• The front porch is a comforting place to spend time.front porch chair image by mrslevite from Fotolia.com
  
  Porches are an important extension of the home. Family and friends gather on porches for summer parties and cookouts. The porch offers a quiet oasis during cooler evening hours and provides a comfortable space to unwind and relax after a busy day. The roof is an essential part of what makes a porch enjoyable, by keeping rain and the sun from spoiling a good time. Select a roof type that complements the design of your home.
  
  

Shed Roof

• The half-gable roof, better known as the shed roof, is a single sloping roof and is often used on narrow, long porches. Shed roofs sometimes appear as if they are flat when looked at straight on. When used as a porch roof, the higher end of the shed roof is flat against the house, while the lower end extends over the porch and is supported with beams or poles. Shed roofs are easy to build because they have no hips, valleys or ridges. A shed roof is not recommended for wide porches because the line of the roof is often too high for the house and appears awkward and out of place.
  
  

Gable Roof

• Considered the most common of porch roofs, the gable roof has a variety of pitches. The pitch, or steepness, of the roof helps aid in the runoff of snow and rain water. The peak of the gable porch roof can sometimes obstruct upstairs windows if the built too high. Gable roofs have two flat side walls that join at a center ridge or peak to form a triangular shape. The gable-style porch usually requires the use of soffit and fascia to enclose any extra overhang along the sides and front of the porch. The gable porch roof blends well with almost any roof design found on homes.
  
  

Hipped Roof

• Although it is a more complicated style to build, the hipped roof is strong and durable. Sides of a hipped roof are gently sloped from the wall and there are no gables at the end of a hipped roof. The eaves of the roof are level and easily widened to allow for more shade cover, which helps increase thermal efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Gutters are easily fitted to the level eaves of the hipped roof. The sub-pyramidal or square style of the hipped roof has a pyramid-like shape. The hipped roof style makes an attractive covering for porches on a wide variety of houses.