Roof Choices for Barns
When building your steel barn, one of the many customization options available to you is the roof style. There are four different roof styles available for barns, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
Easy to Build: This style is fairly easy to build, which is likely why it was so popular in colonial times.
Aesthetics: The gambrel roof provides a classic barn look which is appealing to most barn owners.
More Space: If your barn has a top floor, this style will allow you to optimize the useable space you have to work with.
Cons
Weather: If you live in an area that experiences heavy winds or snowfall every year, this is not an ideal roof style. While it is designed to all for excellent drainage, it often has trouble standing up to heavy snow.
Durability: A General Steel roof is going to be much more durable than the roof on a pole barn, it is important to note that the roofs made from wood require frequent maintenance to keep them protected from the elements.
Pros
Roof space: If you want to have a small garden on your roof, or other extra living space, this is a good roof style to do that. It is also ideal for adding solar panels to the roof, or extra heating or cooling units.
Easy Construction: This is a simple roof to construct and install, since it requires less materials and less labor.
Cons
Leakage: Since this roof only has a slight pitch for rain runoff, they are much more susceptible to water damage. This is not a good roof for an area that has heavy rain or snow each year.
Maintenance: This style often requires more maintenance than other roofs and may need more frequent repairs.
Stagnant Water: If gutters are not installed, there is also the potential problem of water pooling up to create an area where mold, bacteria, and mosquitos can thrive.
Space: There is typically no attic space in a building with this style of roof.
Pros
Stability: This roof style is more stable than a gable roof. The slope on all four sides makes it sturdier and more durable.
Handles bad weather: The hip roof is excellent for an area with heavy snow and high winds. The slant of the pitch lets the snow slide right off it.
Flexibility: You can add a crow’s nest or dormer to the building, giving you extra living space.
Cons
Price: These roofs are usually more expensive than gable roofs, because the design is more complex and requires more material.
Pros
Water runoff: The gable roof is pitched to make it easy for snow and water to runoff.
Space: This style allows you to have space for an attic or vaulted ceilings.
Ventilation: It is easy to add ventilation to a gable roof.
Cons
Wind: This style of roof is not ideal if your area has high winds, especially in areas with hurricanes. If the roof was not constructed with adequate supports, high winds can cause the roof to collapse. They can also cause material to peel away from the roof, and depending on the overhang, high enough winds may cause it to lift up and detach from the walls.
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