According to the international building code the typical built up flat roof that uses tar or asphalt goes by the guideline that for every foot 12 inches of a flat roof a minimum of inch must step up or down.
Minimum flat roof slope wood framing.
The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run.
However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing.
These roofs have a pitch less than 4 12.
Roofing material or system.
Flat roofs which aren t perfectly flat require a small slope to allow for water runoff.
Roof pitch is the measurement of roof steepness.
The minimum roof pitch for shedding snow is around 30 or a 6 12 or 7 12 slope although this is not a definite as the material of your roof the direction of the snow and wind are some factors that can affect whether or not snow will slide as roofs of as little as 10 have been reported to shed snow.
It takes the manufacturer s recommendations the unique conditions of the roof as well as the skills and the expertise of the installer to arrive at the right slope.
18 43 asphalt shingles with special underlayment requirements 2 in 12.
9 46 built up roof asphalt.
Normally 1 80 0 72 is the recommended minimum angle for a slope and this is universal across the vast majority of flat roofing systems regardless of the materials that they incorporate.
The most effective method to minimize the effects of ponding is to increase the recommended minimum design slope to 1 2 in 12 for roof applications and 3 8 in 12 slope for floor applications.
Minimum required slope x in 12 minimum required slope degrees asphalt shingles.
This means for every 12 horizontal units the roof must rise a minimum of 3 vertical units.
Lapped nonsoldered seam metal roofs without applied lap sealant must have a minimum roof slope of 3 12 25 slope.
Low pitched roofs are generally difficult to maintain and you need special materials to prevent leaks.
The total load deflection limit is l 180 and l 480 for the roof and floor respectively.
In 12 0 25 in 12 1 19 built up roof coal tar pitch.
So if your roof rises 4 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal length then the pitch of your roof is expressed as 4 12.
The way pitch also known as roof slope is measured is rise over run.
Minimum required roof slope for roofing materials.
A ratio is the most common way of expressing roof pitch or roof slope but degrees are also possible.
In general the minimum slope for a flat roof is 1 0 but as stated earlier this is only possible in theory.
Generally such roofs have a pitch ranging from 1 2 12 to 2 12.
Since they vary in quality as well as method of installation the choice preferred for a flat roof will ultimately have an effect on the final slope of the flat roof.