You might enjoy your Atlanta home’s front or back porch a lot more if it had a roof. Porch roofing means that you can enclose the porch with a screen or glass, so you can use it during all four seasons. Even if you don’t add screening or glass panels, having a roof over the porch gives you a bit of shelter while you scramble to get your keys out on a rainy day. If you’re stumped about what to consider when it comes to designing your porch roof, here are a few things to think about.
Match the Slope of Your Home’s Roof
As you might remember from high school geometry, the slope of a roof is the rise over the run, or how high the roof is compared to its width. For example, according to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, a roof that has a “4 in 12 slope” has a rise of 4 inches and a run of 12 inches.
When considering your porch roofing options, you don’t need to know the math behind slope, you just need to have a clear idea of what the slope of your home’s roof is, as it’s a good idea to match the slope of the porch’s roof to the slope of your home. If the slopes don’t match, the result might be visually unappealing.
Go Flat
Although one option is to match the slope of the house and porch roof, there might be instances when this doesn’t make sense. For example, if you don’t want the roof of the porch to obstruct the view out of an upper story window, your options might be to install a low, sloped porch roof or to keep the porch roofing flat, allowing for more height.
Take a look at your home’s architectural details when deciding on the pitch of the porch roof. A flat roof might be a better option if your home has many intricate details that a sloped porch roof would block.
Complement the Materials on Your Existing Roof
When choosing the material type and color of your porch’s roof, you have two main options. You can match your home’s roof by selecting shingles that are the same color and material as those on your existing roof.
The other option is to choose either a color or material that contrasts with the existing roof. For example, if you have dark gray shingles on your house, you might choose ivory or light gray shingles for the porch. If you have asphalt shingles on your roof, steel or copper roofing might provide a nice contrast, both in terms of texture and color, for the porch.
Whether you’re replacing an existing roof on your porch or adding a new roof entirely, contact Findlay Roofing today to learn all about the different materials and colors available.