Quaker Barns are Not Just for the Horses

When people set out to buy a shed for storage or other uses, they often don't realize the many designs that are available. Quaker barns are an unusual style of roof line that adds more space as well as an attractive quality to a simple shed structure. The design has a long and venerable history, though it is new for metal shed roofs, and can be adapted to larger metal or wooden buildings, as well.

A roof line with this pitch is known as a gambrel roof: instead of having one slope leading up to the ridge, it has two symmetrical slopes on each side, which gives the outside area of the roof a more vertical slope and opens it up to create more room inside. Gambrel comes from an old word for a horse's back leg and a roof with this name has a profile that somewhat resembles this part of equine anatomy.

The Quakers are a devout religious community with large populations in the Massachusetts area of the U.S. as well as other parts of the country and the world. The "Quaker" type of roof line has been commonly used by them in the construction of barns since the 1700s and for this reason, the roof has come to be known as a Quaker barn style or sometimes a Dutch gambrel roof, since Quakers have a history in Holland, as well.

The particular roof style can be used for more than a barn: it can be applied to a small metal shed to create more headroom and make it more attractive and can also be used in the construction of a house or other building. Of course, Quaker roof styles can still be used in the construction of a real barn and can be built with wooden framing members or as part of a pre-engineered metal shed building.

Quaker barns are a traditional style of American architecture that can be used in many kinds of buildings and be beneficial and appealing to various people.