Enjoying the beauty, style and history of a fine gable roof

There are of course many different kinds of roofs, and many different kinds of roofing needs, but even after all these centuries the classic gable roof has remained one of the most enduring, and one of the most popular, with all kinds of homeowners.

While without a doubt the most famous example of a famous gable roof is the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, there are a great many less famous but just as beautiful examples of these fine roofs located in all corners of the country, and they continue to garner favor with home builders, developers, historians and average homeowners as well.

In its simplest terms, a gable is the triangular part of the wall located between the lines of the sloping roof. The exact shape the gable takes, and how it is detailed, will depend upon the type of structural system that is being used. The structural system used is often dictated by factors such as climate and the local availability of materials, meaning that the look of gable roofs can vary quite a bit between different parts of the country.

The classic gable roof has been around for quite some time, and it even has a comparable style in classic Roman and Greek architecture. In Roman and Greek architecture, the feature we know as the gable was known as the tympanum.

Many of these ancient tympanums still bear expensive and intricate carvings, and they were often used to highlight and decorate the best houses and palaces of the era.

In the world of construction today, the gable ends of more modern buildings often are treated in the same manner as this more classic form. The difference, however is that the gable ends of these modern buildings are actually designed to be weight bearing structures, and to be part of the weight bearing wall. Gable roofs continue to be among the most popular, versatile and durable of roofs, and they are the perfect choice for many homeowners.

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