Shed Roof - What Makes A Great Shed Roof?
"What makes a great shed roof?" people sometimes ask me. And from this I can assume that they mean beyond the obvious, "keep the water out". What they are getting at is shed roof design, a topic that too few people consider in my opinion.
I think the most important question derives from your purpose of building the shed in the first place. What are you going to be using the shed for? If you simply want your shed as a place to store 'stuff', without ever actually wanting to go in it for any length of time, then I recommend you save some money and opt for the bog standard pent flat roof that slopes back and has no real character. The shed will be serving a simple function so give it a simple design; no one wants a summerhouse to store 'stuff'! (I just advise you hide the shed behind conifers or something!)
If, however, you plan to use and stay in the shed for any length of time, for work or leisure, you'll want to consider the following points:
Height
If you are remotely tall or have family who are tall then height will be an important point to consider. Now sheds aren't renowned for being skyscrapers, in fact they're probably better known for being quite low down. But with the right roof design you can ensure you keep a nice straight back. The very best design for value and functional, I think, is the gable roof - it rises up from the sides and meets in the middle at the highest point.
More Storage Space
Believe it or not, the right roof can promise you extra storage space - much like a loft would. Once again, I am talking about the gable roof. (It also works for the hip roof and the gambrel too). As a little extra you can bring a few 4 x 2 beams of wood over your head as a makeshift ceiling. Lay some sheet plywood on top and voila, you have extra storage space!
As you can see, there are more to shed roofs than you think. It can be quite overwhelming try to decide on your shed design alone, never mind the shed roof. But you will certainly find in years to come that the extra planning you did will pay off throughout the years that you use your shed.
I think the most important question derives from your purpose of building the shed in the first place. What are you going to be using the shed for? If you simply want your shed as a place to store 'stuff', without ever actually wanting to go in it for any length of time, then I recommend you save some money and opt for the bog standard pent flat roof that slopes back and has no real character. The shed will be serving a simple function so give it a simple design; no one wants a summerhouse to store 'stuff'! (I just advise you hide the shed behind conifers or something!)
If, however, you plan to use and stay in the shed for any length of time, for work or leisure, you'll want to consider the following points:
Height
If you are remotely tall or have family who are tall then height will be an important point to consider. Now sheds aren't renowned for being skyscrapers, in fact they're probably better known for being quite low down. But with the right roof design you can ensure you keep a nice straight back. The very best design for value and functional, I think, is the gable roof - it rises up from the sides and meets in the middle at the highest point.
More Storage Space
Believe it or not, the right roof can promise you extra storage space - much like a loft would. Once again, I am talking about the gable roof. (It also works for the hip roof and the gambrel too). As a little extra you can bring a few 4 x 2 beams of wood over your head as a makeshift ceiling. Lay some sheet plywood on top and voila, you have extra storage space!
As you can see, there are more to shed roofs than you think. It can be quite overwhelming try to decide on your shed design alone, never mind the shed roof. But you will certainly find in years to come that the extra planning you did will pay off throughout the years that you use your shed.
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