Roofing Materials for Pitched Roof

There are several significant aspects of a structure or house, but the roof and roofing materials are the most crucial of them all. The structure’s roof shields the living and non-living things inside the structure from natural elements such as rain, sun, and snow.

Although it is such an important part of the structure, it is sometimes undervalued and overlooked, and as a result, a property owner may have to repeatedly empty his or her pocket for maintenance or re-roofing.

As a result, extreme caution should be exercised while choosing a roofing materials for your new or existing home or construction.

Pitch and flat roofs are the two most common roof forms. We’ve covered some of the most popular and widely used roofing materials for pitched roofs in this article.

Different Types of Roofing Materials for Pitched Roof

The most common and trending roofing materials for pitched roof are listed below:

• Shingle
• Slate
• Flat and Curved Pantile
• Half Round Country Tile
• Corrugated Tile
• Asbestos Cement Sheet

Shingle

Wood shingles are thin pieces of wood that have been sawed or divided to imitate slates or tiles. Split shingles are preferable than sawed shingles because sawed shingles have the wood cells cut open. Sawn shingles, on the other hand, can be dipped in creosote to add preservation properties.

Wood shingles are laid in a way similar to that of laying slates to create a continuous roof covering. 

Shingles are frequently available in 16, 18, and 34-inch lengths. Shingles can also be manufactured using asbestos cement and asphalt. They are naturally fire-resistant.

Asbestos shingles are made up of around 15% asbestos and 18% cement, which is mixed under high pressure in a hydraulic press.

Also Read : Roof Pitch Calculator
Also Read : Curved Roof : Construction, Advantages & Disadvantages

Slate

Slate is the most long-lasting of all roof materials. It comes from quarries and can be easily broken into thin sheets due to its pronounced cleavage and laminar nature.

It has been adopted as a roofing material since ancient times. One of the primary characteristics of this roofing material that sets it apart from the competition is that it does not change color over time.

Roofing slates are commonly available in commercial sizes ranging from 24″ x 16″ to 10″ x 6″, with a thickness of 1/4″.

When a good slate is struck with a finger, it produces a crisp metallic ring. It should not split when holed. A good kind of slate should absorb no more than 2% of its weight in water.

Flat and Curved Pantiles

Pantiling is one of the most ancient methods of roof covering. Clay or asbestos cement can be used to make pantiles. Clay pantiles are made in the same way that bricks are made.

Pantiles can be easily attached to battens at a low cost, but because they have a single lap on the sides and at the head and tail, ground work consisting of a continuous layer of boarding and untearable felt roofing paper is required.

Half Round Country Tiles

Half-round country tiles are put in pairs, with proper lapping on all sides, as under and over tiles. There are two types of such tiles in general. As illustrated in the pictures, the under tiles in one type are flat with a broad head tapering towards the tail and an over tile. The bead on the over tile is thinner and has a longer tail.

The over and under tiles of the second variant are both semi-circular. These tiles are set on a boarding or carefully driven battens foundation. Before the tiles are set, a layer of felt or matting should be laid on top of this.

This is a relatively inexpensive sort of roof covering material that is frequently used in conjunction with split bamboos instead of battens. Lime mortar is used to lay the last row of tiles along the eaves and ridge, valley, and hip. When country tiles are set in two layers, one on top of the other, the roof is referred to as a “Double Tiled Roof.”

If the slope is particularly steep and there is a chance that they will be disturbed by wind, the tiles may be equipped with holes near the head so that they can be held down by wire.

Mangalore or Corrugated Titles

Mangalore tiles can be used to create a more attractive and lighter roof covering. The groundwork for these tiles consists of battens simply in the most basic case, and a layer of boarding and an additional layer of felt over the rafters in the most advanced scenario.

The tiles are then supported by counter battens and cross battens. Ridges and hips are created in the traditional way, with particular tiles designed for the job. The valleys are made with the help of lead flashing poured over boarding, and they are laid dry and pointed with lime or cement mortar.

These tiles have a lot of grooves on the top and sides to help with drainage and interlocking with other tiles. They cover the most ground with the least amount of material. If needed, holes can be drilled in their ridge area to secure them to the groundwork with wire.

Corrugated Iron or Asbestos Cement Sheets

Asbestos cement has been increasingly popular as a roofing materials in recent years. Asbestos cement is used in almost every type of roof covering. As the name implies, this substance is made up of asbestos fibres and cement in a ratio of one part asbestos to seven parts cement, and it is subjected to extreme pressure. Straight, honeycomb, and diagonal asbestos cement slates are available.

This assortment of materials can be used to create a low-cost, fire-resistant roof covering. Asbestos cement sheets are available in three basic forms, with lengths ranging from 3 to 10 feet in 6 inch increments. Cinema and factory roofs can be covered with asbestos cement sheets.

They are incredibly cost-effective and satisfying, and they have a neat and tidy appearance: they are sturdy, resilient, and fire-resistant. The typical weight per square foot of asbestos cement roof covering sheet is 3 to 4 lbs.

Asbestos cement sheets have mainly replaced corrugated G. I. sheets in recent years. Similar to asbestos cement sheets, corrugated galvanised iron sheets are used and fixed. Their thickness is measured in gauges ranging from 16 to 24, with each number representing a fraction of an inch.