Gambrel Roof Slopes

Besides its unique appearance a gambrel roof also serves to maximize the usable floor space in the attic area.

Gambrel roof slopes.

A gambrel or gambrel roof is a usually symmetrical two sided roof with two slopes on each side. Most designs are symmetrical providing the advantages of a sloped roof while still maximizing the amount of space inside of the building. Similar to mansard the lower side of the gambrel roof has an almost vertical steep slope while the upper slope is much lower. This roof style offers several advantages including space drainage ease of building and affordability making it a roof style worth considering for your project.

This enables it to provide the benefits of a sloped roof without compromising on space inside the structure. This roof is symmetrical and the lower slopes are steeper than the ones on top. This design is sometimes called a dutch swedish german french english or new england roof. This results in that squatty appearance.

A gambrel or a barn roof is much like mansard in a sense that it has two different slopes. The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle while the lower slope is steep. To calculate a gambrel roof select gambrel roof from the roof type dropdown list or click on the appropriate toolbar button to calculate a gambrel roof. The name comes from the medieval latin word gamba meaning horse s hock or leg.

A gambrel roof is one that has two sides to it. A gambrel roof is a two sided roof with two slopes on each side. A gambrel roof features two distinct slopes one steeper than the other to create a barn like look on homes garages and sheds. So you have a really steep bottom pitch and a really flat top pitch.

The term gambrel is of american origin the older european name being a curb. This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. Each one offers a shallower slope that sits above a steeper one. Most of your pre made trusses that are designed as a gambrel consist of roughly a 20 12 bottom pitch and a 4 12 top pitch.

The picture below shows the pitch of a 7 12 roof slope meaning that for 12 of horizontal measurement roof run the vertical measurement roof rise is 7. Construction of a gambrel roof.