In the same way that a beautiful roof on a house ties the entire structure together in the real world, the same goes for Minecraft buildings as well. There are no standard rules Minecraft players are bound by when coming up with original roof designs.
However, if you’re new to this virtual world, you might have a bit of a hard time getting the hang of it. This guide explores everything you need to know about building Minecraft roofs, whether you’re a new player or a veteran looking to polish up your skills.
Minecraft Roof Designs – The Basics
Below are 10 critical tips to keep in mind when coming up with a roof design for your Minecraft structure.
1. Integrate Depth Into the Roof Design
When designing a Minecraft roof, one of the first things you want to do is ensure you have a provision for a “lip” along the edge of your roof. Not only does this add more depth to your design, but it also makes the roof type stand out more prominently. You can try incorporating “upside-down” stairs along the edge to make it look a little thicker.
2. Improve the Roof Shape
Enhancing the shape of your roof structure is one of the simplest ways to improve the overall design. By simply adding a single perpendicular section to the main structure, you open up the roof, giving you a ton more space to work with.
It also makes it look nicer than having a single straight, uninspiring roof design. You can add as many sections as you like to make your roof more intriguing. The more detailed it is, the more interesting it will be to look at.
3. Focus on Your Foundation
Like any real-world construction, before you can even think of building a roof, you want to make sure the foundation your house sits on is solid. If you have a good foundation to begin with, you can expect better results once you’re through with the roof.
4. Create Varying Roof Heights
When you’re designing anything on Minecraft, the one thing you need to remember is this: Think outside the box. Your roof designs don’t have to be limited to real-world scenarios. Add as much depth and detail as you want.
One way to do this is by incorporating varying heights in your Minecraft roof designs. Some designs work better when all the roof heights are aligned, while others look more appealing when you have variations at different points of the structure.
To do this, all you would have to do is lower one section of the roof area by two or three blocks for both the bottom and top parts of the roof to make it appear shorter than the other roof section.
5. Add Detail to the Roof
The next thing you want to do is add a bit of detail to the roof. Something as simple as integrating a window can make a world of difference to your Minecraft roof design. It increases the roof’s complexity, making it feel less plain. It’ll also give you a nice view from inside the building.
Just like with the varying roof heights, you can do the same with the windows as well.
You can create a window on the higher roof closer to the peak using wooden slabs. Alternatively, you could build them into the roof line itself or both.
6. Extend the Roof
There are several ways you can extend the roof to improve its aesthetic appeal. For instance, you could extend the wooden slabs surrounding the windows to add more depth and intrigue to your Minecraft roof designs.
You could even add a peak extending over the side of the roof. An easy way to achieve this look is by using stairs or a stair block, although you can use a combination of different shapes to add more detail to your Minecraft roof designs.
7. Add Some Edges Underneath the Roof
Creating small edges underneath the roof is a great way to incorporate more complexity into your Minecraft roof designs. One way to do this would be to use fence gates. Mount them on every couple of blocks to create the illusion of beams sticking out from the walls to support the roof.
You can also mount trap doors between the fence gates (the beams) to add more depth to your Minecraft house design.
8. Don’t Forget the Chimney
One of the most overlooked aspects of Minecraft house roof designs is adding a chimney. Incorporating a chimney feature is the perfect way to add more detail to your roof style. You can bring it up from the roof’s edge and blend it with the entire structure.
It is worth noting that the chimney is not necessarily an extension of the roof itself per se, but since it extends into its edge, it adds to the roofing detail.
Also, don’t be afraid to go crazy with your Minecraft builds. You can make your building anything you want it to be.
If you want to add even more complexity to your Minecraft roof designs, consider adding multiple chimneys to it. Having them at different points brings the user’s sight line to that section of the roof.
That way, every part of the entire structure stands out. Adding a chimney is a sure way to spice things up if you have any areas on your roof that feel a little flat or bland.
9. Swap Out the Slabs for Stairs
As we mentioned before, you can use all sorts of shapes to build your Minecraft roofs. Instead of using slabs at the peak of the roof, consider swapping them out for stairs instead. This is a great way to add more detail to the roof, especially if it looks a little flat.
Alternatively, you could alternate between slabs and full blocks to create an effect like the one below.
While it might not seem like much, it makes a huge difference depending on the angle you’re viewing it from. Remember, the goal is to get your creative juices flowing. Anything you can do to make the roof look less plain is a welcome addition to your Minecraft design.
10. Add Some Texture to the Roof Surface
In keeping with the roof’s complexity, adding a bit of texture to the surface incorporates more detail into the design. Consider adding cobbled deep slate finishing and deep slate bricks to give it a more realistic feel. It makes it more visually pleasing.
Consider adding a border along the edge and across each center section of the roof. It makes it feel more finished.
Here’s an idea of what your finished Minecraft roof design could look like if you incorporate all the tips we’ve outlined so far.
Standard Minecraft Roof Designs
Regardless of the roof style that you’re going for, there are some standard Minecraft roof designs that are used for most builds. Below is an overview of the three most common ones:
A Frame Roof
A typical A frame roof in Minecraft is built with both right-side-up and upside-down stairs. All you have to do is run your stairs on either side of the frame, working your way up towards a center point at the very top. Once you get to this point, you can then place an upside-down stair facing outward for a nice, unique detail.
Medieval Style
If a medieval-style roof is what you’re going for, the one thing you need to keep in mind is that these roofs generally run higher than your standard A-frame designs. Start by placing a normal stair on either side of the wall, followed by an upside-down stair right after. Since you want the roof to run higher, proceed to place a full-block stair after the upside-down one.
Repeat those three steps in sequence on both sides of the roof until you get to the center point at the top.
Once you get to the top, do the same thing you’ve done so far – that is, place a normal stair, then an upside-down stair, then a full block stair, and finish it off with another upside-down stair.
Varying-Height
If you’re looking to build a structure with roofs at varying heights, simply start by stacking up slabs from one end of the structure and work your way toward the top. Then, place slabs in a straight line along the peak of the roof, followed by upside-down stairs to cover the edge.
Repeat this process on the other section of the roof, except that, in this case, you should stack up the slabs from a lower point relative to the other section of the roof and work your way down.
Final Thoughts
There you have it – everything you need to know about Minecraft roof designs. Roofing is usually the hardest part when building in Minecraft. Once you get the hang of it, you should have no problem building elaborate roofs. The tips we’ve outlined in this guide would be a great starting point.
In the meantime, check out these 25 easy Minecraft house ideas for inspiration.