Saltbox and Catslide Roof

A saltbox roof is a gable roof with unequal sides: a short slope on one side and a much longer slope on the other that sweeps down toward the ground. The classic saltbox house has two storeys at the front and one at the back, so the rear roof covers both the main house and a lower rear section. The name comes from the resemblance to a slant-lidded wooden box once used to store salt.

Saltbox houses

The saltbox is a traditional American colonial form associated with New England. Early examples were timber-framed and usually had a central chimney. The shape probably originated in Kent and East Anglia in England and arrived with early Puritan settlers. It developed as an inexpensive way to enlarge a house by adding a rear section under an extension of the main roof. Saltbox houses were most common in Massachusetts, the Connecticut River valley and Ohio's Western Reserve from about 1620 to the mid-1700s, and continued to be built until about 1820. Surviving examples include the Thomas Hawley House in Monroe, Connecticut (c. 1651) and the John Adams Birthplace in Quincy, Massachusetts (c. 1667-1670).

Catslide roofs

A catslide is any roof that continues down below the level of the main eaves, typically over a rear or side outshot. The term came from 17th-century England, where it described such secondary roofs, and is still used in British building conservation. In the US it is used particularly for roofs in the Southeast from colonial times to about 1910, often covering a porch.

Practical notes

• The long, low slope sheds snow and wind well and can face prevailing weather.
• Where the pitch changes between the main roof and the extension, a "break" in slope needs care to drain and flash properly.
• Long rafters or a change of framing may be needed to span the extended slope.
• Modern saltbox designs use the long slope for solar panels and the tall front wall for windows.