A roof is part of a building envelope. It's the covering on the uppermost part of any building or shelter which provides protection from pets or animals and weather, rain or snow notably, but also heat, sunlight and wind. The term also denotes the framing or structure which supports that covering.[1]The characteristics of the roof are centered upon the goal of the building that it includes, the available roof materials and the neighborhood traditions of construction and wider concepts of architectural design and practice and could also be governed by local or national legislation. In most countries a roof protects against rain primarily. A verandah may be roofed with material that protects against sunlight but admits the other elements. The roof of your garden conservatory protects plants from cold, wind, and rain, but admits light.Shack manufactured from date hand branches at Neot Semadar, IsraelA rooftop may provide additional liveable space, for example a roof garden.The elements in the design of a roof are:the materialthe constructionthe durabilityThe material of your roof may range between banana leaves, wheaten seagrass or straw to laminated glass, copper (see: copper roofer), aluminium sheeting and pre-cast cement. In many parts of the world ceramic tiles have been the predominant roofer materials for centuries, if not millennia. Other roof materials include asphalt, coal tar pitch, EPDM silicone, Hypalon, polyurethane foam, PVC, slate, Teflon cloth, TPO, and wood shakes and shingles.The construction of a roof is determined by its method of support and the way the underneath space is bridged and whether or not the roofing is pitched. The pitch is the angle of which the roof rises from its lowest to highest point. Most US home architecture, except in very dry out parts, has roofs that are sloped, or pitched. Although modern structure elements such as drainpipes might take away the dependence on pitch, roofs are pitched for reasons of tradition and aesthetics. So the pitch is dependent upon stylistic factors partly, and partially to do with practicalities.Some types of roofing, for example thatch, require a steep pitch in order to be durable and waterproof. Other types of roofing, for example pantiles, are unstable on the steeply pitched roof but provide excellent weather protection at a relatively low angle. In locations where there is little rainwater, an almost even roof with a slight run-off provides satisfactory protection against an intermittent downpour. Drainpipes take away the dependence on a sloping roofing also.Somebody who specializes in roof structure construction is called a roofer.The durability of any roof top is a matter of concern because the roof top is usually the least accessible part of a building for purposes of repair and renewal, while its destruction or damage can have serious effects.Because the reason for a roof top is to protect people and their possessions from climatic elements, the insulating properties of an roof covering are a concern in its composition and the decision of roofing materials.Some roof covering materials, those of natural fibrous materials specifically, such as thatch, have excellent insulating properties. For all those that do not, extra insulation is often installed under the outside level. In developed countries, nearly all dwellings have a ceiling installed under the structural members of the roof. The goal of a ceiling is to insulate against high temperature and cold, noises, mud and often from the lice and droppings of parrots who frequently choose roofs as nesting places.Cement tiles can be used as insulation. When installed going out of a space between the tiles and the rooftop surface, it can reduce heat caused by the sun.Forms of insulation are vinyl or felt sheeting, with a reflective surface sometimes, installed straight below the tiles or other materials; synthetic foam batting laid above the ceiling and recycled paper products and other such materials that can be inserted or sprayed into roof cavities. So called Cool roofs are becoming popular ever more, and occasionally are mandated by local codes. Cool roofs are thought as roofs with both high reflectivity and high thermal emittance.Poorly covered and ventilated roofing can suffer from problems such as the formation of glaciers dams around the overhanging eaves in cold weather, causing water from melted snow on higher elements of the roof to permeate the roofing materials. Ice dams occur when high temperature escapes through the uppermost area of the roof, and the snow at those points melts, refreezing as it drips across the shingles, and collecting in the form of ice at the low points. This can result in structural damage from stress, like the damage of drainage and gutter systems. Thanks a lot for reading and visit our blog, don't forget to share this informative article.