How To Figure Out Roof Pitch With Speed Square

Place the pivot point against the shingles.

How to figure out roof pitch with speed square.

Because of its compact size it is frequently used as a saw guide when cutting framing members as well as a layout tool for quick 45 and 90 degree cuts. Finding the pitch of a roof is simple with a speed square. Thus a moderate 6 in 12 roof pitch means that the roof rises 6 inches vertically for every 12 horizontal inches it runs. Leah s recommended tools for beginner diy ers.

Roof pitch is the measurement of a roof s vertical rise divided by its horizontal run. Divide the first part of the ratio by 12 to work out the pitch. Check your results with the omni roof pitch calculator. In the united states a run of 12 inches 1 foot is used and pitch is measured as the rise of the roof over 12 inches.

Leah answers a viewer s question about how to calculate the pitch of a roof on a structure. A speed square and level can be used to easily find the pitch of a roof. To accurately calculate the area of your roof you must first determine its slope or pitch. Marvel at your mathematical.

Find the inverse tangent of the pitch to find the angle in degrees. Then place a torpedo level on the fat base of the rafter square and adjust the square until the level is level. The triangle shaped square was invented in 1925 by albert swanson to provide a quick accurate method for marking rafters. To convert between american roofing ratios and pitch degrees follow these steps.

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. It is often compared to slope but is not exactly the same. A roof s pitch is determined by how much it rises vertically for every foot it runs horizontally. A 12 12 pitch roof has a pitch angle of 45.

With a torpedo level and a speed square you can pretty accurately gauge the pitch of any roof with a gable end photo 1.