When we built a two story addition on our first house in Santa Fe, N.M.
( background, above ) I tried to keep the overall look as low as possible
because there were only a few two story homes in our neighborhood
and I didn't want to stick out any more than I had to;
and the roof with the lowest visual profile is the hip
because there are no tall gable ends.
From that I found the hip to be a far superior roof system
as it gives the house more protection in high wind areas
and because there is an overhang all around it keeps the walls drier from the rain
and more shaded from the hot summer sun.
The Hip Roof from 2/22/10.)
Later we acquired the home in the foreground
which originally had a flat roof and that is a recipe for ultimate failure.
The flat roof had its place in the history of New Mexico
when lumber and roof coverings were limited or none existent,
but since the railroad first arrived in the late 19th century
we have had mills for turning logs into lumber for framing a pitched roof
and access to precious metals for covering a roof.
There may be some nostalgia for the pueblo style flat roof on the faux adobe house
but it is manufactured by the style police
and promoted by builders who know that a flat roof house is way cheaper to build
and still charge the unsuspecting buyer an outrageous price for a roof that will leak.
As you can see above I infected the whole end of our block with the hip roof before I was done.
This house, above right, had the flat roof, built probably in the 1940's
and because the roof rafters had begun to sag, creating pools on the roof,
it had to be replaced.
By adding the pitched roof I was able to take the load off the rafters,
and with the overhang and gutters I was able to keep water away from the adobe walls.
As you can see I had gutters going everywhere
as I collected the rainwater for use in the garden
and for keeping water away from the walls.
You will also note that I really like corrugated galvanized metal
because it is inexpensive, long lasting, and relatively forgiving in the installation,
although it should carefully be attached with metal roofing screws.
I am a fan of the 4 in 12 pitch as it sheds water well
and can be ( carefully ) walked on for installation and maintenance
and it also keeps the roof profile lower here in the land of one story homes.
Other parts of the country may require a steeper pitch depending on the climate.
The hips you see above are dutch hips
which means they have a small gable at each end of the ridges,
which are a great spot for roof vents which is a whole other topic for another time.
I got to be quite good at framing the hip roof
by the time I got all these roofs built
but it is a bit more challenging than the gable end roof.
A good carpentry textbook can explain it easier than I.
I loved learning how to use the tables on the framing square.
Let's look at some other examples
and these next two are in Patagonia, Arizona
which is loaded with examples of hip roofs on adobe houses.
For more on Patagonia see my post:
These next two are in Hillsboro, N.M.
For more on Hillsboro see the posts:
or go to LABELS on the right side bar and click on
Building In Hillsboro And Kingston New Mexico.
And finally this building in Bisbee, Arizona.
For more on the hip roof see my post:
or go to LABELS on the right side bar and click on Roofs.
