Hip roof or not?
 

Do you like the hip roof design to not?

We went with a hip roof for the simple fact that it came standard with the house we built. The next upgraded elevation was about $3,500 more. Figured I could better spend that elsewhere in the house.

On a practical note and I'm not sure if I'm right or not, the hip roof seems like it would handle strong winds better since it has no gables for the wind to catch.

Yes, Insurance is less.

The hip roof is the main feature in a Cracker style house like those in The Villages. It is based on the chickee huts used by the Native Americans.

Read the book "Classic Cracker" written by professor Ronald Haase, who was originally from New England but now teaches at the University of Florida, or at least he did when he wrote the book..

Not completely true...
 

did a google search and some chickee huts and some had the sloped roof on only two sides. Pretty sure houses in old England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland had many thatched roofs with 4 sloped sides

Hip roofs can help earn a wind mitigation discount.

If more than 90% of your total roof is Hip, you will get the Hip roof credit for Wind Mitigation. Also, homes with hip roofs are typically easier to paint, repair stucco, etc.

If you install gutters it will take more linear feet of gutters. Some Hip roofs will cut down on the attic storage area, dependent on the slope of the roof, size of the home, etc. Most homes in The Villages have a 6/12 pitch. I prefer a Hip roof.

Frank D.

Ouuuuu, that sounds ———?

One of the big findings after Hurricane Andrew is that fewer homes that had hip roofs were destroyed and those that were damaged were damaged less than gable homes. So yes, you are right. It makes a big difference and this is reflected in the insurance premium discount.

I would not own a home in a hurricane prone area that wasn't hip roof all around. While TV has not historically taken any major hits, there's always the risk of damage.

Classic Cracker seems like a very racist name. Surprised that would be referenced today.

The hip roof helps mitigate wind “lift”.

You can always find the book in the library and tell us what parts seem racist to you. While you are there, you can also find the magnificent book "A Land Remembered" by Patrick Smith. It is historical fiction about a Cracker family that moved into Florida after the Civil War.

Since I have spent 20 years of my life living in Florida, I understand that qualifies me as a Cracker. I like that.