When colonial era families first developed the style though they weren t aiming for aesthetic appeal.
Saltbox style roof.
A saltbox has just one story in the back and two stories in the front.
The short side typically has a low slope while the long side has a steep slope.
In its simplest form a saltbox roof is a gable roof with asymmetrical planes one long and one short side.
With its asymmetrical roof and restrained facade the saltbox house has become an icon of new england s coastal areas.
The saltbox architectural style was born as an adaptation to the harsh realities of early colonial life.
Today there are not a lot of newly constructed homes that have this type of roof design.
A salt box house defining feature is its roof.
A saltbox house is a traditional new england style of house with a long pitched roof that slopes down to the back generally a wooden frame house.
On a two story home the long side may span the height from the ridge to edge which can be one long roofing plane or divided into two.
However instead of sloping to the same length one side reaches all the way to the first.
Salt box roofs feel like a painted gable style roof with two sides of a central ridge sloping outwards.
A saltbox roof is a design that was used extensively in the colonial era.
We might call it the saltbox but there s no doubt this style is just perfect.