Converting a hip roof to a gable roof

Current category

This conversion will bring up some serious changes to your roof. Additional supporting structures will be required, because the hip roof doesn’t have the necessary support to withstand the weight of the gable roof.

You will need the following materials:

lumber
nails
hammer
brickwork
cement
caulking
pen paper

Permission

Converting your hip roof into a gable roof implies some major structural changes to your roof, so you will need some special permission for construction. Go to your local authorities and see how you can obtain that permit. Make some plans of the new roof and of the steps that you will follow in order to remove the old one. The building inspector will need some accurate plans before it allows you to proceed with the building.

Removing the hip roof

You will need to remove the hip roof. Use a stepladder and remove the gutters first. The proceed to the removing of the roofing tiles, and any other roof furniture. Remove all the wood and interior supports that help up the roof and replace them with more solid ones.

Building up the wall

Now, you need to build the wall that will support the roof. It needs to be high as the top point of the roof. Cover the brickwork with some caulking.

Installing the gable roof

After the wall has been built, build a timber support for your roof tiles. The timber need to go from the top of the roof, to the top of the wall. Nail the support beams to the edges of the support walls. The just tile the roof, like you would with any ordinary roof. The roof needs to overhang the wall slightly to avoid any water infiltration. You can also install a layer of timber between the wall and the roof.