Cupolas

The word "cupola" (pronounced Kyoo-puh-luh) comes from the Latin word for "small dome." Originally these domes were placed in cathedrals to allow light to enter in. In the United States, the more familiar form of cupola will be the wooden ones seen on many farm houses, usually with a weathervane installed on top.

Cupola Materials

Cupolas are often made of wood, and some have roofs that are made of copper or other metal. Other cupolas can be made of vinyl or fiberglass. The smallest measure perhaps 18 inches on a side and stand 26 inches tall. At the other end of the scale, you can get a cupola that's 5 feet on a side and stands over 6 1/2 feet tall.

Cupola Manufacturers

Cupolas are not generally ready made items. They are hand-crafted with careful attention to detail by experienced workers. Depending on the size and construction, a cupola can run from under $300 to $3,000 or more.

A good cupola manufacturer will have a variety of designs for you to choose from. Wooden cupolas are usually made from a light-colored wood that will darken as the cupola ages and weathers. They can have a square, hexagonal, or octagonal base. Rising up from the base will be the windows or slats through which the light is let in. These can be simple slats like blinds that don't let in a lot of light. Or they can be simple four-paned windows with wooden crossbars dividing them. As mentioned, the roofs can be made of the same wood as the cupola, or they can be made of copper or tin or some other metal.

Vinyl or fiberglass cupolas won't weather gracefully the way wooden ones will. But they won't rot either. Also, vinyl and fiberglass are easier to shape into curves. So you'll have more shapes to choose from if you decide to go that route.

Weathervanes

Perched atop the cupola is usually a weathervane or a small spire. (This will cost extra, of course; but it completes the look.) A weathervane adds character to your cupola with a variety of different designs. The proud rooster is a traditional look, but you can get other designs as well. For instance, you can find an eagle in flight, swooping down onto the top of the cupola. Or you can get a swan gracefully floating along the service. If you don't want a bird, you can get a half moon, with or without a man-in-the-moon face. Or you can get a deer, a fox, a fish, a horse, a stagecoach, a cat stalking a mouse, or even a pineapple. If none of those appeal to you, you can go with a simple or ornately decorated arrow and leave it at that.

Placement of Cupola

In these days of electric lighting, cupolas aren't as necessary to provide light. That means you have more freedom in where the cupola is placed. The main purpose, after all, is display. You want to place the cupola where it can be viewed from as many angles as possible. For your own pleasure and that of neighbors and visitors, find a section of roof that allows the cupola to be seen easily as you approach the home from the front.

In addition to decoration, a cupola can have the benefit of making your home or building stand out from similar structures. People don't have to look for an address marker if they know to look for the place with the cupola on top.