Victorian Roof Terminology

Usages vary slightly from region to region or from one builder or architect to another.

Victorian roof terminology.

Glossary of architectural terms. The italianate style has its origins in the picturesque movement of the uk an idea built around creating buildings fully in sync with their natural surrounds. The highest pointed part of a gable. Roof terminology is also not rigidly defined.

A small but prominent portion of a building that juts out from a main building either above its roof line or to the side and which is identified by a unique usually diminutive height and individual roof type. Complex roof lines became the rage as architects worked to create designs that would pull the eye to the top of the house. The main factors which influence the shape of roofs are the climate and the materials available for roof structure and the outer covering. Today mansard style roofs are occasionally used in one and two story apartment buildings restaurants and neo eclectic houses.

A raised panel below a window or opening. The lowest part of the entablature the term is also commonly used to describe a moulded surround to a door or window opening. A series or row of arches. New siding materials and ornate trim pieces gave way to fancier home designs.

Carved brackets at the eaves were common. For this reason older buildings were often remodeled with mansard roofs. Roof shapes became steeper in victorian homes.