When it comes to buying a garden shed or summerhouse, there are different roof styles to choose from. It is important you choose the right roof style for your garden building requirements.
An Apex roof gives you more headroom in the centre but less at the eaves. They are commonly used for a workshop, with the extra headspace being ideal for a workspace. They also stand out more in the garden.
A Pent roof has a more modern, flat style. They have more headroom down one side of the building and a consistent roof height, making them ideal to use for storage space. Pent sheds tend to blend into the garden more with their flat roof and box-like design.
1. Traditional or Contemporary
- Choose from a traditional apex style roof or a contemporary pent roof
- Apex roofs are a traditional English style peaked roof
- Pents have a more modern style flat roof or ‘mono-pitch’ roof
2. Headroom
- Apex sheds have more headroom in the centre and lease at the eaves
- Pent sheds have more headroom down one side of the building
3. Workspace or Storage
- Pents have a more consistent roof height, ideal for shelving and storing items
- Apex sheds have a taller but more confined height to store items.
- Apex sheds have a higher ridge height down the centre which is better for a workspace
4. Stand out or blend in?
- Apex sheds tend to stand out more in the garden due to their apex roof which is more prominent.
- Pent sheds tend to blend in more with their flat roof and box-like design
5. Choose your door position
- Pent sheds can have the doors central, offset or in the gables
- Apex sheds usually have the doors positioned in the gable end
6. Roof Options
- Standard pent sheds come with OSB roof sheets as standard
- Apex sheds offer the choice to upgrade to a tongue and groove roof
- Our lounge and clubhouse ranges come with a tongue and groove roof as standard
7. Shingles Option
- Pents aren’t suitable for roof shingles due to the more shallow gradient
- Apex tongue and groove roofs are suitable for shingles due to the steeper roof pitch
8. Workshop or Garden Office?
- Apex buildings are generally used more for workshops and a more traditional look.
- Contemporary pent roofs look better as a modern garden office due to their flat office shaped internal space.
9. Suitable for DIY and Potting
- Apex sheds are usually more suited for a workspace where a workbench can be placed in the eaves
- Pent sheds can also be used as a workspace but with a lower but more consistent roof height
- Windowed versions of each style also make great potting sheds
10. More water run-off at the back of a pent building
- Apex roofs are steeper and have more drainage on both sides
- Pent sheds are mono-pitch and water drains at the back
- Easier to add a water butt to a pent due to one side with drainage and cheaper to add guttering
