Framing Shed Roof Dormer

A dormer can soften the impact of a steeply pitched roof.

Framing shed roof dormer.

They also give you more bang for the buck. Shed dormers are an efficient way to gain more space. 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.

From the floor to the peak and set back from the front wall of the house about 2 ft. 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. A shed dormer should not overwhelm the primary roof. The tall face of a doghouse dormer on the other hand would have accentuated the house s height.

If you feel that your house has little natural light you could think about creating a dormer with shed roof which will certainly help. The roofing material will need to be stripped back for this step. The end wall of a shed dormer carries the load rather than the sidewalls. 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.

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. In this case stepping the dormer back from the front of the house helps to soften the roof pitch. Fit into a steeply pitched mansard roof this shed dormer sits almost flush with the surrounding slates. Be extremely careful not to damage the existing structure.

It has no peak no hip and it isn t rounded. Framing a dormer with shed roof is a difficult process but if you take your steps correctly you will be able to handle the job effectively. A shed roof differs from a flat roof dormer only in that the roof is sloped. 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. A steep section near the walls and a barely slanted section toward the middle of the building. Framing a dormer refers to the first and most important step in constructing an upper level addition to your home. Because they can be much wider than gable dormers shed dormers can provide more headroom and therefore more usable space.

Wide about 9 ft. Cut the shed dormers opening with a reciprocating saw. Usually a dormer is made for extra light into a house. 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.

Framing a shed dormer is a simpler process than building a gable dormer.