What is a mansard slate roof?
A mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel style hip roof. Some include elaborate dormer windows for added interior light. The mansard roof is a curb hip roof with slopes on all sides of the building. A mansard needs two rafters for its different slopes. These slopes may be convex, straight, concave or both S-shaped.
The name mansard comes from Francois Mansart (1598-1666), the man who popularized this style of roof. The earliest mansard roofs example dates back to 1550 on the Louvre Museum in France. In the early 17th century, Parisians were taxed by the number of floors below the roof line and the tax money collected went to support French Royalty. By designing buildings with a mansard roof it provided attic living space and reduced the taxes. The architectural French movement (Second French Empire) from 1852-1870 soon spread throughout the world. In Canada and the United States, mansard roofs have been popular on city halls, hotels, railway stations, universities and mansions.
Five advantages of a mansard slate roof
- Maximizes interior attic space
- Use of dormer windows allows more natural light inside. Dormer windows may be gabled, round, pointed or rectangular.
- The design allows for future expansion.
- Aesthetically the design is classic and elegant, architects can use multi-colored slate roof tiles to create a unique pattern.
- Steep sloped mansard roofs shed water quickly so the slate will last longer.
Mansard roofs can be found on Second Empire, Beaux Arts Classical and Richardson Romanesque architectural styles and in most cases the roofing material is traditionally slate tiles with the field slate in black with a colored slate pattern.
Sheena Owen
Sheena Owen began working for North Country Slate on October 12, 1999. As the Sales Coordinator, Sheena’s day to day duties include providing customer service, new business development, inside sales, handling all cross-border customs issues/documentation, arranging shipments, health and safety representation and social media marketing.
Sheena graduated from the University of Guelph in 1992 with a BA in English and Drama and in 1995 graduated with a Diploma in Radio and Television Broadcasting from Centennial College. Sheena’s first job was the Producer’s Assistant for TV shows including Robocop, F/X The Series and Nikita. She went on to becoming an Assistant Manager at Eddie Bauer. In her spare time, Sheena enjoys traveling, gardening, volunteering at her local soccer club and cheering on her kids at their sporting events.
