Gambrel Roofing Styles

The roof of a building, be it a residential house, shed or barn is an integral part of the building. You might think of the roof as a purely functional element of a house, but it plays a big role in the exterior appeal of the house. Different roofing styles are chosen according to the architectural style of a building.

Some of the most common roofing styles and shapes are gable, half gable, curved, octagon, pyramid, hip roof, shed roof, mansard roof and gambrel roof. Some of these roofing styles like the curved roof and octagon roof are very complicated to construct and require great deal of skill to build.

A roofing style that is extensively used in country style and ranch style homes is the gable roof whereas gambrel roofing styles are seen in old colonial and Dutch style houses. It is also a popular roof shape in the countryside, particularly in agricultural buildings.

Because of the steep pitch of the lower slope, a gambrel roof allows you to use the space under the roof. There are also a few variations of the gambrel roofing that are used in modern architecture. Let's discuss gambrel roof styles and its advantages.

This roofing style makes excellent use of space and is therefore invaluable if you need extra headroom in the house to construct an attic. The most distinguishing feature of a gambrel roof is its two distinct slopping sides on each side of the roof.

Both the sides of the roof are perfectly symmetrical and it consists of a central ridge. The bottom slope of a gambrel roof has a steep slope and is typically longer than the upper slope of the roof. The upper slope features a smaller pitch of about 30 degrees.

A gambrel style home is most often seen in country barns as it provides ample storage space for hay. This roofing style is also quite resilient and can withstand extreme weather. Rain and snow slides off the slopping edges of a gambrel roof; unlike flat roofs where the water might stagnate.

A gambrel roof has a very modern minimalistic design and is well suited for contemporary home designs. You can enhance the beauty of a gambrel roof by adding different dormer styles like a shed dormer or an eyebrow dormer.

A gambrel roof is not just elegant to look at, but it has many advantages as well. Because of the steep angle of the lower slope of the roof on either sides, there is more headroom under the roof. This allows a homeowner to construct an attic or loft which can be used for extra storage or converted into an additional bedroom.

An additional bedroom comes in handy for large families in need of extra space without the need of construction.

The structure of a gambrel roof is such that it can withstand strong winds and extreme weather conditions and it is also relatively easy to construct. The minimalistic design of a gambrel roofing style makes a strong statement and it is just right for Colonial and early American architectural styles.

Gambrel roofing style are an excellent choice for roofing. It gives a classic and elegant look to a house. This type of roofing style should be chosen only if it complements the architectural style of your home as it is very important to preserve the architectural integrity of a building.