# Forum Home Renovation The Garden Shed  skillion v's gable

## libby67

G'day,
been researching kit sheds for weeks but all seem to have gable roofs - why? Whats the advantage of gable roof? My ideal design involves skillion roof with celestory window above another skillion roof (awning). i.e. I want lots of light and ventilation. Also I'm on a bit of a slope. As soon as I figure out how to draw on schetchup I'll post a pic. :Rolleyes: 
love your input
libby

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## libby67

didn't take me long afterall
regards
libby

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## Geebung

Libby, 
Skillion vs Gable...here is how I see it... 
Skillion - easer to install, cuts down on the guttering and spouting required...greater surface area to catch water to store in a tank. Option (as per your design) to allow light into the shed via high wall windows (although you could also do that with a dutch gabled roof - but this would be more complex to build). 
Gabled - eaves (although you can also have eaves on a skillion roof) protect the walls from the midday sun making it cooler overall. Gabled rooves tend to be more aesthetically pleasing (but I guess that is in the eye of the beholder). Although, most shed kits (of size) don't seem to have substantial eaves...I guess it cuts down on the material the shed companies use therefore maximising revenue. 
PS I love the design of your shed...looks great.

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## Vernonv

Just thinking aloud here ... gable roof sheds could be cheaper.  
Why? ... because you can use lighter (cheaper) sections to span the same distance as a skillion roof. 
The gable roof sheeting would be almost half as short as skillion roof sheeting (assuming they use continuous sheets) - i.e. transport issues for wider sheds. 
Like I said, just thinking aloud and throwing out some possibilities ... I'm not sure how valid they are :Confused: . 
That is a nice design, by the way.

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## munruben

Yes, that design looks great. Skillion or gable? matter of taste I guess.
Price? I had quotes recently to do a skillion and a gable roof on a patio I had built and the quote for the gable roof was twice that of the skillion roof, don't know why. I went with the skillion roof.

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## Sir Stinkalot

Just my thoughts .... Gable roof would keep the overall height down in most occasions especially when close to boundaries ect. 
I would go with the skillion .... more contemporary  :Smilie:

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## silentC

Aside from the obvious things like length of roof sheets, slightly more complicated manufacture and installation, I reckon a gable roof is stronger than a skillion. The portal frames for a gable require minimal bracing because of the triangular shape at the top. A skillion frame would fold up if you pushed it from the side.

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## Yonnee

As I see it, with your addition on the side, you would have the same length roof sheets for the whole job, just on opposite sides. However, your overall height would be lower, as would the wall sheets on the 'lean-to' side.   

> ...greater surface area to catch water to store in a tank.

  I don't see how, the area of the roof is the same for either... UNLESS... the pitch of the gable is greater than the fall of the skillion, then you'd have a slight increase for the gable.   

> I reckon a gable roof is stronger than a skillion. The portal frames for a gable require minimal bracing because of the triangular shape at the top. A skillion frame would fold up if you pushed it from the side.

  Wouldn't that only be if you had a cross piece to make it a triangle... like a truss. Because without it, it's the same frame with a bend in the roof and only as strong as the bolts holding the joins.

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## silentC

Yeah I suppose so. I guess even with a bottom chord it's only as strong as the joints at the top of the walls. 
Actually there are plenty of skillion roof sheds around, old machinery sheds etc. They're obviously just not as popular as gable roofs.

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## Yonnee

I do suppose though that your span tables would show a smaller span for the rafters on each side of the gable (depending on pitch), where as a skillion rafter would have to span the entire width.  
I do like the design of your skillion, particularly with the 'lean-to' off to the side. 
It doesn't look as good without it...   
I cleaned up the join between the main building and the 'lean-to', makes it look like part of, not an add-on...   
...Oh, and I added another window...

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## Geebung

> I don't see how, the area of the roof is the same for either... UNLESS... the pitch of the gable is greater than the fall of the skillion, then you'd have a slight increase for the gable.

  I agree that the surface area is exactly the same for a gabled and skillion roof with the same angle of pitch...however...my theory here is that because it is a skillion roof you would have all of the run-off water directed to the tank by one gutter and down pipe. If you have a gabled roof you would end up with less surface area beacuse you would most likely be only using one side of the gabled roof for catchment...unless, of course, you had downpipes running across the building walls to the tank - which would certainly detract from the aesthetics of the building.   :Biggrin:

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## silentC

Hmmm, I've got a gable roof shed and I collect water from both sides into the tank. The downpipes from the offside on mine run across the front and rear of the shed just below the roof line. If you were fussy, you could run your downpipes down into the ground and through trenches to your tank. Just like on a house  :Rolleyes:

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## libby67

Hey guys, thanks for all your comments, I started a new job this week and have been too exhausted to reply until now.  I'd like to go ahead with the skilllion plan, thinking about steel for greater span (4.2m??) and steel frame floorfor enclosed section since I'm on a slight slope.  Don't know about costs yet though.  Its still in planning phase and I have a lot of detail to investigate.  
Yonnee - nice job on the pics, did you do it in sketchup and if so how did you get my drawing in as a .skp to modify.  I've only used sketchup for a couple of hours and have lots to learn.

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## Jigsaw

Sorry guys but you are all wrong.
The gable roof is better because you don't need to duck your head when you stand in the middle. If you are five foot 14 inches, height (size) does count.

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## Yonnee

> Sorry guys but you are all wrong.
> The gable roof is better because you don't need to duck your head when you stand in the middle. If you are five foot 14 inches, height (size) does count.

  ...??? Only if you're having your wall height lower than your head height would the skillion be a problem.

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## rileyp

Heres what you are after! http://www.hopleys.com.au/roofing.html
and you can even get prices on the stuff on this site here http://buybuildingsupplies.com.au/st...-c-25_295.html
Hope this helps!

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