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you couldn't do shutters on the top windows, where would you put them? on the bottom they will look okay. if you can ever afford it, put a third window over the door.
It is NOT a Mansard style roof. The Mansard roofs were popular in the Victorian era and are commonly seen on large Victorians built between 1860 and 1890. Mansards have curved roofs that curve intowards the home and then have dormered windows that usually open inward. The top of a Mansard style roof either can be flat or have a cupola.
It certainly is NOT a Dutch Colonial either. DC have gambrel roofs and usually have side 3 season porch. The have a covered entrance with a few stairs up to the front door as well. Some might call it a "stoop" with columns on either side that holds up the roof covering the front entrance "stoop".
The "Dog House" dormers on the picured cape cod were fashionable in cape cods during the 50's to add more light and room in the upstairs bedrooms. Cape Cods can be built from any type of materials. A cape cod house is a style and has nothing to do with the materials used to construct them.
It's not a Cape Cod house. Cape Cod's have a very distinct gable roof - it's also very symmetrical in its placement of windows around its door frame. The roof in the OP's post is a Gambrel and is very distinct within the Dutch Colonial/Dutch Colonial Revival style, not Cape Cod.
I only see one picture and the style is Cape Cod. It's roof is a steep pitched slanted style with Dog House dormers. Dutch Colonials have Gambrel roofs which from what I can see, doesn't exist here. Dutch Colonials never have dog house dormers but windows flush with the house siding.
I'm considering purchasing a house, but it has a unique look. Please help me identify what style of architecture this is. I'm thinking Colonial, but I'm barely a novice. Also, I'm not a fan of the monochrome look, so any ideas on how to dress up the exterior would be greatly appreciated.
You have a beautiful facade, even the entrance is nice. You could add a front entrance type porch with columns on either side flanked by deacon's benches, but I wouldn't bother.
I would merely use shurbs and landscaping to dress up the curb appeal. I hate painted bricks so I might consider sandblasting them to get the "old style" brick look back and replace that front windows with a much nicer bow windows with no muntin panels at all. If it faces south I would load it up with a few plants and use stonework or crushed stone around the plants to capture the solar gain. If they are north facing windows, I would use plants that need less sunlight and probabaly recess some overhead spots for plant lights. This way you can bring the outside into the house in a very subtle but distinguished manner.
Why do you protest SO much? The OP confirmed it was a mansard roof.
I am not protesting. I am merely tellling you all it is NOT a Mansard style roof. I provided link for a Mansard style roof. Did you bother to look at them? It is definitely not a Mansard style roof. What's correct is correct and to call this a Mansard style roof is merely either ignorant or wrong. No big deal, but if you want to think it is a Mansard style roof, I really don't care. The picture of this home is a Cape Cod Style. I also provided a link for that as well. These are Mansard style roofs and they look nothing like the photo. The OP is wrong..
Whatever - "Mansard" roofs were added to a lot of homes in the late 60s and early 70s. So it could be a hybrid.
This may be true but this particular house in the OP is NOT a Mansard roof. It is a Cape Cod style roof and home. The straight steep pitch of the roof and the design of the home says Cape Cod, not colonial, not Gambrel, not Victorian, but Cape Cod. The OP wanted to know the truth and not be led astray. It is a Cape Cod. The Dog House dormers are a dead giveaway.
I haven't seen a side view of the house buty it appears from the picture that it is a traditional style cape roof line that comes to a peak from a steep pitch of about 15"-17" per foot.
The pitch of the roof in North America is usually called the slope, it is defined as a ratio of the height over the run, most commonly in inches. The run is usually stated as 12 inches. So a slope of 1" in 12" is a low pitch and a slope of 18" in 12" is a steep pitch.
This may be true but this particular house in the OP is NOT a Mansard roof. It is a Cape Cod style roof and home. The straight steep pitch of the roof and the design of the home says Cape Cod, not colonial, not Gambrel, not Victorian, but Cape Cod. The OP wanted to know the truth and not be led astray. It is a Cape Cod. The Dog House dormers are a dead giveaway.
I haven't seen a side view of the house buty it appears from the picture that it is a traditional style cape roof line that comes to a peak from a steep pitch of about 15"-17" per foot.
The pitch of the roof in North America is usually called the slope, it is defined as a ratio of the height over the run, most commonly in inches. The run is usually stated as 12 inches. So a slope of 1" in 12" is a low pitch and a slope of 18" in 12" is a steep pitch.
You are high! If the OP's picture of the house has a gable roof as illustrated in your section drawing then the house is about 2'-0" deep from front to back!
I can discern a very steep slope on at least three sides (obviously can't see the rear) and it has to have a very low slope hip roof (Its possible that it has low parapets and a simpler, flat deck roof) above the steep lower roof: A Mansard Roof! And no those aren't dog house dormers (wrong roof shape) and yes I am an architect.
Last edited by T. Damon; 11-19-2010 at 05:09 PM..
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