Graphical Construction Glossary >> Roofs and roofing. >> Mansard roof

Mansard roof

A roof that has two slopes to each side, the lower slope being much steeper. To better accommodate rooms inside the roof. A mansard has the slopes on each side, it could be related to a hip roof in this respect.

Gambrel roof.

The gambrel has two slopes to each long side, the lower slope being much steeper. To better accommodate rooms inside the roof. A gambrel has gable walls on the shorter side.

Curb.

Curb is a name for the joint between the roof faces in gambrel and mansard roofs.

Curb roof

It can be a name for any of the above roofs and it can indeed be a roof with more than two roof faces to each section.

Ashlar Piece

Inside roof spaces, lofts and garrets, the short vertical pieces fixed between the floor and the rafters to form short walls. (Not to be confused with ashlar masonry).

Ashlaring

The wall frames made by ashlar pieces.

The basic mansard shape. In practice the lower slope is treated like a wall with dormer windows.

• All of these roofs are built to provide rooms inside the roof.
• These roofs in their original forms cut out the need for expensive masonry walls to the top floor.
• They also managed to fit in that extra floor but with a reduced total height in places where height restrictions were applied.
• These reasons are still valid to a certain extent today in some parts of the world.

A section through a mansard.

Gambrel roof, Again just the basic shape without the windows

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Adam Smith 1723-1790

"When we build, let us think that we build for ever."John Ruskin 1819-1900