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.

Saltbox slanted roof.

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. They often include a symmetrical brick chimney too. When colonial era families first developed the style though they weren t aiming for aesthetic appeal. Saltbox houses are common in new.

They arose from the need for more room. However instead of sloping to the same length one side reaches all the way to the first. The style originated as a quick economical way to add living space to the back of an existing two story home. The saltbox architectural style was born as an adaptation to the harsh realities of early colonial life.

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. Historic saltbox houses are easily identified by their signature one sided sloped rooflines and simple colonial facades. With its asymmetrical roof and restrained facade the saltbox house has become an icon of new england s coastal areas.