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RANCH HOME – a single floor house with no living space on the second floor – it can have many roof lines and many different roof pitches but typically a single floor house is a RANCH |
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CAPE/CHALET HOMES – The defining feature of these homes is the roof line. The roof pitch is called a 12/12 roof which means for every 12 inches across it goes 12 inches up. A Chalet is the same however instead of looking at it from the side you typically look at it from the end with maybe windows and an extended roof. This style off roof allows for living space to be added upstairs often making them 1 ½ floors. |
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COLONIAL HOMES – The most basic and cost effective square footage you can build this basic rectangular design can be found throughout the country because of its real value. Construction cost is low because of the limited use of varied roof lines (typically only a 5/12) and space is maximized with the basic rectangular design leaving no unusable nooks. Today we can do a lot to make this very basic design come to life with nice architectural features. |
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2-STORY HOMES – this one is so easy I will not even explain for fear of insulting someone’s intelligence. |
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CONTEMPORARY HOMES – Contemporary house plans, also often referred to as modern house plans, are characterized by an absence of any historical style. Contemporary house plans can be extremely varied, possibly unique, and no single common design theme binds them as a style. Contemporary house plans frequently have large expanses of windows & often may have dramatic rooflines |
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CRAFTSMAN HOMES – The defining characteristics of these house designs are usually more architectural finishes then the actual structure of the house. During the Craftsmen era of construction a lot of fancy trim and woodwork features were added to the houses facade creating a more dramatic curb appeal. Essential any house plan can be made a craftsmen style house. |
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SALT BOX HOMES – Here the roof lines again are the defining features. A salt box is defined by having two different roof pitches, a 5/12 (colonial style) pitch on the back with a more dramatic Cape style in the front often with dormers. |
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BUNGALOW HOMES – Hallmarks of the bungalow style are low-pitched roofs with wide, overhanging eaves, large porches and stone chimneys with prominently placed fireplaces. |
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VICTORIAN HOMES – Noted for their architectural features made common in the Victorian age these houses have multiple roof lines of varied pitches and odd shapes like hexagonal and octagonal roofs with ornate wood work features and scrolls. |
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ROOF FEATURES
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HIP ROOFS – This design element occurs when you roof breaks on the top and comes down on four side of the house instead of the traditional two |
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GABLE ENDS – this is the peaked side of the roof typically on the ends of the house (except on a hip roof) REVERSE GABLE- when an additional Gable is added to the front or rear side of a straight roof line |
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REVERSE GABLE – when an additional Gable is added to the front or rear side of a straight roof line |
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DORMERS – are smaller reverse gables that do not extend to the top or bottom of the main roof and are usually added to add windows on the long side of cape style homes. |
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SHED DORMERS – are also dormers but instead of having a peak they come out flat and are used to increase the head room on the side of high pitched roofs such as capes. |
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SIDING and EXTERIOR FINISHES
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THREE TAB SHINGLES – for years this was the gold standard for asphalt roof shingles with the traditional looks of a shingled roof named for the two gussets in the shingle that makes three tabs for each unit. |
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ARCHITECTURAL SHINLGES – Take a traditional three tab shingle and lay a two tab shingle on top of it and you have an architectural shingle. The two layers increase the durability of the shingle and also gives depth to the look of the roof which hides small imperfections and creates a more dramatic look. |
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SHAKE SHINGLES – typically made out of cedar wood these are independent pieces of pie shaped wood that are layered on a roof to create weather resistance. |
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CLAD BOARD SIDING – If you look at this board from the end it is pie shaped and the thin edge slides under the thick edge to make a stepped look to the siding. Originally this was constructed with wood boards but today this is the look of most vinyl siding and new technology allows a bigger reveal from the typical 4” to as much as 7”. There are also many new products such as cement board that can be used to create this same look. |
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DUTCH LAP SIDING – has the look of traditional clad board siding however the board as a step in it to create a different look. |
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SHAKE SIDING – similar to the roof system this is a wedge shaped board that are over lapped to give a different texture to parts or all of the house and again new vinyl products are available to give a maintenance free way to get this look. |
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LINEALS-KEYSTONES-FINEALS – etc. These are all non-structural architectural features that can be added to the exterior of any house to create a more dramatic curb appeal. |
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INTERIOR FEATURES
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VAULTED CIELINGS – vaulted ceilings can come in many degrees from a simple vault which takes the flat ceiling and pitches it up slightly to give more head room to TRUE VAULTS- which extend from both side walls all the way up to the peak of the roof on a Cape most common in CHALET style house. |
