How To Figure Roof Pitch With Speed Square

Read the pitch on the side of the rafter square.

How to figure roof pitch with speed square.

This video is very basic and for beginners. Then place a torpedo level on the fat base of the rafter square and adjust the square until the level is level. On the roof hold the level perfectly level and measure the height from the roof to the level 12 inches away from where the level touches the surface this will be the rise. Next hook the tape measure to the level where it meets the sheathing and extend it out to make a mark at 12 in.

Would be the run. Place the pivot point against the shingles. The hash marks with corresponding numbers between 1 and 30 refer to the roof s rise angle. You ll need a level that is 12 or longer and a tape measure.

With a torpedo level and a speed square you can pretty accurately gauge the pitch of any roof with a gable end photo 1. To calculate the required rafter length multiply the total run length half the building width plus the width that the roof is to overhang the house wall by this number 13 42. Mark and measure up to the roof deck to get the rise. A roof s pitch is determined by how much it rises vertically for every foot it runs horizontally.

Note the number on the common scale parallel with the 45 degree angle of the square. Learn more about roofing. Use our roof pitch calculator to find the pitch of your roof. The pitch of the roof is read where the bottom of the rafter crosses this scale.

Roof pitch area multipliers. The pitch of the roof is the rise over a 12 inch run. Directly below the 6 inch mark on the framing square read the required rafter length 13 42 per foot of run for a 6 inch rise 6 in 12 roof. For example a 4 12 pitch roof that is 100 square feet.

Thus a moderate 6 in 12 roof pitch means that the roof rises 6 inches vertically for every 12 horizontal inches it runs. 100 1 054 105 4ft 2. Next multiply the footprint of the roof by the multiplier below for your roof pitch to find the overall roof area. In this video i show how to find angles using a speed square.

How roof pitch is calculated to accurately calculate the area of your roof you must first determine its slope or pitch. The rise over run numbers give you the pitch.