More space: broken roof for a private house

Converting an unutilized attic or loft into a useful space is one of the most practical ways to expand the living space in a private home. In addition to making the most of the available space, this transformation raises the property’s value. It becomes imperative to address the state of the roof when thinking about this project.

Planning a loft conversion can be greatly hampered by a damaged or broken roof. Evaluating the roof’s structural soundness and capacity to sustain the extra weight and alterations needed to create a habitable space is crucial. One must carefully consider factors like the kind of roofing material, how old it is, and any damage that may already be present.

To ensure a strong foundation for the loft conversion project, the roof should be repaired or replaced before work is started. In addition to ensuring structural stability, this step guards against future problems like leaks or structural compromises. This proactive approach guarantees the newly created space’s long-term durability and safety.

It is a good idea to consult architects and roofing specialists when planning. They can offer evaluations of the project’s viability, suggest appropriate roofing materials, and make design changes that improve the project’s usability and aesthetic appeal. Their knowledge can expedite the procedure and guarantee adherence to safety regulations and building codes.

Space for life: what tasks the broken roof helps to solve

A typical broken roof is not very attractive. The baked floor appears disproportionately large and hangs over the house; broken skates give the impression of irregularity; and the house’s silhouette appears somewhat bulky. Generally speaking, you need to hire a skilled architect who can visually conceal the excess volume without decreasing it if you want the broken roof to look nice. Because everything was initiated precisely because of the extra living space.

After a flat roof, the best way to increase the living area on the attic floor is to have a broken roof, despite all the aesthetic drawbacks. Let’s discuss the example.

Living space with regular-height ceilings will take up 50–60% of the area of other floors if an attic is built beneath a gable roof, and even less under gentle roofs. Depending on the slope’s angle of inclination, the living area on the attic will occupy between 70 and 95 percent of the floor area in the event of a roof failure. This distinction makes it easy to overlook the fact that the broken roof is not the most visually appealing.

The attic’s broken roof structure not only expands its area but also makes it easier and less expensive to arrange the natural light inside:

1. The increased area of ​​the pediments allows you to install large windows in them. Service windows are many times cheaper and more reliable than attic, so their installation reduces total costs. Of course, it is not always possible to achieve the desired level of natural light without attic windows, but they will need less.
2. Instead of expensive and complex in installation of attic windows in steep areas of the slope, you can make auditory windows. At the same time, they will give much more light than ordinary “cuckoos”, since in steep slopes you do not need to make a deep niche for the window.

In actuality, installation is simpler even though the broken roof’s rafter system design is more complex than the "skeleton" of a typical gable roof. Long, heavy rafters are necessary for a typical pitched roof, but it can be difficult to locate high-quality lumber in the right length. It’s even harder to install and transport them to the plane. The upper triangle with hanging rafters and the lower, layered rafter legs make up the broken roof slope. Although the rafters are longer overall, the boards needed to install them are substantially shorter.

One useful way for homeowners to make the most of their property’s potential is to turn a broken roof into livable space. Private homes can increase their comfort and functionality by imaginatively adding more rooms or recreational areas to their damaged or underutilized roof spaces. This method turns unused areas into useful additions to daily life while also increasing the value of the house and allowing for customized design elements."

Broken roofs for every taste: Details about the types of roofs with a photo

A broken roof is more of an indication than a particular type of roof. All roof types with slope-related breaks that are not the result of forceps, auditory window installation, or the need to dock complex roofing components are considered broken.

Broken roofs come in five different varieties:

• single -shoe;
• gable;
• holm;
• tent;
• complex;
• Veranda with a broken roof.

Broken single-sided roofs: raise the view. Despite having the largest usable area beneath such roofs, they are essentially nonexistent. Living quarters are positioned close to three walls in order to accomplish this, and a staircase is built beneath an angled ceiling. With such a layout, costly attic windows are not necessary because you can fill the attic with light from the windows in the walls. Additionally, the comfort of the living area is unaffected by a drop in the ceiling level over the stairs. The following picture shows an illustration of what a single-sided broken roof looks like:

On the other hand, gable prayed roofs are extremely typical. So much so that many people think of the broken roof and gable attic as synonyms, not realizing there are other kinds.

Using a pentagonal pediment, a typical house with a broken gable roof was able to have a steeper lower slope with an angle of inclination of 50–60 ° and a lower slope with a slope of 25–30 °. Typically, neither attic nor auditory windows in this type of roof are designed to lower the building’s cost. It turns out to be a functional roof that is frequently not particularly attractive and has a shape similar to that of a traditional barn.

However, gable prayed roofs are not always constructed with appearance and utility in mind. An example of an aesthetically pleasing home with one of these roofs can be found in the photo below:

The massive roof is more harmoniously balanced by the auditory windows. For all kinds of roofs, roof inserts are usually a universal solution to visually reduce the bulk of a broken roof.

Large cottages and apartment buildings are best suited for the Helmen broken roof. Because there are no pediments, this type of roof is easier to install but is more wind-resistant and has a more precise appearance. However, there is a drawback to this feature as well: inexpensive pediment windows cannot be used to light an attic beneath a roller-rolled roof. This is uncommon, though, as there are two reasons why it matters.

First of all, roller-broken roofs are typically found on very large buildings. For instance, rolled rumor roofs obstruct a large number of historic city homes, some of which take up an entire quarter. The addition of a device in place of two additional slopes’ worth of pediments does not significantly increase the cost of construction because the front-line windows do not significantly contribute to the lighting of the large attic.

Second, a building’s resistance to wind loads is more significant the higher it is and the larger its roof area. Furthermore, any building’s pediments are vulnerable because wind blowing through them can damage the roof.

Broken roof in Sertone: This is a unique Valmova case. The tent is merely a square if any rectangular building can be blocked by a hollow roof, which is the only distinction between them. Everything else is the same: clean form, stronger resistance to wind load.

Complex broken roofs are those that require multiple forceps and a cut, as well as non-standard shaped breaks. These roofs are highly costly, but they always have a stunning appearance:

Complicated roofs are the only choice for private homes with oblique shapes. However, since leaks most frequently happen in these areas, it’s crucial to reduce the number of yends and locations of adjacent roofs to the walls when designing them.

A different category of homes with damaged roofs are cottages that have a terrace or veranda added on. One of the roof’s slopes must, in a sense, "break" again—this time in the opposite direction—in order to close off a closed veranda or construct a canopy over it. It turns out to be a complexly shaped broken roof:

This design has advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits is that you don’t need to build a separate rafter system or seal the area where the canopy adjusts to the wall because the veranda’s roof is an extension of the house’s roof. One of the negative aspects of the roof is its weak point, which is the change from a steep to a mild slope. Large-scale snow accumulations and leaks are more likely to occur during the winter.

Aesthetics question: how to make broken roof more beautiful

A cracked roof is not at all a novel concept. Not a hundred years are being built in one hundred years in Europe, at home with a roof like that. Naturally, designer methods for improving the aesthetics of a broken roof emerged during this period. These are the principal ones:

1. In the slopes, they make auditory windows (lucarne, “cuckoos”), which not only solve the problem of natural lighting and ventilation of the subcutaneous space, but also “cut” a large roof, balancing it.
2. To make the roof more diverse, on it you can make balconies or even a terrace. As a bonus, you will receive a recreation area and viewing platforms.
3. The roof of the broken roof is usually overlapped with a dark roofing, and the walls of the building are painted in lighter colors or are faced with lighter materials. This levels the proportions of the house, since the dark roof against the background of light walls looks smaller.
4. The lower part of the slope is made not even, but bend. A smooth curved line gives the roof an elegant view.
5. At the ends of the slopes, small reverse fractures are made. This visually reduces the height of the roof. In addition, these visors better protect the walls of the house and a blind area from severe wetting during the rain.

Using every one of these strategies at once is not required. A house with a broken roof can still be beautiful with just three or four rooms, and the attic is even cozier.

We make a broken roof with our own hands

Even building a basic gable broken roof is a difficult undertaking. However, she can be completed even by novices as long as they follow the project’s guidelines and the manufacturer’s instructions. Installing a broken roof is even simpler when done alone than it is for regular single-sloping and gable roofs. Unlike typical pitched roofs, which have long rafters laid by multiple people, she has relatively short rafter legs.

The calculations and project are the first steps in the broken roof device.

Calculation rules

Based on the construction standards, primarily SP 17.13330.2017 "Roof" and SP 20.13330.2016 "Loads and influences," the roof’s rafter system is calculated. Complying with these standards in computations is essential, as noncompliance may result in the roof collapsing during the winter.

When doing the math, consider:

1. Static load, which acts on the rafter system constantly. This is the weight of the roofing, waterproofing, insulation, vapor barrier, crate, counterparts, attic windows and other elements that will be installed on the roof.
2. Variable load, which acts on the roof temporarily. Although, according to the rules, all types of temporary loads need to be calculated, in practice, for private houses, only snow and wind.

Depending on the value of the total load, length and width of the slopes, the angle of inclination of the roof, the step of the rafters, the scheme of their fastening, the minimum section of all elements of the rafter system – from the Mauerlat to the ridge are selected. It is important to understand that this problem does not have the only right solution. For example, if the rafters are too thick according to the calculations, their cross section can be reduced if you put more often. And too much snowy load is easy to reduce, increasing the slope of the slopes. The approximate scheme of calculating the broken roof is shown in the figure below:

You can try to do all the calculations yourself if you are building a cottage, bathhouse, or other less important structures. Order a broken roof project with all the calculations from experts if you are building a permanent residence. Avoid taking a chance because the cost of having to change the roof will exceed the project order given by the architect. Not to mention the security of you.

Furthermore, paying for an expensive individual project is not required. Sufficiently standard. For instance, you probably already bought a completed project with all the paperwork if you are building a frame house with a broken roof by hand. A standard project can be completed for your specifications and climate conditions for a minor additional cost.

The device of the rafter system

Since the rafter system serves as the roof frame, it is crucial to adhere to all construction codes when installing it. Naturally, breaking the rules is also impossible when the roof pie is feasible, but the cost of the mistake is distinct. Over time, you will need to disassemble the finish and replace the insulation if you neglect to seal the vapor barrier joints. Although it is pricey, it is far less expensive than even a complete remake of the rafter system, not to mention a thorough reconstruction. As a result, exercise caution when selecting materials and installing.

Requirements for materials

Most homes have a coniferous wood (usually pine) rafter system. It is affordable, long-lasting, and robust enough to support big loads. There are rare instances where larch or even oak trees grow in place of conifers because the lumber from these species is so expensive.

Whatever kind of wood, the rafter system’s lumber needs to satisfy these specifications:

1. The tree should be well dried. Maximum humidity is 12%, but it is better if it is 8% and below. This is especially important for load -bearing elements: Mauerlat, rafters, rafters. Under loads under load can be deformed: the boards, as a rule, bend, because of which their bearing capacity is reduced, but the beam can simply crank up around its axis. This defect is called a screw gear and it cannot be compensated by supports, additional mounts or clamps.
2. There should be no vices on lumber. These are nusy knots, cracks, wormholes, traces of rotting and lesions of diseases, reviews. Lumber with such defects are unacceptable not only because of lower bearing capacity compared to high-quality boards or beams, but also because of potential delayed harm for the entire rafter system. So, in the review there may be eggs or larvae of warrior beetles, spores of mushrooms, wood infections, which in the conditions of a roof pie will be able to quickly spread to the entire frame.
3. If possible, whole boards and beams should be used. Of course, if lumber of more than 6-9 m long are needed, then they will almost inevitably have to. But any fraining, even if it is completed according to all the rules, is a weakened section of the structure. Therefore, it should be avoided wherever it is possible.
4. Lumber should be treated with antiseptics and fire retardants. Ideally, if the processing is performed by a submersible method with impregnation of wood in special baths. But such a tree is expensive, therefore, for private houses, lumber is usually treated superficially, covering them with protective compounds with a brush or roller.

If the rafter system is composed of metal, then it must have a metal profile, channel, and other metal rolling free of obvious flaws like cavities, rusted sections, and geometric irregularities. Welds must unavoidably be polished and cleaned of slag after installation. After that, the metal is painted and primed in two layers.

The installation procedure for the rafter system

The rather intricate rafter system on the damaged roof was installed in a way that differs significantly from the norm.

First of all, as with the arrangement of other types of roof, laid on the walls Mauerlat, fixing it on an anchor, embedded or simply tied with wire. If the Mauerlat beard is not long enough, it is spent approximately in the middle of the wall with a hollow of half a thickness. The length of the insert should be at least 2-2.5 times larger than the thickness of the timber. By the way, about the beam – its cross section is usually 150 × 150 mm, 150 × 200 mm or 200 × 200 mm. The beam of a larger section is practically not used, because due to impressive weight it is difficult to raise to the roof, not to mention the load on the wall.

However, the process for replacing a damaged roof is distinct:

1. Vertical racks of a beam of 150 × 150 mm or a larger section are installed in two rows, on which the roof will be based at the place of the break. The racks are thoroughly aligned and temporarily fixed with spacers.
2. Rights are laid on top of the racks of one row, also from a timber 150 × 150 mm.
3. Tights from boards from boards 50 × 150 mm or 50 × 200 mm are laid on tops, pairing in pairs.
4. Set the lower rafters of boards 50 × 200 mm, fixing them with a wire to Mauerlat or using a movable slider mount. On top of the rafters are attached to the run with a neckline.
5. Put the upper rafters, also from boards of 50 × 200 mm, fastening them at the top point with each other, and in the lower – with a puff. Both mounts are overlapping.
6. Install vertical grandmas between the upper end of the upper rafters and a tightening.
7. Fighting contractions and struts are attached if they are necessary according to the project.

Because the rafter system is designed so that it is not necessary if the house is small, a broken roof is almost never converted into a skate run. Furthermore, its weight adds a substantial amount of extra weight to the roof.

However, the skate beam is occasionally utilized. It is required for the extra stability of large cottages’ and multi-story buildings’ roofs. The wind load is already substantial for such houses. Furthermore, the more intricately designed a roof is, the more unevenly the snow covers it, and the more crucial each component of the rafter system’s load distribution is.

A roofing pie

In contrast to the rafter system, the roof pie with a broken roof has a few unique characteristics of its own.

Vapor barrier

Staplers for construction are used to attach the vapor barrier film to the rafters. The film’s adjacent canvases should overlap by roughly 15 cm, and this overlap should be done on all structural elements, including walls, stairwells, and ventilation shafts. Vapor barrier film is bonded at joints and adjacent areas with reinforced adhesive tape or special sealing ribbons. Water vapor from the room will seep through the roofing cake if this is not done.

The foil vapor barrier is attached to the side of the room that it reflects light into. In order for the vapor barrier to effectively reflect infrared rays inside the room, there must be a gap of 1.5 to 2 cm between it and the interior décor.

Vapor barriers need to be installed on the floor in between rafters and racks in addition to slopes.

Insulation

The internal crate is punctured perpendicular to the rafters on top of the vapor barrier from the interior. Next, a heater is installed on top of the vapor barrier film, sandwiched between the rafters. Rigid slabs of mineral wool, polyurethane foam (PIR), or extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) are used as insulation for the roof.

Thermal insulation material slabs are positioned in close proximity to the rafters in order to prevent the formation of cold bridges. Furthermore, the second layer’s insulation is positioned differently from the first layer’s plate joints. The floor is similarly insulated in the vicinity of the roof’s corner.

Waterproofing

It is preferable to use diffusion or superdiffusion membranes for waterproofing roofs. They won’t stop the water pair from leaving the roofing pie, but they will consistently shield the insulation from getting wet from leaks.

Overlapped rafters are temporarily waterproofed by using a construction stapler:

• 15 cm at the place of horizontal joint;
• 10 cm at the place of vertical joint;
• 15 cm in places of adjacency to structures.

Similar to a vapor barrier, reinforced or sealant tape is used to adhere the waterproofing membrane in the hollow areas. After that, with the counterparty’s assistance, it is ultimately resolved.

Laying roofing

An empty or continuous crate is filled in order to install roofing over waterproofing and related materials. Depending on the chosen content. Therefore, a continuous base made of OSB plate or moisture-resistant plywood is used to close the Finnish tile roof that has broken. A crate with a fairly large step is frequently required for the installation of carriers and wall brands made of corrugated board.

The installation process varies depending on the kind of roofing material. Nonetheless, the damaged roof shares a few universal characteristics:

1. The roofing, which is covered on the upper part of the broken roof, should perform a little on the break. The resulting cornice will protect the break from the wind and moisture.
2. To close the skate, you need to use the widest skate bar of the available. Due to a small slope of slopes, snow and moisture that will be blown by a strong wind will blow out under a narrow bar under a narrow bar.
3. The drain must be attached to the crate on hooks with a long base, and not screw it to the frontal board – snow and rain will not linger on steep slopes, so the load on the gutter will be increased.

It is challenging to maintain and repair a broken roof because of the steep slopes in the lower portion of the structure. The quality standards for installing heavy pieces of material, such as cement-sand and ceramic tiles, have also been raised. As a result, it is preferable to use lightweight, reasonably durable materials for a broken roof, such as bitumen tile, corrugated board, and metal tile.

Benefits of More Space	Provides additional living area for growing families or hobbies.
Considerations for Repair	Assess the extent of damage to determine repair or replacement needs.

Converting a damaged roof to increase the living area of a private home has advantages and disadvantages. Although a damaged roof may seem to only require repairs at first, imaginative homeowners can see the possibility of a complete makeover. Attic conversions and loft-style rooms are two ways homeowners can reimagine this space and significantly increase the value of their home.

Having the ability to customize a broken roof space is one of its main benefits. Converting a damaged roof opens up the possibility of unusual layouts and configurations, unlike traditional renovations where design choices are frequently restricted by structural limitations. Because of its adaptability, homeowners can design the area to suit their unique requirements, be it a home gym, a comfortable study, or an extra bedroom.

Repurposing a section of a roof that has broken can also improve a home’s aesthetic appeal. Homeowners can create visually stunning interiors that maximize natural light and character by incorporating architectural features like exposed beams or skylights. These architectural features enhance the quality of life while also adding to the property’s allure and potential for sale.

But starting a project like this calls for careful thought and preparation. To ensure structural integrity and safety, evaluating the extent of the roof damage and speaking with trained professionals are crucial. In order to prevent issues later on, it’s also essential to follow building codes and obtain the required permits during the renovation process.

In conclusion, turning a damaged roof into a functional area provides a way to incorporate both practicality and creativity into home design. Homeowners can create a customized living space that fits their present and future needs while increasing the value and appeal of their property by realizing the potential of this frequently disregarded area.

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