The roof of a house helps to shed water and snow, but it can also define the style of the building.

LISTEN...Part 1

The following are some of the most common roof shapes.

BASIC SHAPES:

Gable roofs are very common for ease of construction and are defined by the triangle shaped 'gable ends', with two sloping roof planes and a centred ridge.
Hip roofs are very strong, with 4 sloping planes defined by 'hip' rafters at each corner.
Mono-Slope or Shed type roofs are one sloping plane.

LISTEN...Part 2

MULTIPLE SLOPES:

Gambrel or Barn style roofs have 2 sloped planes per side, with gable ends. This is a roof type that allows for a lot of room in the upper storey.
Truncated Hip roofs are defined by a hip roof shape that's been cut off flat on top.
A Mansard roof is prominent in French influenced buildings and is a combination of a hip roof and a Gambrel. This style roof sometimes has swooping overhangs, called a 'bell cast' eave.

LISTEN...Part 3

INTERSECTING ROOFS

When a building is shaped like a "T" or "L", an Intersecting roof will happen. This is defined by 2 roofs that connect to create valleys at the intersection.
When 2 Mono-Slope roofs connect, they create a Clerestory style roof where a higher slope is off-set from the lower.

LISTEN...Part 4

COMBINATIONS & FLAT

The inverse of a Gable roof is a Butterfly roof. This style presents some challenges with getting rid of water in the valley.
A combination of a Hip roof and a Gable makes a Dutch Hip.
Although mostly used in commercial construction, Flat roofs can be used for houses. This requires careful water proofing and a slight slope on the roof plane to drain water away to drain pipes or 'scuppers', much like a ship.