Hip roofs are extremely popular, but they are not perfect. However, their (hip roof) advantages outweigh their disadvantages. That’s why more and more people keep choosing them for their buildings.

Still, it’s important to understand what you are getting into. That’s what I always tell our clients. Read about hip roofs. Learn as much as you can before choosing it for your home.

What Is a Hip Roof?

In its simplest form, a hip roof is a pitched roof that is sloping on all sides. There will be variations. For example, a half-hipped roof is a hybrid with a gable, while a mansard roof is basically one hip roof sitting on another.

Other types of hip roofs are standard, pyramid and cross hip roofs. The size and pitch of the roof can also vary as required. However, one thing is constant. All four sides are sloping. That’s the primary characteristic of a hip roof.

Now that you know what a hip roof looks like, let’s move on to the main focus of this blog post. Let’s discuss hip roof pros and cons.

Advantages of Hip Roofs

Here are six amazing hip roof advantages that you need to know.

Durable and sturdy

Hip roofs are the most sturdy and durable type of roof. Flat and gable roofs don’t even stand a chance. So, if sturdiness and durability are your primary objective, install a hip roof.

Ability to withstand severe weather

Because of their strength and sturdiness, hip roofs are the best choice for areas with severe weather. So, if your area has strong wind, rain and snow, install a hip roof.

There are two reasons that make hip roofs perfect for severe weather. The first is the lack of flat sides. Flat vertical sides catch the wind. Sloping sides don’t. Flat horizontal surfaces allow snow and water to build up. Sloping sides don’t.

The second reason is the self-bracing nature of hip roofs. That’s the next hip roof advantage on this list.

A self-bracing structure

A hip roof is designed to support itself. That’s what makes it so sturdy and strong. Therefore, you don’t have to spend money on extra support. That’s not the case for gable roofs.

Good drainage quality

Because of the sloping sides, water, snow and debris can’t settle on a hip roof. You can also add gutters on all four sides of the roof. Therefore, drainage is pretty much perfect.

Aesthetic appeal

A hip roof makes a building look elegant, larger and interesting. It also feels more welcoming because we expect homes to have pitched roofs.

Design versatility

Hip roofs fit in well with all sorts of houses. So, whether your property is Victorian, Edwardian or contemporary, you can build a hipped roof.

That’s more than enough pros. So, let’s move on to the cons of hip roofs.

Disadvantages of Hip Roofs

As stated earlier, hip roofs are not perfect. They have weaknesses. Here are three hip roof disadvantages.

Costly

Hip roofs are more expensive than their flat and gable counterparts. This is mainly due to design complexity and supply needs. 

It takes skill to build a hip roof. You also need a higher quantity of materials. So, I don’t recommend hip roofs for people on a budget.

Propensity to leak

Compared to gable roofs, hip roofs are more prone to leaks. This is because hip roofs have more parts. There are more fasteners and seams. Therefore, there are more weak points that could leak. 

Reduced headroom in the loft

Here is the final main disadvantage of hip roofs. The sloping sides affect the headroom inside the attic.

Flat roofs provide the most headroom in an attic. Gable roofs also have headroom issues, but not as much as hip roofs. Headroom is a general problem among pitched roofs.

Get Help from Roofing Experts at Fixmyroof

Now you know the main advantages and disadvantages of hip roofs. As you can see, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Plus, a skilled roofer can work around those cons.

Take Fixmyroof as an example. Hip roofs are one of the most common choices among our clients. Yet, they never have issues. That’s because they chose us. We are experts with several years of experience in the roofing industry.

That’s the final and most important advice that I have for you. Hire experts to build or repair your hip roof. We volunteer ourselves for the role, so hire us to build and repair your hip roof.