Drive through any suburban neighborhood and you’ll see gently steepled roofs, with snazzy shingles and stylish soffit. But hang a left and cruise through the industrial district and it’s a mighty big change of scenery. Like hair cut with a pair of kitchen scissors, all the roofing there is straight and flat—so straight and flat, in fact, that you might not even be able to tell what serves as shingles up there!
So what gives? Why does there tend to be such a big difference between the roofing slopes of industrial and residential buildings? Perfect Exteriors, your trusted home exterior contractors, is here with the answers.
Water Management Styles
Part of the reason each category tends to be different in terms of slope is that their water management systems tend to differ.
Residential homes, for example, tend to be equipped with gutters, which safely funnel rainwater away from the foundation. These gutters, however, require a steeply sloped roof in order to use gravity to catch that water, however, hence the common sloped design seen in many neighborhoods. Commercial buildings may not have similar systems, choosing to manage their water via other methods; high slopes are thus not required.
Comfort
A home is a safe haven, a place to retreat from the outside world. Any exterior contractor will tell you that comfort is of the top priority when it comes to residential work! One way that exterior home contractors cater to this comfort is by installing complex ventilation and insulation systems in your roof to help your home regulate its internal temperature. This can only be accomplished with a sloped roof, as it’s only this type of roof that has room in the attic for such endeavors.
While it’s important for commercial buildings to be relatively comfortable, of course, a builder’s priorities tend to lean more towards cost-effectiveness and the like, thus eliminating the need for a sloped roof.
Cost
Generally speaking, it would take a ton of material to install a grand and sloping roof on a large commercial building. This thus renders such a roofing style impractical for many business owners working with tight funds. Since residential homes tend to be a lot smaller, though, such roofs are well within the realm of most homeowners; given their sensational style, they’re much coveted, too!
Perfect Exteriors: Your Preferred Residential Roofing Services
No matter if you’re looking for cedar shake roofing or affordable asphalt, our team is ready to serve you with attentiveness and care. Give our Monticello office a call today at 763-271-8700.
