Tidewater Homes
With wide porches out front and a wet, hot climate in mind, tidewater homes are a staple in the coastal U.S. Southeast
Tidewater homes have been gracing the coast of the American Southeast since the 1800s. Designed for wet, hot climates and for owners who love to entertain, they're best known for having at least one expansive porch, sheltered by a broad hip roof. Wood construction, wide eaves and waterfront lots are also common characteristics. Today many new-construction tidewater houses are constructed on supports or pilings with top-level primary living spaces to help weather coastal flooding. But regardless of when a tidewater home was built, it's guaranteed to welcome sweet-tea consumption on its broad front porch.
Tidewater homes are especially prevalent in South Carolina's Lowcountry, like this Charleston beauty.
The roof of a tidewater home is often hipped. A hip roof on a rectangular plan has four faces that all slope downward at the same pitch.
Tidewater-style houses always have an expansive porch, which often surrounds the entire home and is protected by a wide pitched roof.
Always built out of wood, tidewater homes bring the beauty of the outdoors in.
Located on a bluff in Charleston, this tidewater home is designed for wet, hot climates.
Originally designed for the harshness of a Southern coastal existence, tidewater homes are often raised on supports or pilings, intended to protect them from coastal flooding.
Many tidewater houses have two stories with porches on both levels. The home's roof extends over the porches without interruption.
Tidewater houses often have the primary living areas on the topmost floor, meaning these often-used spaces have additional protection from potential coastal water damage.