What Is a Gable Style Roof?

Description

• Gable roofs consist of two surfaces that have the same pitch and meet at a ridge at the top. The upper part of the building's walls on each side of the ridge form a triangular section called the gables. The gable roof style dominates American home construction due to the simplicity of the design and its cost effectiveness. The gable roof sheds rainwater efficiently and generally allows for more interior ceiling space than other styles.

Types

• Perhaps the most frequently seen type of gable roof, the side gable, places the gable ends on the sides of the structure. The front gable type places the gable over the entrance and rear of the house. Colonial and Cape Cod styles often incorporate front gables into their design. Cross gable roofs combine two gabled roofs at right angles to each other into the same structure. The ridges of each roof usually lie perpendicular to each other.

Gable Dormers

• Gable dormers, a roof that covers the structural protrusion of an upper-story room, has two pitched sides that join at a ridge like other types of gable roofs. They typically cover flat interior rooms, though a vaulted ceiling is possible also. Sometimes called a doghouse dormer, the gable dormer gives interior upper rooms extra light and ventilation. However, the gable dormer does not increase the amount of livable space in an upper-story room as effectively as some other dormer styles.

Damage

• One of the disadvantages of a gable roof --- its vulnerability to damage from high winds compared with other styles, such as the hipped roof --- can make it a liability in areas prone to storms or hurricanes. Typically, the walls on the gable end suffer the most damage in extremely severe winds and might even collapse. You can strengthen homes with gable roofs by adding braces to the gable ends, although only a qualified professional should do this work.