Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside

5.DESIGNING THE HOUSERoofs and ChimneysThe roofs of traditional rural houses in County Limericktend to be either hipped or gabled, with a consistent pitchof between 40 o - 50 o . Thatch was progressively replacedby slate as the preferred roofing material, or else withpainted corrugated sheeting.Roofs on new houses should aim to be simple,consistently pitched and with special attention paid toedge detailing, avoiding forms that may appear alien tothe rural setting. Roofs that oversail the external walls,invariably finished in white pvc, should be avoided. Flatdark tiles (with slate as the preferred material) should besized to suit the scale of the roof and laid in diminishingcourses from the eaves.Roof TypesBoxed verges and eaves to be avoidedRainwater goods should be as discrete as practical,rounded and of cast iron or plastic (painted black).Contemporary use of natural slate65.Traditional houses were lowwith steep roofs (45°) makingfor a compact building whichhugged the groundIn new building eaves shouldbe kept down and roof pitchesshould remain +/- 45°Large roof-lights can dominate,resulting in reflections of opensky and sunlight.New-build without regard forproportion results in badbalance of windows andunnecessary height.⅓⅔Locating well-proportioneddormers within lower ⅔ of theroof helps to ensure that theydo not dominate the house52.County Limerick: Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside