Raising the roof!

We have raised the roof!
Well... OK, WE didn't raise it, some very skilled and hard working folks named Chris and Corey did.  They have our gratitude for not only doing a great job, but always being pleasant and helpful with information when we drop by.

One of the fun aspects of the house, which you may have noticed, is that the roof is not symmetrical.  The south facing roof is a bit steeper than the north side.
Before you ask, Chris and Corey did this exactly according to plan.  We did this to optimize the south facing slope of the roof for the solar panels.

At our latitude in Minnesota, solar panels work best tilted between 38 degrees and 45 degrees.  Our south facing roof is tilted close to 45 degrees for that reason.  We choose the steeper end of that range to help the snow slide off in the winter months.

Stylistically, we copied the angle of the roof in the overhang over our front door.
This adds a fun aspect to shape of the house, while keeping with a traditional look overall.