Colonial homes have been around since the beginning of the country. They range in style from the simplistic designs of the Post-Medieval English homes to the more complex, stately appearance of the Early Classic Revival. Despite the range of colonial architectural styles, they all have defining features that make it clear they are colonial homes, particularly when it comes to colonial roof styles.
The History of Colonial Roof Styles
One of the earliest architectural styles in the United States is the Colonial Style, originally developed during the Colonial era. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Colonial style dominated the architectural landscape, with numerous variations.
These early Colonial homes, the earliest dating back to 1626, were one-story structures with simple gabled roofs made of wood, which was abundant and accessible at the time.
Around this time, German Colonials were common in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and these colonials were stone-covered structures with flat tile gable roofs. Spanish colonials, popular from the 1600s to 1900s, were typically one-story structures planted with whitewashed lines and covered by a wood-shingled hipped roof.
Between 1625 and the mid-1800s, Dutch Colonials were a popular style, featuring a gambrel-style roof, often covered in wood shingles and shakes. It wasn't until 1690 that the famous Cape Cod style emerged. These homes were simple and unadorned, with gable roofs that favored wood shingles.
As new materials became available and more accessible, the Colonial Revival began incorporating new materials in the roofing and siding, like slate roofing.
Characteristics of a Colonial Roof
One of the most defining characteristics of a home can be the roof, and its shape, slope, and materials can tell you a lot about the architectural style—and the individuals living in the home. For colonial roof styles, look for the following characteristics:
The Slope: The slope is one of the most important aspects of a colonial home. With the style popular in areas with substantial snowfall, having the right slope will ensure snow and rain slide right off. The slope of these homes never goes below a 7:12 pitch. They also don't go any higher than a 10:12 pitch, which is only found on pre-18th century colonials or reproductions.
The Shape: The primary three shapes for colonial roofs are gable, hipped, and gambrel. You can also find many variations of these three styles, but the general idea is that the roof is simple.
Materials: A traditional colonial will have wood shakes or shingles, with today's homeowners specifically opting for cedar. Slate roofing is also a material you can find on colonial homes.
Classic Colonial Roof Styles
Here is an in-depth look at the various classic colonial roof styles you'll find throughout parts of the country.
Gambrel Roofs
Gambrel roofs were a common choice for Georgian-style colonial homes and were used to extend the livable and usable space under the roof. The steeply pitched sides and near level top create space for storage or additional rooms. Dormers set into the gambrel roof allow more light to enter the space, and the roof balustrade — the railing around the uppermost part of the roof — became more common in Georgian homes built after 1750.
The steep pitch of the lower part of the roof can make hanging traditional shingles difficult and put additional stress on heavy materials, like traditional cedar shake or slate roof tiles. Luckily, synthetic shingles are up to the challenge.
Gable Roofs
Gable roofs are some of the most classic rooflines you'll find on colonial homes. These roofs have a steep pitch, allowing rain and snow to slide off easily. They also often have a chimney that is either sentenced or off to one side and dormers that help bring more light to the second story. Typically, cedar shakes are used for these roofs.
Dutch Gable
Dutch gable roofs feature a flared gambrel roof, a style that Georgian colonial homes later simplified into a gambrel roof. This more complex roofline allows water and debris to slide off easily and gives the home an old world appearance. In a blending of styles, this Dutch gable roof features Spanish barrel tiles more commonly seen in Spanish Colonial homes.
Hip Roofs
A hip roof features an inward slope that meets at a seam. Traditional pyramid hip roofs consist of four sides that meet in a point at the top, but the variations of hip roofs are endless. Hip roofs offer the benefit of having more living space underneath.
Types of Colonial Roof Materials
While wood roofing is the most common roofing material for all colonial roof styles, it is not the only material you'll find on homes of this style.
Wood Shakes and Shingles
Again, wood shakes and shingles are the most common materials you'll find, and the ones original to the style—with cedar being the most preferred because of its durability and resilience.
The major issue with cedar, however, is that it requires a great deal of maintenance. It’s also expensive and requires a cedar expert to install it properly.
Natural Slate Tiles
Slate is another popular natural material you'll find on colonial homes. A colonial slate roof gives homes a more modern appearance and offers durability and longevity, with a slate roof lasting over 100 years.
While they require minimal maintenance, they are incredibly heavy, weighing between 800 to 1500 lbs/sq ft, and more expensive than cedar. Homes that want a natural slate roof will require structural reinforcements to support that weight; otherwise, the entire thing can collapse.
Asphalt Shingles
Modern colonial roof styles choose the lightweight, affordable option of asphalt shingles. These shingles are durable and come in many patterns and textures, and the dark colors help keep the roof in line with traditional color schemes. However, they’re not the best option for homes in warmer climates.
Clay Tiles
Some colonial homes use clay tiles, which, although somewhat durable, require some additional maintenance. They are also very heavy and, like slate, require structural reinforcement to support the roof. In addition, clay tiles can be difficult to install and repair—, unlike other options.
Synthetic Roofing Materials
Another modern option is synthetic roofing, which allows homeowners to have the look of materials like cedar shakes and slate tiles without the weight or necessary maintenance. High-quality synthetic materials offer realistic appearances that are almost indistinguishable from the traditional options and are significantly more durable.
Brava, for example, offers synthetic roofing in Cedar Shake, Old World Slate, and Spanish Barrel Tiles—all of which are made out of recycled materials that maintenance-free and backed by a 50-year limited warranty.
Colors Used Most Often for Colonial Roofs
Colonial homes keep designs relatively simple but have a variety of color options to consider.
Typically, colonial homes have a traditional color palette—brown, black, or grey roof tones. However, they can also tend to mix these color choices to create roofs with more dimensions.
Although not always common, there are several colonial homes that use deep shades of color, such as red and green, to bring an elegant colonial home style to life.
Best Places to Have a Colonial Roof
You can have a colonial roof anywhere you want, but if you want to stick with tradition, there are places where they are most common.
The Colonial style is popular in the Northeastern part of the country, especially prominent in New England. You can also find them in other areas of the East Coast, such as Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas, where they favor Georgian and plantation colonials.
Another area you can find Spanish Colonial homes and buildings is California, Florida, and Texas.
More Colonial Roof Designs Options
To give you an even better idea of what colonial roof designs look like, we’ve listed a few more examples of colonial roof styles to help.
A Gambrel Roof with Gable Garage
This waterfront home is significant in size, with three parts. The two gambrel roof sections meet and form a "T" shape. The side-facing gambrel section is connected to the garage, which sits lower and is covered by a simple gable roof. The entire house is covered in cedar roofing in a beautiful gray that complements the light-colored brick.
An Expansive Gable Roof
This richly colored property has an expansive, cross-gabled roof covered in brown cedar roofing with brick chimney accents. It is a home that shows you can combine classic colonial elements, like the roof, with fun colors to make it your own.
Dark Shakes on Light Stucco
While you can't see the full roofline, you can see a hint of a cross-gable on this simple colonial. The dark roof cedar shakes add contrast and the old-world charm you expect from a colonial.
A Double Gable
This home has two sides that both show traditional colonial elements. The shorter, brick-covered side has perfect symmetry, and the other side offers the contrast many associate with colonial homes. The classic gable colonial house roof ties the two together with dark shingles.
Gambrel Meets Gable
This home gives a nod to two common colonial roof styles. The larger portion is covered with a gambrel roof, while the smaller portion has a simple gable. What times them together is the natural-toned cedar shakes and dormers on both sides.
Gable, Gable, Gable, Pyramid
This home has multiple extensions, each a little smaller than the last. Three parts are covered with gable roofs, while the last gable connects to the garage, which features a pyramid roof. The entire thing is covered in beautiful Brava slate tiles.
Gable and Hip Roof Combination
This L-shaped home has one side with two gable roofs, connected to a hipped roof section. It is all covered by a sleek synthetic slate roof that is gray with hints of red.
Another Gable Roof
Showcasing how popular gable roofs are with colonial homes, this is another example: a colonial slate roof. The main house appears cross-gabled, extending to the right with a larger section.
Choosing Brava for a Classic Colonial House Roof
Colonial homes are beautiful, and the style is full of history; it is no wonder they have regained popularity. Fortunately, these days, you don't have to go with the traditional materials, which are expensive, heavy, and require maintenance. Now, there are synthetic roofing materials that eliminate all those concerns.
Brava's synthetic roofing tiles are the best choice for your colonial roof. They are a maintenance-free option and are considered the best in terms of authenticity and durability.
Contact Brava today to learn more about our roofing products and how they can work for your colonial roof.
