We want to build a screened room off our cottage kitchen. What pitch of roof would be best? The cottage roof will slope steeply toward the screened room. We want to make sure rainwater will still drain properly.—Angling for Advice
It depends on the materials you use, the direction of the current roof, and whether the two roofs will intersect but, assuming that you build the screened-room roof correctly, the pitch shouldn’t matter. “People can do pretty much anything they want, as long as it’s built to Code,” says Steve Walker, the building official for Columbia Shuswap Regional District in Salmon Arm, B.C. Still, in general, “the more slope you can have, the better. The flatter it is, the more trouble it could be.” Snow, not rain, is usually the concern when it comes to roofs. If snow piled up on a flat roof melts suddenly, “you’ve got a swimming pool,” says Walker.
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For shedding ability—rain, snow, ice, maybe Frisbees—Andrew Waddell of Waddell Custom Homes in Apsley, Ont., suggests a pitch of at least 4:12. (Remember geometry? This means the roof rises 4″ for every 12″ it runs.) But beyond that, “I would go with what looks best aesthetically,” he says. Some roof pitches can look unappealing depending on the design of the rest of the cottage—say, combining a low slope with a steep slope. And the pitch you pick could rule out a roofing material you want to use. (Asphalt shingles, for example, aren’t suitable for low slopes.) Money plays a role too: A steeper pitch may be better but, because it requires more materials and labour, it’ll probably cost you more.
Slope aside, if you’re concerned about getting the right roof, have a qualified contractor do the work.
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