How to Measure a Roof With a Slope Factor
A roof with a slope is more difficult to construct than a flat roof, but a steep roof offers better drainage for water and snow. Carpenters express roof slope as the rise of the roof divided by its run. The rise is the difference in height between two points on the roof. The run is the distance between those same points. The slope of the roof typically assumes the run is 1 foot. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Place one end of a carpenter's level on the surface of the roof so the level is in the vertical position. Use the level's bubble to determine when the carpenter's level is exactly vertical.
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2
Hold the tongue of the framing square flush with the carpenter's level so it points up with the body pointing toward the roof. A framing square has two arms that meet at a right angle. The tongue of the framing square is the shorter arm and may have no measurements. The body of the framing square is the longer arm and has markings indicating distance.
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3
Adjust the position of the framing square so the lower corner of its body rests on the roof. Keep the carpenter's level vertical and the tongue of the framing square flush against the carpenter's level as you make this adjustment.
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4
Measure the height of the framing square's corner above the roof with the carpenter's level. Let this measurement be 5 inches in this example.
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5
Measure the length of the framing square's body. Let this measurement be 12 inches in this example.
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6
Divide the measurement in Step 4 by the measurement in Step 5 to obtain the slope of the roof. The slope of the roof in this example is 5 inches per foot. This slope is equal to 5 / 12, or 0.417.
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