Gable Windows
Shaped aluminum-clad wood windows built to your rough opening, not pulled from a stock list.
What Is a Gable Window?
A gable window sits in the gable end, the flat wall under the two pitched roof planes. Not a dormer. A dormer projects out of the roof slope; a gable window sits in the wall itself, filling the triangle or the space just below the peak. Attics, vaulted and cathedral ceilings, A-frame homes, upper floors where the roofline leaves an awkward shape to fill. That's where you see them.
Most gable windows are fixed. That's usually the right call. A fixed unit gives the cleanest sightline and the best thermal performance because there's no sash to seal around. But operable versions exist, and they matter in a hot attic or a stairwell that needs air movement. Awning and casement sashes set into a shaped frame are the common answer. High placement means you have to plan hardware reach and cleaning access before you order, not after.
Shape drives everything else. Triangular gable windows follow the roof pitch and fill the peak. Trapezoid and angled units suit asymmetric or truncated gables. Arched and round-top windows work where the gable end curves. Shallow gables often take a rectangular or square window, or a grouping of two or three. For a North American project, ask any supplier which performance documentation they can provide, including how the assembly was evaluated under uniform static air pressure difference per ASTM E330/E330M.
Built for the Shape You Actually Have
Every gable window is made to your opening, so the details below are the ones that decide whether it fits and lasts.
Made to Your Opening
You send the rough opening, the roof pitch or angle, and a template for curved shapes. We build to that. Full customization and drawing-based customization are available, and the minimum order is 2 square meters.
Fixed or Operable
Fixed units give you the cleanest sightline. Where you need ventilation, awning and casement sashes set into a shaped frame use the same hardware system as our other operable windows, including multi-point locking.
Aluminum-Clad Wood
Solid wood interior, aluminum exterior cladding in 6063-T5 profile. The wood gives you the interior finish; the aluminum takes the weather. Wood species and aluminum finish colors are selectable.
Glass and Grille Options
Double or triple Low-E insulating glass, with an optional built-in grille or lattice. The glazing system is the same one we use across our aluminum-clad wood windows, so the glass notch and sealing details stay consistent.
Gable Window Specifications
The values below describe the aluminum-clad wood platform these windows are built on.
| Profile | 6063-T5 aluminum clad wood |
|---|---|
| Casement profile thickness | about 2.0 mm |
| Sliding profile thickness | about 1.5 mm |
| Glass notch | 33 mm |
| Glazing | double or triple Low-E insulating glass |
| Wood species | Burmese teak, black walnut, cherry, red rosewood; American oak standard on single-hung |
| Hardware | ROTO, SIEGENIA, CMECH; Caldwell handles on single-hung |
| Surface finishes | powder coating, anodizing, wood-grain finishes |
| Insect screen | available |
Options depend on the specific configuration, and the exact build is confirmed at quote stage.
Related Window Types
Gable windows share a platform with the rest of our aluminum-clad wood line, so the choice usually comes down to opening type.
Wood Clad Windows
The full aluminum-clad wood range, including casement, single-hung, sliding and awning.
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Aluminum Clad Wood Casement Windows
Cranked outward-opening sashes, often set into shaped gable frames for ventilation.
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Aluminum Clad Wood Single Hung Windows
Vertical sliding sashes with a tilt-in top sash for cleaning from inside.
View details
Aluminum Clad Wood Sliding Windows
Horizontal sliding sashes for wide, low openings where a swing sash won't work.
View detailsHow a Shaped Gable Window Gets Built
A triangular or arched gable window is not a rectangle with the corners cut off. The frame gets fabricated to the angle or radius, then glazed and sealed along the rake. Too wide for one sash? We use a mullion assembly to split it into sections, which lets you combine fixed and operable units in one opening. So for a big gable end the practical answer is fixed glass in the peak and an operable sash lower down where you can actually reach it.
Sealing at the rake is where cheap gable windows fail. Water runs down the roof plane and hits the frame edge, so the flashing detail and the seal along the angled head matter more than the frame color. Ordering from overseas? Ask for the fabrication drawings before production starts, and check that the mullion positions match your structural plan. A buyer who sends a template for a curved shape gets a much faster turnaround than one who sends a photo and a guess.
On the documentation side, ask any supplier what structural test method was used. The standard test method for structural performance of exterior windows, doors, skylights and curtain walls by uniform static air pressure difference is ASTM E330-02, and most North American specifiers expect to see it referenced. For repeated wind loading, including hurricane exposure, the cyclic method is ASTM E1233/E1233M. Air leakage is a separate test, covered by ASTM E283/E283M. A supplier who can't name these methods is a supplier who hasn't tested.
Questions buyers ask
What is a gable window?
It's a window set into the gable end. That's the flat wall under the two pitched roof planes. The shape can be triangular, trapezoid, arched or rectangular. Depends on the roofline. Most are fixed. Operable versions exist for ventilation. You'll find them in attics, vaulted ceilings, A-frame homes and upper floors.
What is the difference between a dormer and a gable window?
A dormer projects out of the roof slope and creates its own small roof. A gable window sits in the existing gable wall, flush with the wall plane. Dormers add floor space and headroom. Gable windows just fill the shape the roof already left you. Different framing, different flashing, different cost.
What are gable windows called?
Gable end windows, gable windows, or shaped windows when the frame follows a pitch or radius. Triangular units are sometimes called peak windows. Arched ones get called round-top or radius windows. If you're ordering, the name matters less than the drawing, so send the opening dimensions and the angle.
What are the three types of windows?
By operation, the three broad groups are fixed, sliding and swinging. Fixed windows don't open. Sliding windows move horizontally or vertically in a track. Swinging windows hinge on a side, top or bottom, which covers casement, awning and hopper. Gable windows can be any of the three, depending on the frame shape.
Send Us Your Gable Opening
Send the rough opening, roof pitch and a template for curved shapes. You'll get a quote within 3 hours.