1. Roofs Fourth Grade Architecture A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather and the invasion of animals. Structures that require roofs range from a mail box to a cathedral or stadium, houses are the most numerous.

2. Gambrel Roof Usually symmetrical two- sided roof with two slopes on each side The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle The lower slope is steep. This design provides the advantages of a sloped roof while maximizing headroom inside the building's upper level

3. Gambrel Roof

4. Gable Roof a roof sloping downward from a central ridge so as to leave a gable at each end. A gable is the triangle formed by a sloping roof. A building may be front-gabled or side-gabled. Some houses are cross-gabled--They have gables both on the front and on the side. Porches and dormers may also be gabled. The house shown here has three gables facing the front, and it also has gables facing the sides.

5. Buildings with Gabled Roofs House of the Seven Gables

6. Mansard Roof A mansard roof is a four- sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows. The steep roof with windows creates an additional floor of living space. The upper slope of the roof may not be visible from street level when viewed from close proximity to the building.

8. Hipped Roof A hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a gentle slope. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs often have dormers. Hipped roofed house with gable roofed garage.

9. Salt Box Roof A saltbox is a building with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back. A saltbox has one story in the back and two stories in the front. The asymmetry of the unequal sides and the long, low rear roof line are the most distinctive features of a saltbox. It takes its name from its resemblance to a wooden lidded box in which salt was once kept.

11. Flat Roof A flat roof is a type of covering for a building. In contrast to the more sloped form of roof, a flat roof is horizontal or nearly horizontal. The slope of a roof is properly known as its pitch: Roofs which are nearly flat are known as low-pitch roofs.