When most people visualize the roof they only think of the roof covering like the shingles or tiles but there is so much more to your roof. No materials would be able to go on your roof without a proper roofing structure. So what makes up the roofing structure? Let’s look at what the roof structure is, the materials used and different types.

What is the Roofing Structure?

The roofing structure is essentially the frame that your roof will be constructed on. The structure is a series of trusses, beams, and rafters that give the roof its shape. When you see a home under construction and see lumber connected on top of the main housing structure, you are looking at the roofing structure.

What is the Roofing Structure Made Of?

The most widely used material for the roof structure in the United States is lumber (wood).  Wood has been used for centuries because it is easy to produce, plentiful, cheap and strong. If you go into your attic to check out your roofing structure there is a high chance it’s made of wood.

What Types of Roofing Structure Are There?

The type of roofing structure on your home or commercial building is decided well before the construction of the building. It depends on the type of home, the roof covering to be used and the architecture and style of the home. For example, many craftsman style homes will have medium pitched roofing so they require a roofing structure of medium pitch. Regal style homes may have steeply pitched roofs with steeply pitched roofing structure.

The type of roof covering used on the roof may also help decide what kind of roofing structure you have. Simple and lightweight materials like asphalt shingles won’t need a huge amount of support so the structure may be light. Heavier materials such as slate may require more reinforcement. Building code also helps determine what type of roof structure is needed.

Most people need not worry about their roof structure as it has already been properly engineered for their home. Only when adding an addition of switching roofing materials does the structure need to be examined.