If you’re trying to decide if wood gable brackets are the right choice for your home, you’re not alone. The choice of material for your home’s exterior features is crucial. Here’s why.

Your home’s exterior needs to be a couple of things. For one, it needs to look nice for curb appeal. Secondly, it needs to be durable because it must stand up to weather conditions, insects and other elements. Finally, it needs to be low maintenance because no homeowner wants to spend tons of time maintaining their home’s exterior every few years.

So, when it comes to choosing the material for your home’s gable brackets, you want to make sure you select the right materials that are resilient and resistant to outside elements. While a wooden gable pediment might be a popular choice, it may not be the best low maintenance option for you. Today, we’re looking at what a gable is, the material options and the best material choice for a decorative gable bracket.

What is a Gable?

A gable is the triangular section of a home’s exterior wall located at the end of a pitched or slanted roof between the intersecting pitches. It typically extends from the roof’s eaves to the ridge.

When people are talking about a “wooden gable,” they aren’t usually talking about the wall or roof itself, but they’re actually talking about a decorative piece of the roof’s gable known as the gable bracket.

What is a Gable Bracket?

A gable bracket hangs at the peak of a gabled roof and serves an aesthetic function. They’re sometimes referred to as gable accents, gable decorations or gable pediments. No matter what you call them, gable brackets help increase home value, boost curb appeal and tie your home’s look together.

As with any other exterior home feature, the material you choose for a gable bracket is essential. Many people assume a wooden gable bracket is the best choice — but that’s not always the case.

Popular Gable Material Options

Gable brackets can be built from several types of materials. However, the two most popular options are wood gables and PVC gables — let’s look at both options, and weigh their pros and cons.

Wood Gable Brackets

A wooden gable bracket is created from several different wood species, with cedar being the most popular choice. Wood is a beautiful and traditional option that offers unmistakable beauty and charm. In addition, installation is relatively easy, too. However, there are some notable downsides to this classic material.

Wood is susceptible to natural wear and prone to water damage like warping, cracking and cupping. In addition, wood is vulnerable to insect damage and fires. In terms of cost, wood can be rather expensive both in upfront and maintenance costs, as it requires timely care over the years in order to maintain its look.

PVC Gable Brackets

PVC gable brackets are fabricated from plastic polymer Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). PVC is incredibly durable, insect-resistant and waterproof, making PVC gable brackets an ideal long-term choice. Most importantly, PVC gable brackets don’t require ongoing maintenance or painting and thanks to its UV-resistance, they won’t discolor over time.

PVC gable brackets are also cost effective, so you can understand why most homeowners and contractors prefer PVC, thanks to its many advantages.

Are Wood Gable Brackets the Best Option?

Now that you’ve looked at both options, it’s easier to answer the initial question: Are wood gable brackets the best choice for your home? Well, it depends.

If you’re like most homeowners, when it comes to choosing a material for your gable and gable brackets, you want something that’s going to be low-maintenance, durable, cost-effective and attractive.

As a result, a wooden gable bracket might not be the best option for you. PVC Gable Brackets are an appealing alternative to wood that makes having gable brackets a low-maintenance choice.

Go With the Best Gable Bracket Material Option for Your Home with PVC Millwork

If you want the best decorative gable brackets on the market, look no further than PVC Millwork. We’re experts at fabricating top quality, durable decorative gable pediments.

We offer prefabricated and custom designs so that you’re sure to find an option that fits your unique needs and goals. All our decorative gable products are created from the best-quality PVC available, which gives you a number of excellent benefits, including:

• Increased durability
• Insect resistance
• Low-maintenance
• Flame retardance
• Affordable visual impact
• UV- and moisture resistance
• Unlimited customization
• No required painting or staining

Skip the wooden gable brackets if you want the best. Instead, go with PVC and be sure to choose a top-quality manufacturer you can trust, like our team at PVC Millwork.

If you want to start shopping for the perfect gable brackets for your home, check out our stock selections here. And remember, if you can't find exactly what you're looking for there, we do tons of custom work. If you see a design elsewhere on the web or if you have a picture or sketch of something you have in mind we can very likely make it for! If you have any questions, please contact us. We look forward to working with you!