A cornice facade is a facade closed off at the top by a horizontal cornice, behind which the roof is hidden. Unlike a gable facade, the masonry does not rise as a point or a set of steps following the roofline: the facade ends level.
It is one of the four main types into which historic Dutch facades are classified, alongside the stepped gable, the neck gable and the bell gable.
Build-up
- The cornice. A moulded, boldly projecting band, usually in timber, sometimes in natural stone or rendered masonry. It forms the horizontal termination and makes rainwater drip clear of the facade instead of running down it.
- The brackets or modillions. Projecting support blocks under the cornice, often carved or moulded, which visually carry the overhang.
- The frieze. The flat band below the cornice, sometimes finished with foliate ornament, garlands or triglyphs.
- The gutter. In many cases the box gutter is built into the cornice, so the gutter itself is invisible from the street.
Behind the cornice lies the roof — often a hipped roof, or a mono-pitch draining to the rear.
History
Until well into the seventeenth century the gable facade was the norm in the Low Countries: the house showed its roof shape to the street. Under the influence of classicism and, in the eighteenth century, the French Louis styles, the horizontal termination gained ground. A level cornice with a symmetrical arrangement suited the classical ideal and gave a row of houses a calmer, more coherent street scene.
On many older buildings you can see the result of that change of fashion: a medieval or seventeenth-century core with an eighteenth- or nineteenth-century cornice facade in front of it. At the side or in the attic, the old gable is often still there.
Maintenance
The cornice facade has one vulnerable point, and that is the cornice itself. It sits high, is fully exposed to the weather and is usually made of timber.
- Check the top surface. Many cornices carry a zinc or lead capping. Cracks in it let water into the timber, and from below you only notice that damage once it is well advanced.
- Watch the junction with the gutter. A built-in box gutter that overflows or leaks feeds water straight into the cornice timber. This is the most common cause of rot in a cornice.
- Look at the brackets. Deflection, cracked paint on the end of a bracket, or loose fixings point to rot in the fixing.
- Budget for scaffolding. Repairing a cornice is work at height across the full width of the facade. Scaffolding is a substantial part of the budget for this kind of job — so combine it with painting and gutter maintenance in one go.
On a listed building or in a conservation area, the cornice is almost always a defining feature. Replacing or altering it then needs consent; discuss it with the local authority in advance.
Related terms
- Cornice
- Gable
- Neck gable
- Bell gable
- Stepped gable
- Bracket
- Frieze
- Box gutter
Want to know more about building terms? Take a look at our knowledge base on fredsdiyplans.com.