Mansard Roof Description

If you are not familiar with a gambrel roof then let us first explain its architecture in brief.

Mansard roof description. Simply put the mansard roof also known as the french roof or curb roof is a hybrid between a gambrel roof and a hip roof. This roof type a combination of hip and gambrel roofs consists of a double sloping roof. The second empire style eisenhower executive office building in washington dc has a high mansard roof. A mansard roof has two slopes on each of the four sides.

In basic terms a mansard roof has 4 sides with each side bearing two slopes. Mansard roofs epitomize french architectural design. A mansard roof has no gables. A mansard roof also known as a french roof is a four sided roof with a double slope on each side that meet forming a low pitched roof.

A century later the french architect françois mansart 1598 1666 used double sloped roofs so extensively that they were coined mansard a derivation of mansart s name. What distinguishes a second empire style house from an italianate is its high mansard roof. The ends may alternately attach to the base flashing where a change in roof slope occurs. The lower slope is steep enough to sometimes appear vertical.

A mansard or mansard roof also called a french roof or curb roof is a four sided gambrel style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope punctured by dormer windows at a steeper angle than the upper. The mansard roof is a hipped gambrel roof thus having two slopes on every side. Mansard roofs are for the most part based on standing seam or batten seam construction. The upper slope has a low pitch and is not easily seen from the ground.

Both of the aforementioned roof types can provide extra attic space or other room without building an entire additional floor. It was widely used in renaissance and baroque french architecture. The steep roof with windows creates an additional floor of habitable space a garret and reduces the overall height of the roof for a given number of habitable stories. When napoleon iii ruled france 1852 to 1870 paris became a city of grand boulevards and monumental buildings.

You can consider gambrel roof to be a modified version of a gable roof. The steep lower portion often features dormer windows. The sides can either be flat or curved depending on the style. The lower slope is so steep that it can look like a vertical wall with dormers.

The lower slope is much steeper than the upper. Mansard roofs can help create a great deal of extra living space. The lower ends of the pans are typically hooked over an edge strip to form a drip. The shorter upper slopes not visible from the ground give the appearance of a flat roof.

Mansard roofs come in a variety of shapes the most common being straight angle convex and concave silhouettes.