Are you thinking about adding decorative gable brackets to your roof? Deciding which style can be a challenge, especially with multiple options being available on the market. You want to ensure that you're getting the best gable brackets for your home — but how?
In this article, we'll discuss everything you need to know about choosing the best gable brackets for your roof.
What Are Exterior Gable Brackets?
Gable brackets are the decorative pieces of millwork that hang in the peak (gable) of a roof. A gable is the triangular shape formed by your roof pitch. Nearly all roofs have a pitch — some shallow, like a 4/12, and some steeper like a 12/12.
Gable brackets are sometimes called gable decorations, gable pediments, gable accents or gable trim. These focal features are a decorative element that adds visual intrigue to your home's exterior. They boost curb appeal, increase home value and help bring your home's look together.
Material Choices for Decorative Gable Brackets
There are a few different material choices for decorative gable brackets, but wood and PVC are the most common. Let's look at the pros and cons of both options.
Wooden Gable Brackets
Wooden gable brackets are fabricated from various species of wood, often cedar. Wood is the most traditional material for gable trim, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best. While wood gable trim has an unmistakable natural beauty, it also has notable downsides.
For one, wood is porous and highly susceptible to water damage like cracking, warping and cupping. It's also prone to insect damage. Additionally, wood can be cost-prohibitive and requires ongoing maintenance to maintain its charm.
PVC Gable Brackets
PVC gable brackets are made from a synthetic plastic polymer called Polyvinyl Chloride, which makes them incredibly durable, water-proof and insect-resistant. Additionally, PVC gable brackets don't require ongoing maintenance such as painting or staining.
Rather, white PVC gable brackets are fabricated from high-quality, UV-resistant materials that won’t discolor. Due to PVC’s enduring qualities, they are made to last a lifetime. You can easily install them on your home, and they will continue to look great for years to come.
Most homeowners and contractors prefer PVC, thanks to its many advantages. It's an appealing alternative to wood that makes having gable brackets a low-maintenance choice.
3 Different Styles of Gable Brackets & Decorations
After you've chosen the right material, now comes the fun part — choosing a style. There are several types of gable brackets to choose from. In fact, you can even create custom millwork fabrications to ensure you get exactly the design you’re looking for.
Here are three of the most prevalent styles of exterior gable brackets and gable decorations.
1. Craftsman-Style Gable Brackets
The Craftsman style emphasizes modern simplicity above all else. Most Craftsman-style homes feature prominent decorative gable beams, entrance pediments and deep porches. Craftsman-style brackets complement this aesthetic with understated designs, simple line work, geometric shapes and wider pieces.
2. Gingerbread-Style Gable Brackets
Gingerbread-style gable brackets are a stark contrast to craftsman brackets. The gingerbread-style is whimsical, intricate and full of swirls, curves and scrollwork. Gingerbread-style brackets are meant to make an impact and pull in focus, making them an excellent option for older homes or homes that sit in neighborhoods built in a prior era
3. Victorian-Style Gable Brackets
Victorian-style gable brackets are elaborate and ornate, featuring curved accents and scrollwork. While they are less intricate than gingerbread-style brackets, Victorian-style brackets add a dramatic touch to a home’s exterior design.
3 Tips to Choose the Best Gable Brackets for Your Roof
How do you know which style is right for your home? How can you ensure that you choose the best gable brackets for your roof? Here are three tips to get you started:
1. Complement Your Home’s Aesthetic
It's better to work with your home's design rather than against it. Start by choosing brackets that match or complement your home's existing aesthetic.
For example, if you own a craftsman-style home, it’s recommended to go with one of the many craftsman gable bracket designs that are trending right now. If you have a Victorian-style home, stay with Victorian gable brackets to best complement existing architectural features.
If you have a cottage-style home, choosing gingerbread gable brackets will add a complementary, decorative focal point. Staying with the same theme throughout makes the selection process not only simpler, but it maintains the integrity of the home’s architectural style. The end result will be a home that looks both aesthetically pleasing and adds to the overall value.
2. Get the Sizes Right
The goal with gable trim is to enhance your home's exterior — not take away from it. With this in mind, you want to make sure you choose the right size gable brackets so your home appears balanced.
If there is one question we hear most, it is “how large should my gable bracket be?”
And, while there is no definitive right or wrong answer, we’ve found that filling 35-50% of the overall space available is most common and usually looks great. For example, if you measure from the very peak of your gable down one side to where the gable ends and you come up with 100”, you would want the gable bracket that you select to come down somewhere in the range of 35”-50”.
Additionally, if you have multiple gables, you may require multiple sizes. You want to give careful consideration to how all the gable brackets will work together to create a final, balanced look.
Gable brackets need to be sized proportionately. For example, a second-story gable bracket will sometimes need to be slightly larger than your first story bracket. This is because when you view the brackets from the street, they should look like they're the same size.
The great news is that we can easily scale and customize any of our gable bracket styles to fit the various size gables which your home may have.
3. Determine Your Roof Pitch
Determining your roof's pitch is a crucial first step in helping guide your size and style choices. And, contrary to what most think, it’s extremely easy to determine. This detailed guide will show you how to calculate your roof's pitch.
Get Beautiful Decorative Gable Brackets for Your Roof
If you're ready to find the perfect PVC gable brackets for your home, an expert fabricator can help you get started with your project. Here at PVC Millwork, we specialize in creating lifetime, decorative gable trims tailor-fit to complement any home.
Get started by checking out our collections with over 40 design styles available. If you can’t find that perfect one, the good news is that we do tons of custom work as well. If you have an inspirational photo found somewhere outside our site, we’d love to take a look.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or if you want more information regarding our custom fabrication.
