What is with the trend today of building houses with all the changing roof lines???

It just seems that it's not real practical. Looks to me like a 'once funtional box' that has been added on to many times.

I'm looking for functional, simple, cost effective to build at the ranch. The trend nowdays around here is a "look at me" house.

Tom?

My preference is for a simple hip roof. It does away with gables that are hard to maintain and provides nice, shade producing eaves.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Speaking of which, any updated photos of the palace?

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Some years ago, a home builder submitted plans for a midwest-style home with a graceful roofline (as opposed to the steep-pitched multi-gabled homes more prevalent here in Texas). The homeowener's association approved the plans, and the house was built.

When the house was built, all of a sudden, the other residents in the neighborhood were up in arms over the look, and wanted the house torn down!!

Despite the total waste of space (and associated heat that resides in that space), it's a mindset that won't change soon...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

I have a look/plan in my head yet all my initial drawings look like a$$.
A simple hip roof with a change in pitch for 8 foot+ wide overhangs on all sides. I like the idea of the wall being protected from the elements and shaded during the summer. Maybe less of an overhang on the south wall for some heat gain in the winter.

The idea of masonry walls appeals to me but I am not sure if the thermal mass 'flywheel' will work in this climate.

Wood framing is fast/cost effective so the other option was a 2x6 wall 24"OC. I figure that would offer the least amount of thermal bridging for roughly the same material cost.

I need to get busy with this. Been suffering from analysis paralysis and nothings getting done.

Where, what, how to build...

FWIW, the roof on the cabin was #7 in the design continuum. To paraphrase Edison: "I now know 6 ways to design roofs that look like a$$."

I honestly wouldn't worry about designing for heat gain. I know it's a tad colder in north TX than here in Waterloo or BHF but heating isn't the problem.

Shady sanctuaries are the thing for our climates. If you build deep porches and deck those roofs with reflectant barrier you'll be able to spend a lot more time in those spaces throughout the seasons, effectively increasing your living area.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Are you looking for 'Prairie style' hip roof? In the Midwest it looks great on most any structure. Frank L. Wright was a genius in design & pleasing scale ratios.

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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

Your neck of the woods offers more structures that appeals to me.

Sometimes I think I need to make a move. NTX does have a mindset.

I'm not suggesting a bale house (I wouldn't wish that on anyone) but take a look at some of the bale houses that have been done in and around Tucson, AZ and houses in the Australian outback. Many have deep porches...very attractive.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Make sure your framer isn't a methamphetamine freak and that he knows how to properly frame that pitch change. My ass is in a sling because I wasn't around when the Fabulous Baxter Boys framed mine, making what ins, in essence, a 36' long blind valley. I'm still trying to come up with a solution to that one.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Find yourself a good roofer and get his/her advice. Unfortunately, competent roofers are truly rare commodity. I've had four roofers work on my house. The original roofer did a lousy job and used the wrong materials. The second roofer was even worse. The third roofer was great, but got himself killed in a drug deal gone bad. The fourth one is golden, and knows more about standing seam metal roofing (which is what I have) than anyone I have ever met.

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1984 300TD

They have their upside but there can be a downside. We put a room in the attic of an old house (1907) in Berkeley a few years back and it had hip roof all around. In retrospect, we should have made the backside at least into a gable cause head room is really limited unless you're within about 6 feet of the center of the room. It's about 28' x 16'.

On the tricky roof deal, oh man, I've been on some houses where the labor was double or triple on the roof from what it would have been with a simpler design. People get wide eyed at gimmicks it seems.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K