Shed Dormer on Cape????

[jirpel]

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice on how to construct a shed dormer on the rear of a cape house. I am a fairly new used to Chief and how scoured this forum for some assistance. The house has a large shed dormer located in the rear corner and does not extend the full width. With the assistance of this forum I was able to create the gable roof and dormer however I am not sure if my methodology is correct as I am having some difficulty.

My first problem is that the dormer basically sits on the first floor wall which is brick. The dormer is siding. I am having problems creating a small bit of roof to cover the difference on the wall thickness. Any suggestions how to create this? BTW: I had to use a pony wall for the rear wall of the dormer to get the brick elevations to align with the gable roof.

Also, for the side wall of the dormer, how can I create this wall and not have is show in the interior view of the bedroom was a siding?

I have attached some photographs of the house as well as my working model. Any help –tips- or pointers would be appreciated. Thanks.



shed.zip

[Curtis Johnson]

It must be late ... just noticed your zip file ... I see you have your main layer defined as the edge between the framing on the inside and the gyp board - this is most unusual! Regarding your roof on your shed dormer, you only have 4 5/8" of overhang where it needs to be 11" per your default. I also noticed you have a huge [I think ... I am not a brick guy] air gap between your brick and your sheathing ... I always was of the opinion that 1" was the standard. It has been awhile since I have worked with dormers ... but if I was doing that plan, I would have the outside dormer wall bearing directly over the first floor wall ... that way your structural loads are transferred directly down the wall to the footings. You have it set in a little - I am not sure why ... I know you can do it but for that style of dormer, I don't see the benefit of setting it in just a little. I can't give you a good answer on the siding issue on the inside - someone who is a little fresher on dormers than I am will give you the right answer. Your dormer wall intersections at the corners do not look right either - and you can see some brick in render view because of this. Make sure you are paying attention to room ceiling heights etc. in your plans .... you have a window that is checking the weather out .... and there are lots of other things I could comment on .... but you are learning now so you'll figure most of those things out as you go. Remember garage doors usually need a decent sized header above them so your basement ceiling may need to be adjusted. It is late .... I am out of here. Good luck.

[jirpel]

Curtis thanks for your comments, I fixed up the main layer definition that was an easy one (I was previously trying out a few thinks and forgot to change them back). As far at the air gap goes, this is a model of an existing house which has exterior walls approx. 10.5" thick. I just used a 2.5" air gap to make up the thickness, although with some of the work I have done on this house 2.5" is not to far off base.

My intent is to have the rear dormer wall bearing directly over the first floor wall. The reason it is set in is the transition from brink wall (10.5" thick) to siding (5-3/8"). What I am having trouble with is extending the gable roof along the back of the house to cap this transition (see photos). The bad corners I believe is an artifact of the pony wall which I am not sure is used in the correct application for this situation.

Yes, there are many things that need to be corrected (window checking etc.) I will fix them in time, but I wanted to address the issues with this dormer first. I will do a little more fishing on the forum – there is a lot of good information here. Thanks for looking at my plan.

[VHampton]

I took a look at your roof which is better made using the hole in roof tool on the main gable. The shed roof can fit over the main "hole".

One comment...you have a shed dormer which shares the same gable end as the brick. Very unusual condition.

This needed a polyline solid to patch some siding over the intersection of the two materials. The polyline will show up in your Dining room...and it has a layer defeinition which can be turned off.... so it won't show up in the plan view.

Good luck. (PS this took all of five minutes.)

[lbuttery]

If you are using the pony wall just to have two materials on a wall area, then try using a regular wall and then set the second (or more) materials via the wall covering tab on the room dbx.

Lew

[VHampton]

Pony wall is the answser.

If you are using the pony wall just to have two materials on a wall area, then try using a regular wall and then set the second (or more) materials via the wall covering tab on the room dbx.

Lew

[Allen42acj]

By your pictures it looks like your dormers were an addition and line up front and back.
And not going to the edge of the building..
A few ways to do it..
I would start over on the 2nd floor.

[jirpel]

That is looking much better. Five minutes – must have spent at least five hours goofing around with this yesterday. You make it all seem so easy - It all comes with experience I guess.

Vhampton – I have attached an image of how the home builder handled the gable end of the shed dormer. The siding is carried through. I have pretty much recreated what you home done so that I have a good understanding. With extending the first floor wall there is no need to have the rear wall of the shed dormer as a pony wall.

Any suggestions of how to fix the opposite gable end of the shed dormer so that siding does not show through to the interior bedroom wall?

The pictures are a little misleading - there is only a rear dormer on the house.

[Allen42acj]

I thought your first post was front and back of the house..
Use the elevation view and drag the wall up..You may need line breaks..

[louis]

That would make that a roof cuts wall at bottom wall.

[jirpel]

I thought your first post was front and back of the house..
Use the elevation view and drag the wall up..You may need line breaks..

I am not sure if that will work, what I need is siding above the roof line and a regular interior wall below.

[louis]

Oh then ignore my post.

You now need lower wall if split by abutting roof. Roof tab for that wall.

[VHampton]

Any suggestions of how to fix the opposite gable end of the shed dormer so that siding does not show through to the interior bedroom wall?

Louis has the correct answer. The attic level walls can be designated to show sheet rock below the roof.... and exterior siding above.

And in looking at your photo...wouldn't it be better if the house remained as all brick...and the dormers were the only surfaces which had clapboard siding? (See attached)

From the existing photo you posted...it looks a bit like the Little Rascals got into the home remodeling business.

[VHampton]

The interior wall can be adjusted by taking a cross sectional view. Use the mouse to grab the wall and get the siding up and over the roof plane.

But I have a question for Louis....

How does one get the sheetrock to show below and siding above...if not done by my concocted method?

[VHampton]

Here's what this looks like in a vector view after the wall was tweaked.