Architectural roof windows

The gambrel roof has a distinct look for sure. The top 2 sides extending from the peak are not as steep as the bottom 2 sides. Formed of six triangular identically pitched roof panels and six supporting rafters, this type of roof is most typically used for a beautifully unique gazebo addition to a home or commercial garden lawn.

Jerkinhead roofs, also known as clipped gables or snub gables, are essentially a gable roof with the two peak ends are clipped off. The advantage of this design is that the clipped ends to reduce potential wind damage to the home, making the roof more stable. See our hipped roof gallery here. Read our full hip and valley roof guide here. This is a great option for buildings with more complex layout than a simple rectangular of square, and is a type of roof that will hold well in rain, snow or windy conditions.

A half hipped roof is almost identical to a simple hip roof design, but instead, the two sides of the roof are shortened, creating eaves at the either side of the house. This type of roof provides more options for extending the loft and installing windows, allowing a greater amount of natural light into the room. The popular simple hip roof is a type of roof where all four sides feature symmetrical gentle slopes towards the walls, with no gables or vertical sides to the roof.

The defining feature of hip roofs is that the roof faces are almost always identical in pitch, making them symmetrical from the center point. A mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel roof, with each side having a double slope of one steep slope and one shallow upper slope. Mansard roofs are a popular option for buildings wishing to maximize the amount of living space in the building, providing the option to use the loft as an additional living space. The mansard roof is identified with steep sides that create a cap effect.

This is a French roof historically and the design has a functional purpose which is to create more usable space in upper floors. Mansard roofs can include window dormers and often do since the space is usable and therefore the dormers provide natural light. The pyramid version of the mansard roof includes a pyramid design on top of the steep sides instead of a flat top. Central guttering runs between the two pitches to stop any snow or rain building up in the winter season.

A parapet roof is a flat roof with the walls of the building extending upwards past the roof by a few feet around the edges. The addition of a parapet makes a flat roof far safer, providing a small barrier that provides additional security to reduce the likelihood of anyone standing the roof falling over the edge.

While not popular, the saltbox roof is great for creating vaulted ceilings in part of a home and a corresponding loft overlooking the vaulted ceiling rooms. It allows for vaulted ceilings or an upper floor for part of the home, depending on the slope and design of the home.

The roof is supported at one end by a wall raised higher than the other, enabling the roof to be pitched at a steeper angle to allow runoff in heavy rain. Download thousands of custom coloring pages and puzzles for your kids. That said, in many cases a home will incorporate one roof style throughout. A-Frame Roof 2. Bonnet 3. Butterfly 4. Clerestory 5. Combination 6. Curved Roof 7. Dome 8. Dormer 9. Page top sketch courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates. One rapid means to tracking down the architectural style of a building is to look at the general building shape, starting with its roof.

Using Field Guide to American Houses see References as a starting point, adding extensively from our own notes and photographs, we list below common roof forms and the architectural styles most likely to be associated with that roof design. French Eclectic style architecture Chateauesque style architecture French Colonial style architecture.

Prarie style Italianate style Pyramid style low slope roof Norway. See the page top sketch of basic roof shapes, courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates. Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator.

Apologies for the delay. To learn more about Colonial style and the window details we recommend for grids, frame material, and colors, click here.

Wrap around porches with decorative railings and columns distinguish this style. Bay and bow windows are almost always implemented. They complement the ornate style of Victorian and Queen Anne homes by dividing the view into different planes and bringing in more light. These homes often use narrow double hung windows in combination with arch windows on top to create the appearance of height. Take this American home classic to the next level with windows and doors that complement its signature style.

American Craftsman style and bungalows are variations of an affordable housing type that swept across America in the early twentieth century. Distinguished with a front porch, squared tapered columns, and an open floor plan, craftsman and bungalow homes are ideally suited for mild climates.

Double Hung windows in combination with casement and awning windows help create the patterns typically associated with Craftsman Bungalow style houses. Window combinations are often seen in groups of two or three.

French patio doors can be a great addition on the front porch or to the back yard. In addition to adding convenience, they help bring more daylight into the home. As the name suggests, Spanish, Mediterranean, and Stucco homes are influenced by the region in its descriptive.

This ranges from older homes with small windows and large doors topped by arch windows, to new-style homes that have larger windows. This style of architecture is often noted by the exterior stucco material, archways and curves, and ceramic terracotta roofs to deflect the hot sun. Casement windows are a popular operating style in these homes. They can be tall and narrow while standing alone, or come in pairs of two.

Tall windows, sometimes arched, are often seen in a walk out bow. Arch windows are common in stucco style homes as they complement the curved lines of the architecture. French Style in-swing or out-swing patio doors are a great fit for this style of home. Add ventilating sidelites for more light and fresh air.

These doors maintain the integrity of the design while ensuring a sturdy, functional performance. To learn more about Stucco, Spanish, and Mediterranean style and the window details we recommend for grids, frame material, and colors, click here.

Originally built to echo the flat prairie landscape, these homes value strong horizontal lines and wide open spaces. Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the American home when he began to design Prairie style houses. Mostly an upper class or upper middle class movement, prairie style homes usually have low-pitched roofs and straight-line, geometric patterning. Prairie Style houses employ the use of a high band of narrow windows above doors or bordering the top of a room. This is called a clerestory which is made from picture windows because they are out of reach.

Another common operating style in Prairie homes are awning windows placed together in rows. This style allows for ventilation while maintaining the accented look of a Prairie Style home. Sliding patio doors are often paired with sidelites which match the low horizontal lines and maintain the open interior spaces of a Prairie Style home.