage roof in one day. It will take a lot of nails. And also when working with Smart material, the joints will need to be closed with additional decorative elements.
- Diy. This variety has greater rigidity than the previous one. This is due to the fact that the waves are more frequent and higher here. The mass of the material remains the same. So, such options are more suitable for roofs of complex architecture, and not for elementary garage structures. The material is overlapped, due to which its consumption increases.
- "Tiles". Finishing with this type of sheet is indistinguishable from finishing with metal tiles, but it is much easier to implement it than to lay out a real tiled roof. A wide variety of colors is presented, and there are not only plain roofs, but also spotted ones.
Fold
Steel roofs raise more questions than anything else.
- First, they are not strong enough. Any strong mechanical damage will easily warp an overly flexible material.
- Secondly, steel does not keep the temperature at all, as a result of which it will be necessary to take additional care of the heat-insulating layer.
- Thirdly, the waterproofing is also not at the proper level: the roof can easily begin to leak, jeopardizing the safety of your car. You will need to additionally seal the roof.
However, seamed steel floors have several significant advantages. In the first place is the price: it is an order of magnitude lower than the cost of other options. Repairing this roof is also easy, since the panels are fastened to each other using ordinary pins. The roof can be covered with this material even in winter. Due to its flexibility, steel is ideal for winter installation. So, because of all this, folded roofing coverings are confidently kept in the list of the most popular among all materials for the design of side buildings.
Roofing material
Roofing material is laid on a continuous crate. Its advantage is that it is sold in rolls, and there will be no difficulties with installation. However, there are several pitfalls here as well.
- It should be borne in mind that the consumption of material will be impressive. Roofing material is laid in three layers, which are coated with bituminous mastic for better thermal and waterproofing.
- The service life of the material is 15 years, after which it will need to be dismantled.
- The material is mainly used for finishing flat roofs. Coating with roofing material cannot be called aesthetically attractive: when pitched roofs are sheathed with it, they are additionally covered from above with some material with better decorative properties.
Roofing felt is produced in four main categories, which differ in the type of base
- Rubemast gives the coating durability due to the fact that it is more flexible, less prone to cracking.
- Glass roofing material or fiberglass has similar characteristics to rubemast, but it is based on fiberglass, and not on building board.
- Roofing paper is practically not produced, since it lags far behind in quality, but at the manufacturing price it is on a par with other types.
- Euroruberoid has a complex structure. This material is the newest of all, and its qualities are far superior to those of traditional roofing felt.
Polycarbonate
This variety is of the greatest interest due to its unusual appearance. The peculiarity of polycarbonate roofs is that they are transparent. Depending on which type of polycarbonate is chosen, the degree of transparency varies. So, the surface can be from slightly hazy to practically impervious to light. By structure, monolithic and honeycomb polycarbonate plates are distinguished. The first option is cheaper, but the second does not require additional thermal insulation.
Polycarbonate is resistant to all kinds of influences, both physical and chemical. It is non-flammable, so it can be considered a fireproof material.
However, it should be borne in mind that if you plan to make a warm garage, polycarbonate will not work. Due to the arrangement of additional thermal insulation, all its decorative qualities will be lost, and the result will not please as much as it could. If you need a warm garage, it is better to make a roof from a cheaper material.
Ramp angle
Roof construction involves complex calculations, including the raising of the roof. Regardless of whether a gable or a single-slope design is chosen, lifting is mandatory. The only exceptions are flat roofs, but there is always a slight slope of a couple of degrees.
The height to which the roof needs to be raised is determined by many factors. An important detail is how the ramp will be positioned. note that optimally position the slope to the windward side … It does not matter whether the garage is closed from the wind by other structures or a fence - this rule is immutable.
The general view also plays an important role. It is important that the roof is harmoniously located in relation to the main building, especially if the garage is attached to it.
Below are the maximum degrees of slope for the most common materials
Material |
Tilt angle in degrees |
|
Roofing material in 4 layers |
|
|
Roofing material in 3 layers |
|
|
Roofing material in 2 layers (glass mat) |
|
|
Reinforced asbestos slate |
10 |
|
Flat slate |
15 |
|
Seam steel |
17 |
|
Asbestos-containing ordinary slate |
20 |
Construction project
Before proceeding with the construction of a roof for a garage, you will need to draw up a detailed project plan indicating all values. The project can be ordered in the design office, or you can choose a ready-made plan and finalize it yourself in accordance with your wishes. It is necessary to ensure that all constructions are performed properly, and the calculations are carried out correctly, since an error can be quite expensive in material terms.
Based on the project, the amount of materials required for construction is calculated. First of all, the total roof area is determined. To do this, the width and height of the slopes are multiplied to obtain the desired value.
Coating technology
Roofing a garage is not that difficult. Regardless of which option was chosen - single-slope or dual-slope, you first need to make a frame that is attached to the upper harness. The frame is erected either immediately on site, or first on the ground, and then mounted to the Mauerlat. The types of frames and their structure are shown in the following images.
After the frame is installed and the lathing is completed, the roof can be closed. First, layers of thermal insulation are laid, waterproofing materials are poured, then they move on to decorating: laying the finishing layer. Depending on how complex the roof structure is planned, some of these steps may be skipped.
If you need to re-install an existing roof, then first you need to dismantle the old coating, check the serviceability and integrity of all frame parts. If necessary, individual elements are replaced. If necessary, new heat and moisture insulation is made and the topcoat is laid.
Tips & Tricks
Professionals share some helpful tips regarding the choice of a particular design, as well as regarding the installation and repair of the roof.
- The optimal choice for beginners who decide to build a roof for a garage on their own is a corrugated board. This material is the easiest to work with. When installing it, you do not need any specific knowledge and skills. The most common tools are required. The weight of the profiled sheets is such that you can handle them alone. No additional processing is required.
- If the roof is leaking, it is enough to treat the cracks with bitumen mastic. It seals the roof deck, completely sealing leaks.
- If a flat roof is chosen as an option, it is necessary to arrange an internal drain, not an external one. Despite the fact that it is more complex, the overall appearance of the building will become more aesthetic, not to mention the fact that the functionality of such a drain in combination with flat structures is much higher than that of the external one.
Beautiful examples
Below are images that clearly show how exactly the various types of garage roofs are combined with their surroundings.
A two-car garage can look like a complete building. Complemented with a gable roof, this "motorhome" will serve as a decoration for any site.
The image clearly shows an example of a complex architectural composition from two attached garages. Apparently, not only a similar design of the buildings themselves with the main one, but also the same roofing materials are used here.
A garage with a lean-to almost flat roof can look just as attractive as a gable structure, especially if it is made in an ultra-modern high-tech style.
Sometimes complex garage roofs are equipped with windows for additional lighting of the space or in cases where a small attic space is located under the roof.
As you can see, there is a huge selection of materials for a garage roof: wavy and straight, monotonous and colored, opaque and even transparent. The abundance of various types of garage roof structures means there is plenty to choose from, the main thing is to take into account all the important factors before making the final decision.
For information on how to cover the garage on your own from A to Z, see the next video.