We're working on restoring our 1929 bungalow (picture attached.) Does anyone know what the triangular projections on the edges of the house and dormers are called? I think they're original to the house but can't find them on any other bongalows outside of our neighborhood. Any suggestions on restoration?

Hi Juliann,

In our area, carpenters like myself simply refer to them as "bird boxes" or in your particular case, "hipped returns". These little roofs correspond with the two "bumped out walls" in that section of your house.
More often, the large gabled roof above that room is extended outward to provide coverage for the "bumped out walls", which negates the need for these attractive little roofed boxes. I would consider it a neat detail.

Thanks for the info! Are they called bird boxes because birds nest in them
What would you do with the underside of the hipped returns with regards to restoration? I've always wanted to expose the underside of the eaves, but am not sure how that would look around the projections. Haven't found a picture of a restored bungalow with this feature. The three houses in our neighborhood with hipped returns must have been built by the same carpenter and they were all "modernized" in the mid 70's.

In our area we designers and carpenters also refer to these as hipped returns. These are often seen on the gable end walls of houses mostly on English Cottage style or Farmhouse style houses with closed eaves like yours. What is most interesting on your house is how these returns are used at the projected bay as a way to complete the roof transition from the main body of the house - neat detail, never seen before. These houses have closed eaves with no exposed rafter tails. As to your desire to renovate the eave: what do you mean by expose the underside of the eave?

Ah-- I thought that the eves should be exposed. At the very least I'd like to remove the gutters.
It's hard to tell what this house looked like when it was built in 1929. We've peeked under the aluminum siding and it looks like white wood siding. Additionally there's a half circle window at the top of the bumped out dormer-- hidden under the aluminum until we do the restoration.
Hipped returns are also on each corner of the house and the edges of the front porch. Very stylin. I have a theory that the stock market crash of '29 curtailed some of the ornate details planned for our home.

Juliann, my feeling is that these hipped returns are the original design intent. I don't think your house was meant to have open eaves - your photo shows a closed gable end (no eave extension) and this is precisely the condition where these hipped returns were used, and are still used on houses that emulate that style. You could remove the gutter and install a drip flashing but it looks like there is a concrete well under the bay and without the gutter water could get into your basement. Personally I find that the gutter on this bay nicely finishes off the hip roof return. K-style gutters always look nice on hip roofs. With a closed soffit condition like yours we simply sand and paint the v-groove soffit boards. If you need attic insulation venting these closed soffits are easily adapted to strip screen venting. Venting roof rafter spaces is an important part of an attic insulation system and adding a strip vent is a low-key way of doing so - no unsightly grilles added to the outside of your house.

Just an addendum. Looking again at your photo and your mention of aluminum siding. It occurred to me that perhaps the underside of your eaves is covered in aluminum siding and that's what I'm seeing, not v-groove soffit boards. Is that right? If so I would bet the soffit boards are underneath. I think while the aluminum siding and the shutters are a remuddling (I've got the siding as well but mine is only 4" not 8 or larger and a sickly green color) but the roof form is original. If the soffits are encased in aluminum siding then remove it, patch the holes, sand and repaint. Houses like yours have a nice, clean edge at the roof line - something to keep. While you could remove the soffit and expose the rafters it is likely they are just framing grade and certainly not decoratively shaped as in exposed rafter houses.