Roof Facts for Kids

A roof in Poland. It has wooden shingles. Six dormers can be seen

A roof is the top surface of the building. The plural of 'roof' is 'roofs'. The roof keeps out rain and snow and protects people from the sun. Some roofs are sloped, or pitched, so the rain and snow fall off easily. Some roofs are flat, but even flat roofs have a little bit of pitch so the water can flow away towards a drain.

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Types

Gable, hip, gambrel, shed and mansard roofs are the main types of pitched roofs. The type of roof on a building helps identify the building style. For example, an American Arts and Crafts style versus a Cape Cod style. Roofs are often covered in asphalt or wood shingles. But they can also be covered in metal, slate, or clay tiles. It can be dangerous to walk on a pitched roof. Some pitched roofs have parts that stick out for windows. These are called dormers. The edges of pitched roofs are called 'eaves'. Often there are gutters and leaders at the eaves, which take away water from the roof.

Flat roofs are usually covered in rubber or types of plastic. You can usually walk on a flat roof. At the edge of a flat roof there is sometimes a parapet. This is to prevents people from falling off the roof.