Gable Window Vs. Dormer Window

By Stefan Gheorghe, June 25, 2023

What’s The Difference?

A gable window sits at the end of a pitched roof on the side of the house. They have a flat surface and allow natural light to flow through the room. Gable windows aren’t placed on sloping roofs nor are they protruding from the house.

Gable windows don’t protrude from the house so they don’t offer any additional floor space. But dormer windows do add at least a few square foot, sometimes enough space to add a bed or window seat.

A dormer window has three sides and sits away from the house. The window is set on a vertical sloping roof. Uniquely shaped and distinct, a dormer has a separate roof

Dormer windows can add symmetry, but not in the same way that gable windows do. With gable windows, the slope of the windows matches the slope of the roof. This makes for a truly aesthetically pleasing combo.

A gabled dormer is a standard dormer with a gabled roof. There are two roof panels and three wall panels. They are called gabled dormers because they are in fact, gabled.

A shed dormer is the type of dormer you’d normally see on sheds. They look like flat dormers only the roof is slightly sloped.

Both dormers and gable windows offer natural light, as all windows do. Dormers offer light from the sides of the house while gable windows offer light coming from the end of the house. If you have both, you can have light all day long.

Pyramidal dormers are very unique. They are like a hipped roof dormer but they have a polygonal shape that looks like a pyramid on top.

Eyebrow dormers are narrow dormers that curve down and look like eyes peeking out from beneath the roof.

Should I Get Gable Windows Or Dormer Windows?

TAP  TO FIND OUT