What is a saltbox roof?

saltbox, in architecture, type of residential building popular in colonial New England, having two stories in front and a single story in the rear and a double-sloped roof that is longer over the rear section.

What is the purpose of a saltbox roof?

Saltbox roofs work well in northern climates with mild to heavy snow and rainfall. Since they have no flat parts, they prevent snow from settling on the roof. They can endure strong winds more than gable homes. Compared to a gable roof, the asymmetrical design of the saltbox roof is stronger and easier to maintain.

Why is it called a saltbox roof?

Built during the 17th and 18th centuries, American saltbox houses were named after commonly used wooden salt containers from the colonial period. Historic saltbox houses are easily identified by their signature one-sided sloped rooflines and simple colonial facades.

Why are they called salt box houses?

Originally named for the wooden salt containers commonplace in the era, saltbox houses are typically built from wood and easily spotted by their long, slanted rear roof. The style was first formed by homeowners wanting to add an addition to existing homes with a lean-to from the rear and refinishing the roof.

What does a salt box roof look like?

Saltbox roofs look like a patched, gable-style roof with two sides sloping outwards from a central ridge. However, instead of sloping to the same length, one side reaches all the way to the first floor of the house. Basically, one side is short and the other side is very long, giving a uniquely asymmetrical appearance.

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Where are saltbox houses most common?

Saltbox houses are most commonly found throughout New England, with the highest density being in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Additional examples can be found as far north as Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada.

What is a mansard style roof?

mansard roof, type of roof having two slopes on every side, the lower slope being considerably steeper than the upper. In cross section the straight-sided mansard can appear like a gambrel roof, but it differs from the gambrel by displaying the same profile on all sides.

What style is a saltbox home?

A saltbox house is a gable-roofed residential structure that is typically two stories in the front and one in the rear. It is a traditional New England style of home, originally timber framed, which takes its name from its resemblance to a wooden lidded box in which salt was once kept.

What is a biscuit box house?

Biscuit box houses came later. Named after the rectangular boxes used to ship hard biscuits, they are two-storey houses with gentle sloped roofs. The name saltbox may be commonly used, but finding an actual saltbox home is becoming more rare.

When was the Colonial salt box popular?

A classic staple of New England architecture, Saltbox-style houses first appeared in the United States around 1650, making them among the oldest examples of American Colonial-style architecture. They remained a popular choice in the 17th and 18th centuries.

What is salt box design?

A saltbox home (which takes its name from the resemblance to a wooden lidded box in which salt was once kept) is identified by its asymmetrically long, rear roof line. The pitched roof that slopes down to the first floor was first created to cover a lean-to addition at the rear of the original house.

What is a salt house used for?

About the Salt House

This structure provided secure storage for the large quantities of salt that George Washington seasonally imported from England, Portugal, and the Caribbean. Fresh meat and fish were packed in dry salt or brine for preservation.

What is a Catslide roof?

A catslide roof is a roof that continues down below the main eaves height and allows you to have a greater depth of building without increasing your ridge height.

What are the characteristics of a saltbox house?

Saltboxes are frame houses with two stories in front and one in back, having a pitched roof with unequal sides, being short and high in front and long and low in back. The front of the house is flat and the rear roof line is steeply sloped. The sturdy central chimney is a simple but effective focal point.

What are the advantages of flat roof?

The reason why flat roofs can prove to be less expensive than other solutions is because they allow a quicker installation, easy maintenance, superior energy efficiency, and a longer lifespan. This makes flat roofing a smart solution for businesses in both the short and long term.

What is clerestory roof?

A clerestory roof is a roof with a vertical wall which sits between the two sloping sides, which features a row of windows (or one long, continuous window). The clerestory roof can be symmetrical, with a hipped or gable-type design, or else it can be asymmetrical, resembling something closer to a skillion roof.

Why are there no brick houses in Newfoundland?

Building a stone or brick house required a great deal of time and money, neither of which was available to most settlers. To build a stone or brick house required special skills and many months of dry warm weather which Newfoundland does not always enjoy.

What is a Newfoundland tilt?

"A Newfoundland Tilt" From J.G. Mountain, Some Account of a Sowing Time on the Rugged Shores of Newfoundland (London: Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 1857). [1799-1812] They call tilts temporary log houses, which they erect in the woods to pursue their winter occupations.

What makes a house a Tudor?

Tudor homes are characterized by their steeply pitched gable roofs, playfully elaborate masonry chimneys (often with chimney pots), embellished doorways, groupings of windows, and decorative half-timbering (this last an exposed wood framework with the spaces between the timbers filled with masonry or stucco).

What is a Cape Cod house look like?

A Cape Cod house is a low, broad, single or double-story frame building with a moderately-steep-pitched gabled roof, a large central chimney, and very little ornamentation.

What is Jerkinhead roof?

A jerkinhead roof is a roof type which contains elements of a hip roof and a gable roof. Unlike a traditional hip roof, which slopes down equally on all four sides, a jerkinhead roof has a partial, "clipped" slope on one or two sides.

What are Parisian roofs made of?

Many roofs in Paris are made of zinc. A bird's-eye view of Paris shines with the natural patina of zinc. In the late 1800s, zinc was the material of choice for Parisian rooftops.

Why do barns have gambrel roofs?

The gambrel roof increased the storage capacity of the barn loft significantly. This was an important development as farmers began to accumulate larger herds and needed to store enough food to feed them during the tough Western winters. The two additional slopes on each roof wall allowed full utilization of the loft.

Who developed the saltbox house?

Reverend John Smith built this saltbox home and lived there with his wife and their 13 children during the final quarter of the 17th century. The dwelling boasts such historic architectural elements as gunstock posts to support the walls and pumpkin pine beams from Maine.

What is a garrison style house?

A garrison is an architectural style of house, typically two stories with the second story overhanging in the front. The traditional ornamentation is four carved drops (pineapple, strawberry or acorn shape) below the overhang. Garrisons usually have an exterior chimney at the end.