Saltbox Slanted Roof

Historic saltbox houses are easily identified by their signature one sided sloped rooflines and simple colonial facades.

Saltbox slanted roof.

A flat roof is more difficult to ventilate as there is no overhang from a roof nor are there gables to insert wall vents. When colonial era families first developed the style though they weren t aiming for aesthetic appeal. Named for the shape of the container used to hold salt in colonial times these homes have a steeply sloped roof that is much longer on one side than the other. Saltbox roofs look like a patched gable style roof with two sides sloping outwards from a central ridge.

They often include a symmetrical brick chimney too. If you plan to have a flat roof then consider having several windows to act in lieu of vents. With its asymmetrical roof and restrained facade the saltbox house has become an icon of new england s coastal areas. Saltbox houses are common in new.

Saltbox houses are variations of early colonial and cape cod designs. A salt box roof is asymmetrical in design with one side being more of slightly sloping flat roof and the other more of a lean to with gables at each end. However instead of sloping to the same length one side reaches all the way to the first.