Gable Roof Features

Appearance and Advantage

• A gable roof has two sloped sides and the gable end is shaped like a triangle. A house with a gable roof usually has a square or rectangular floor plan. Snow and rain flows off of the roof easily, which prevents water and ice damage and thus prolongs the life of the roof. A chief advantage of a gable roof when compared to other roof designs is that it provides the most attic space.

Types

• A cross gable roof is similar to the traditional gable roof but features two intersecting ridges. The cross gable roof is used on a T-shaped house or more complicated layouts. In addition, a French gable roof -- or mansard roof -- does not have a triangular gable end. Instead, the pitch of the roof changes to a more gentle slope halfway up the roof, creating a gable end with four sides.

Overhang

• A end of a gable roof features a roof rake. The roof rake consists of a soffit, which is the underside of the overhang. A roof rake is considered closed if it does not extend from the roof to create an overhang.

Vents

• Gable-end vents are installed in the peak of a gable end and are most effective when used with intake vents located at the roof soffits. This is because the air is taken in at the soffits and exhausted through the gable-end vents. If no soffit intake vents are present, the gable-end vents serve as both the intake and exhaust vents, but this setup works only if the wind moves perpendicular to the gable end.