Our aluminium gable frames can be finished in the same colour as the rest of your glazing for a unified look. In many cases, clients choose the same colour for the gable as their bifold doors or windows below – often a popular colour like Anthracite Grey or black, which tends to visually frame the glazed apex nicely against brick or render. However, you have full freedom: you might do white to blend with white fascias, or a bold colour to create a feature. Given the gable’s prominence, picking a colour that complements your roof and facade is key – we’re happy to show samples or discuss. As with all our aluminium products, the frame is powder-coated with a durable finish. If your gable is very high and in direct sun, rest assured the finish is UV-stable and won’t fade significantly (any minimal fade over decades will be uniform and hardly noticeable). For something different, you could even consider dual-colour if, say, you have a wooden interior aesthetic – perhaps an oak finish inside (achieved via a sublimation process or decograin foil) and a traditional colour outside. We can accommodate special finish requests (like the Sensations range textured colours, or anodised aluminum for a metallic look). Essentially, whatever colour scheme your project has, we can match the gable frame to it. And if you’re unsure, our default suggestion is often to match the windows/doors or go for a neutral dark grey which suits most environments and also doesn’t show dirt easily (useful since access for cleaning the outside of a gable frame is not as easy as ground-level windows).

For gable frames, the glass selection is very important due to the large area and angle. We always use safety glass – typically toughened glass for the entirety of the gable for strength and thermal shock resistance. If the glass runs down to floor level or is above an accessible area, building regs might require laminated inner panes – we will incorporate that if needed. We often recommend solar control glass for large gables, especially those facing south or west, because they can let in a lot of sun. A neutral solar control coating can cut a significant portion of solar heat gain without changing the look much (unlike old reflective tints, modern neutral coatings are nearly invisible). Also, given cleaning difficulty, we suggest self-cleaning (photo-catalytic) coating on the external face – this helps break down organic dirt and allows rain to wash it off. It’s not magic, but it definitely keeps the glass clearer for longer, which is a boon on high frames. Thermal insulation is taken care of by using low-E glass in double-glazed units; even in a triangular shape, we can usually do double glazing throughout (sometimes small apex pieces might be single glazed if extremely acute angle – but we try to avoid that by smart design, or if needed, we’ll use insulated panel at the very apex and you’d hardly notice). The gable units can be quite large – we ensure glass thickness is appropriate (might use 6mm or 8mm thick glass for bigger spans, with the necessary strengthening). If the aesthetic calls for it, we can integrate glazing bars to match say Georgian layouts – these are often applied on the glass surface for appearance, with internal duplex bars for realism. We can also incorporate a motif or etching if desired (some clients like a sunburst pattern in the apex, for example). Clarity vs privacy: most gable glass is clear since it’s up high and aimed at the sky, but if by chance one side faces a neighbor and privacy is an issue, we could use a frosted glass – though that’s rare as it defeats the view purpose. All in all, we’ll specify glass that is safe, efficient, and suited to the placement of your gable frame so you get the maximum benefit with minimal concerns.

For more information on our gable frames and examples of configurations, you might refer to our Bespoke Frames Brochure or any case studies we have available. We can provide section drawings or examples of past gable designs upon request, which might be helpful for architects or planning permissions. While there isn’t a specific “Smart product brochure” for gable windows (since they are custom using other systems), our team can share technical details (like profile cut sections for a typical gable assembly, sightline diagrams, etc.). If you’re a trade or professional, just ask us for the gable frame technical info, and we can send over relevant PDF sketches or load tables that show what spans are possible. Additionally, you could download our Glass Specification Guide, which covers the types of glazing and coatings we use – relevant because choosing the right glass for such a feature window is key. For homeowners, our website’s gallery often has images of completed gable frames; we encourage you to look for inspiration there or in our brochure materials. And as always, feel free to contact us for any specific data you need – we likely have handled a scenario similar to yours before and can quickly provide insight or documentation to assist. All relevant downloadable content can be found in our resources section or sent by our team on request, ensuring you have all the info to plan and enjoy your Aluminium Gable Frame feature.