There’s no country quite like Australia. It has a vast topography with dense rainforests, picturesque outback ranges, desert plains and coastal seasides. When you have an environment with that much diversity, there are a lot of varying roofing material needs too.
There are multiple roof types in Australia. No matter where in the country you are, picking key roofing materials comes with several factors:
- Anatomy and underlayments of the roof
- Building codes that are state-specific and for Australia in general
- Building or home style
- Covenants of residential communities alongside council requirements
- Expectations for energy efficiency
Australian Roof Types
- Butterfly – The name of this roof type comes from having skillion roofs that are sandwiching a box gutter. There’s a need for box gutter detailing, which makes it one of the pricier options for roof maintenance. Installation is tough, and the requirements for engineering are rather complex as well.
- Gabled – People who need space for an attic will benefit greatly from gabled roofing. It’s usually best combined with a hipped roof. Their shape is triangular, and that’s how they’re identified. The general appearance is flat, but there’s always a water runoff through a pitch somewhere. Flat roofs have multiple benefits, such as construction made easier, standing on the top of it being far safer and better access all around.
It should be noted that this roof is more maintenance-heavy than other types. This is mostly because debris gathers on the roof with no actual place where it can land. When there’s a lot of precipitation or rainfall, it doesn’t have much of a slope for runoff support. That is a glaring contrast compared to roofs that are gabled and hip.
- Hip – There are usually at least three pitched planes on a hipped roof. That all depends on the house proper’s overall shape. There’s a ridge on top of that roof which several planes slope from in a downwards direction. Out of all the roof types in Australia, this one’s most popular. Roof repairs in Perth are typically for hip roofs. There’s a lot of strength in hipped roofs, and they’re able to give shady eaves as well. When the home is located in an area with a high wind rate, this is ideal.
- Skillion – This roof is flat, but its pitch is visibly significant. The surface is usually a single sloping roof that has no other roof surface attached to it. Skillion as a word can also be used to describe an existing roof’s smaller addition. This involves keeping to the same slope, which places the skillion roof lower than the main structure’s ceiling height. Despite the flat ceiling of the main roof, the skillion has a ceiling line that’s sloping. In that way, the ceiling height is maximised to the fullest.
Conclusion
Australia is a beautiful country, with a vast topography to boast. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that there are several roof types depending on where the home is. Popular roof types include the skillion, hip and the butterfly.
Need to get roof replacement in Perth? Contact Austin Roofing today! We offer residential, commercial and strata roofing for a wide range of roofing types.