Roof Pitch Limits Type of Roofing Materials

One thing that the roofing company will look at when they work up their quote is roof pitch. One reason for this is that more steeply pitched roofs are harder to work on and are far more dangerous. I am constantly amazed whenever I see roofers working on steeply pitched roofs...what, no safety harnesses? The roofing industry takes its human toll in emergency rooms across the country, and I know why.

But, while important, that is beside the point: the roofing estimator wants to determine the type of roofing materials you can use. In most cases, you will have a moderate pitch and can use conventional composite shingles. But steeply pitched roofs can use wood shake, and low pitches can use nothing but impermeable roofing materials such as torch-down or built-up materials.

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