Roofing is one of those skills that can be daunting to anyone who isn’t a professional. Although some roof designs can be quite difficult there are some types of roofs which can be easily done with just a little bit of knowledge and hard work. The five basic types of roofs are mansard, hip, shed, gambrel and saddle. The most popular type of roofing has become the saddle roof. A saddle roof can be easy to construct without detailed plans or special tools as long as you understand the basics and can do some simple math.

A roof saddle is a simple structure that is designed to divert water from areas of a roof where water tends to collect or leak. They are generally built around the tall side of a chimney or in spots where the roof transitions from one area to another. Typically the saddle is the same pitch as the surrounding area and can be covered with shingles matching the rest of the roof or with metal flashing.

Before you get your power tools out and start cutting, you will want to do some measurements. You’ll need to determine the pitch, line length, span, run and rise of your roof. The span is the horizontal distance from one side of your house to the other. The run will be exactly half the distance of your span. The rise is the length of the center of the span to the top of your roof line. The line length will be the measurement from one of the supporting wall lines to the center of your roof at the top of the highest part. This might sound really confusing, but when you draw out your measurements you’ll see that it is simply a triangle with some legs. Once you have all of those numbers figured out you will need to decide on the desired pitch of your saddle roof. The pitch is the angle from the roof ridge to the wall plate. Although pitch can vary the most common for a saddle roof is ⅓ or ¼.  Having the right pitch is important as it affects how rain and snow will fall off your roof. If the pitch is too high it could cause snow, ice or water to collect on the roof and eventually cause damage to your shingles that could result in leakage.

Once you have determined the pitch, line length, span, run and rise of your roof, the next step is to lay out your wood and start marking your cuts. There are three types of cuts used when creating the beams that will be used to construct your saddle roof. The plumb cut is where the top of the beam will connect to the ridge plate; the bird’s mouth will be positioned on top of the ridge plate and the tail cut will create the edge for the building eaves.

The most common method of laying out the beams is to use a 2-foot framing square. You will want to hold the framing square so that the face of the square is up (you will see the manufacturer’s name) and then lay the square on the end of the board. When you measure from the blade to the tongue it should be 14-7/15 inches, multiply that by the run of the building and add 12-inches to get a final figure for the overhang.

You should then look at your beams and check for any kind of curves on the board. Making your pattern on a straight board is important so that the saddle does not end up sagging over time. Layout your beam and position the square at the end of the board, making sure that the tongue is on your left. Then position the square so that the 8-inch is on the outside and the 12 inch is on the top edge of the board. Mark the line of the tongue to get the plumb cut for your roof ridge.  Measure that line to figure out the line length of the beam. Move the square along the board two more times marking the additional plumb cuts. The middle mark will be the bird’s mouth which is where the beam will sit against the wall plate.

Take another beam and duplicate the measurements from the beam you were just working on. You will then take a circular saw and start cutting out the bird’s mouth and along the tongue. This will allow you to make the frame. You will want to make braces for the frame which will be the height of the boards plus the rise. Align the plumb cuts with the braces and the bird’s mouth with the roof and nail into place. Once you have your boards installed make sure to add any supports such as center supports or collar ties that might be required by your city code. After the supports are added you will use vertical studs to securely attach everything to the wall studs.

Now that you have your roof saddle built and attached you will want to apply shingles. It is important to always have another person around when applying shingles in case there is an accident. Before attaching the shingles you will want to apply the drip edge. The drip edge is a metal strip that goes along the eaves of your roof to prevent water from getting under any shingles and causing wood rot. Every 10 inches you will apply a one-inch roofing nail. Then install the water and ice shield to any vent holes, chimneys, eaves and ridge areas.

Next, you will add the roofing felt paper to the entire roof. This acts as a backup to make sure that the wood used to build does not come in contact with any water. Roofing felt comes in large rolls which makes installing it very easy to do. Roll it out in straight rows on the roof, with ¾ of an inch overhang around the edges. Once the roof is completely covered you will want to cut out holes for vents and then install them.

Now it is time to start installing the shingles. Starting at one edge of the roof you will want to add one shingle. Measure up the eave from the end of the shingle to the roof. You will then use that mark to place a chalk line to the other side of the roof lengthwise. Repeat this until you reach the top of the roof. This is time-consuming but very important to ensure that your shingles are straight and your roof has proper coverage.

Going back to the original shingle you put down and place a nail at the end of each shingle, most shingle should have a nail guide on them which shows you where they should be placed. Move down the roof and continuing adding shingles making sure to place them right up against each other. When you get to the second row you will want to cut 3 inches off the shingle and apply them in a stair pattern. The third row will require you to cut off 6 inches and so on until you reach the top of your roof.

Once all of the shingles have been added you will have to apply the roof cap. The roof cap goes along the peak of the roof and is a crucial step. The cap helps keep elements from getting under the shingles below and prevents leaks. You can buy a premade roof cap or create one yourself by bending a shingle to fit the shape of the roof’s peak. To apply you will add a nail to each side of the peak, 5 inches from the highest point. Once the peak has been covered apply roofing cement to cover the nails at each end of your roof. Your new saddle roof is now complete!