How To Figure Out Roof Pitch With Speed Square

Read the pitch on the side of the rafter square.

How to figure out roof pitch with speed square.

Leah s recommended tools for beginner diy ers. The triangle shaped square was invented in 1925 by albert swanson to provide a quick accurate method for marking rafters. Then place a torpedo level on the fat base of the rafter square and adjust the square until the level is level. Set the level on the edge of the speed square as shown below then place the heel of the speed square on a rafter or gable edge of the roof.

Express roof pitch as the ratio of the amount of the vertical rise of a roof or rise over the corresponding horizontal distance or run you write the pitch assuming a run of 12 inches thus the ratio would describe how much a roof rises for each foot of the run. Thus a moderate 6 in 12 roof pitch means that the roof rises 6 inches vertically for every 12 horizontal inches it runs. Roof pitch is the measurement of a roof s vertical rise divided by its horizontal run. With a torpedo level and a speed square you can pretty accurately gauge the pitch of any roof with a gable end photo 1.

As aforementioned there is no standard pitch of a roof. A roof s pitch is determined by how much it rises vertically for every foot it runs horizontally. Divide the first part of the ratio by 12 to work out the pitch. To accurately calculate the area of your roof you must first determine its slope or pitch.

A 12 12 pitch roof has a pitch angle of 45. Find the inverse tangent of the pitch to find the angle in degrees. Leah answers a viewer s question about how to calculate the pitch of a roof on a structure. Marvel at your mathematical.

A speed square and level can be used to easily find the pitch of a roof. It is often compared to slope but is not exactly the same. Finding the pitch of a roof is simple with a speed square. Place the pivot point against the shingles.

Check your results with the omni roof pitch calculator.