Gambrel Roof Slopes

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.

Gambrel roof slopes. This roof is symmetrical and the lower slopes are steeper than the ones on top. Besides its unique appearance a gambrel roof also serves to maximize the usable floor space in the attic area. A gambrel or gambrel roof is a usually symmetrical two sided roof with two slopes on each side. This enables it to provide the benefits of a sloped roof without compromising on space inside the structure.

The term gambrel is of american origin the older european name being a curb. Each one offers a shallower slope that sits above a steeper one. A gambrel roof is one that has two sides to it. Most designs are symmetrical providing the advantages of a sloped roof while still maximizing the amount of space inside of the building.

This design provides the advantages of a sloped roof while maximizing headroom inside the building s upper level and shortening what would otherwise be a tall roof. This design is sometimes called a dutch swedish german french english or new england roof. A gambrel or barn style roof is simply a gable roof with a change in slope partway up the roof. A gambrel or a barn roof is much like mansard in a sense that it has two different slopes.

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 results in that squatty appearance. The name comes from the medieval latin word gamba meaning horse s hock or leg. The difference between the two is that the gambrel only has two sides while the mansard has four.

So you have a really steep bottom pitch and a really flat top pitch. This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. Construction of a gambrel roof. A gambrel roof is a two sided roof with two slopes on each side.

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. The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle while the lower slope is steep.