Gambrel Roof Home Designs
A gambrel roof is a double slopped roof that is fairly common in and associated with barns. The space saving quality makes gambrel roof home floor plans noted for space economy.
A gambrel roof refers to a roof that actually has two separate slopping areas on it. The top slope is not quite as steep as the second one. The gambrel roof is very common in the design of the classic American hay barn. The major advantage of the roof design is to allow more space in the upper levels of the structure. In the barn, this space is used for a loft to store hay or other supplies. Gambrel roof home floor plans take advantage of this extra "under the roof" space for bedrooms or lofts, also.
Click Here To Get Immediate Answers From Home Improvement Experts.
One of the most common, non-barn, uses of the gambrel roof design is in garages and storage sheds. The gambrel roof in a larger garage allows for a loft area or even a second level above the garage floor. This loft area can be converted into a guest area, and it is common to convert it into a small apartment, usually with a separate entrance that can be accessed from the outside. Other ideas for utilization of the loft space include workshops, storage areas, or even gaming rooms.
Although there is no reason that a gambrel roof can not be used on a larger structure, after all look at the size of hay barns, they seem to be more common on smaller homes with limited space. One reason for this is that the space saving qualities of the gambrel roof on the second level of the home allows for a small bedroom in situations where space is more of a premium. A large home with excessive floor space could still utilize the gambrel roof design to produce extra space, but the need to do this is usually not as pressing.
Click Here To Get Immediate Answers From Home Improvement Experts.
The gambrel roof is actually well suited from an exterior design sense to country homes and vacation style cabins. It is hard to escape the image of the large country barn when seeing one and also the style seems to invoke a European look that adds to the rustic feel. Basic gambrel roof home floor plans do not have to be concerned as much with the lower levels. It is working and properly utilizing the additional space created by the less steeply slopped first roof segment that creates a design problem. The biggest area of concern is usually the placement of the access stairway leading to the upper level. Since the upper level tends to have a much smaller width than the lower level, this problem must be addressed in the floor plan.
A gambrel roof design makes us think of storage and utility. It is closely associated in most people's minds with garages and hay barns, but this does not create in most a negative reaction to seeing the design in a mainstream home floor plan. Rather, the familiar and practical look of the design tends to have much appeal especially in the country home, and the sense of additional space is not an illusion. The roof design does create some interesting space utilization possibilities.