Framing Shed Roof Dormer

Because they can be much wider than gable dormers shed dormers can provide more headroom and therefore more usable space.

Framing shed roof dormer.

Framing a dormer refers to the first and most important step in constructing an upper level addition to your home. Shed dormers are an efficient way to gain more space. Cut the shed dormers opening with a reciprocating saw. Be extremely careful not to damage the existing structure.

Framing the dormer with the dormer roof raised and supported we cut away the part of the original roof that was still in place leaving the exposed ends of the floor joists. From the floor to the peak and set back from the front wall of the house about 2 ft. If you feel that your house has little natural light you could think about creating a dormer with shed roof which will certainly help. They also give you more bang for the buck.

To correct a slight dip in the floor we established a benchmark height with a laser level and nailed 2x6 squash blocks to the sides of the existing floor joists. Each dormer adds about 30 sq. Again while not especially interesting it does reduce construction cost while increasing though not maximizing as does a true flat roof dormer the space beneath. Building a 20 ft wide shed dormer doesn t take much more effort than building a 4 ft wide version.

Whether you re expanding a cramped attic into a bedroom office or playroom if you have any carpentry experience you can accomplish this home renovation goal yourself. Usually a dormer is made for extra light into a house. The gable dormers we built are 6 ft. A shed dormer should not overwhelm the primary roof.

Wide about 9 ft. The end wall of a shed dormer carries the load rather than the sidewalls. Framing a shed dormer is a simpler process than building a gable dormer. The tall face of a doghouse dormer on the other hand would have accentuated the house s height.

A steep section near the walls and a barely slanted section toward the middle of the building. It has no peak no hip and it isn t rounded. Fit into a steeply pitched mansard roof this shed dormer sits almost flush with the surrounding slates. On the roof using the pilot holes drilled in step 1 snap the lines that will denote the opening in the roof for the dormer.

After the walls ridge and common rafters are set i overlay the valley framing on top of the main roof sheathing to save from cutting a true valley. A dormer can soften the impact of a steeply pitched roof. A shed roof differs from a flat roof dormer only in that the roof is sloped. The roofing material will need to be stripped back for this step.

In this case stepping the dormer back from the front of the house helps to soften the roof pitch.