Driving or walking around a neighborhood, you’ve probably noticed different roof designs and styles on each home. While the most common roof style in America is the asphalt shingle roof, there are others like stone, clay, metal, and even solar roofs. You may have also noticed different roof designs like hip, flat, a-frame, and gable roofs.
One of the most common roof styles is a double gable roof, one that small children often draw when they think of a house. A gable roof has two sloping sides that come together and form a ridge. The design of a gable roof creates end walls and extensions shaped like a triangle called dormers.
Dormers are an attractive feature of any home, but what are they and do they offer any benefits? Keep reading to learn all about dormers as we explain their function and how they work with a gutter system.
What Is a Dormer?
So, what is a dormer? As previously mentioned, a dormer is a triangular extension of a gable roof where two sides of a slope meet in the middle. These attractive extensions of a home’s roof come in many different styles: shed, gable, hipped, eyebrow, and segmental. Gable is the most common among homes in America.
While they attract potential homebuyers and are a beautiful addition to any home, dormers offer several benefits.
Benefits of Dormers
They Catch the Eye of Potential Homebuyers
When starting the home-buying process, potential homebuyers most often begin with an online search on a realtor’s website. Once they narrow their search for the ideal square footage for their family, they’ll most often flag homes they’re interested in based on appearance. The exterior of a home is the first thing potential homebuyers see, whether in an online listing or driving by a home with a for sale sign.
Potential homebuyers will note the appearance and style of the roof, including the condition of the roof shingles, and will also pay attention to the slope and design of the roof. Living in Hampton Roads and Richmond means we experience all four seasons, including heavy rainfall, snow and ice, and meltwater when everything starts to melt. Homeowners need a roof that is sloped to drain excess water, and a roof with dormers is even more appealing than one without. The windows used in dormers are also beautiful and timeless, another thing that can attract homebuyers.
They Offer More Ventilation
Most homes have attics located between a roof and the inside of a home. Most often an attic houses an HVAC system and insulation to offer protection against extreme temperatures. Attics are notorious for being muggy and moist, often with sweltering temperatures in the summer, mostly due to poor ventilation. Attics with poor ventilation can create a warmer, moist environment in your home in the summer months and can increase your energy bills since HVAC systems have to work in overdrive to cool the home down. Poor attic ventilation can also lead to roof damage and can shorten its lifespan.
A roof with dormers can improve ventilation by allowing cool air from the outside to flow into the attic, thus, reducing moisture and humidity levels in the attic and the inside of the home. An attic with constant airflow will provide a more comfortable indoor temperature and will better preserve keepsakes and treasures stored in the attic.
They Can Drain More Water From the Roof
A roof that doesn’t drain water into the gutter system will stay wetter longer, resulting in damage to the roofing materials and shingles, leaks, roof algae, and even damage to the gutter system. Dormers can drain more water from the roof, resulting in a drier roof that’s better protected from excess moisture. Because they have ridges that form a triangle that extends from a home’s roof, dormers will drain more water than a flatter roof without a dormer.
They Pair Well with Most Gutter Systems
Another advantage of dormers is that they pair well with most gutter systems. Nearly all gutter systems will work to drain excess water from a roof that has dormers, so you’re in luck if you’re in the market for a new gutter system and have a gable roof with dormers! There are, however, unique roof and dormer designs that would be impossible to gutter. For a definite answer, contact us for free advice or an estimate.
Whether you’re considering installing open-top gutters or half-round gutters, gutter covers, or a K-Guard Leaf-Free Gutter Guard system, the installation process should be relatively smooth. As long as you hire a gutter installation company like Carefree Gutter Guard that is experienced with installing gutters on dormers and the complicated design of a gable roof, your dormers will look great with a new gutter system!
Our gutter system is customizable to your home, making it the perfect option for gable dormers. We ensure that your gutters will match your home and the complicated design of your gable roof perfectly, complementing the beauty of your roof and your home’s design.
Whether you have gable dormers on your home or if you’re a homebuyer searching for the perfect home, gable dormers offer many benefits. From catching homebuyers’ eyes, aiding in ventilation, draining more water and snow, and pairing well with most gutter systems, there are many reasons to choose a home with gable dormers.
Our gutter product allows more water to flow freely throughout the gutter system compared to other gutter systems. Living in Hampton Roads and the Greater Richmond area means we experience all four seasons, including torrential downpours in the spring and snow and ice storms in the winter. Homeowners in Hampton Roads and Richmond need an extremely durable gutter system like K-Guard that can protect their homes from drainage issues year-round no matter the roof style or design.
There are many gutter options available, though only one is durable and efficient enough to last for the life of the home. Make the switch to a K-Guard Leaf-Free Gutter Guard system to better protect your home from drainage issues – contact Carefree Gutter Guard today for a free estimate!