Mansard Roof Description

A mansard roof has two slopes on each of the four sides.

Mansard roof description.

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. The upper slope has a low pitch and is not easily seen from the ground. A mansard roof has no gables. They do however have a slight pitch one that enables water run off and drainage.

Mansard roofs epitomize french architectural design. 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. The second empire style eisenhower executive office building in washington dc has a high mansard roof. Mansard roofs are for the most part based on standing seam or batten seam construction.

The lower slope is so steep that it can look like a vertical wall with dormers. The mansard roof is a hipped gambrel roof thus having two slopes on every side. The lower slope is steep enough to sometimes appear vertical. The lower ends of the pans are typically hooked over an edge strip to form a drip.

What distinguishes a second empire style house from an italianate is its high mansard roof. Flat roof shapes as the name suggests look completely flat to the naked eye. If you are not familiar with a gambrel roof then let us first explain its architecture in brief. When napoleon iii ruled france 1852 to 1870 paris became a city of grand boulevards and monumental buildings.

The lower slope is much steeper than the upper. Although flat roofs are mostly used for commercial. You can consider gambrel roof to be a modified version of a gable roof. In basic terms a mansard roof has 4 sides with each side bearing two slopes.

Mansard roofs come in a variety of shapes the most common being straight angle convex and concave silhouettes. 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. Both of the aforementioned roof types can provide extra attic space or other room without building an entire additional floor. 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.

The shorter upper slopes not visible from the ground give the appearance of a flat roof. The steep lower portion often features dormer windows. The ends may alternately attach to the base flashing where a change in roof slope occurs. Mansard roofs can help create a great deal of extra living space.

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.