# Dormer position help!



## akajoe87 (Sep 16, 2015)

This is the house I am building attached. One pic shows where the dormer is setting and the other shows where I think it should set to look right. What do you guys think? Are there any rules to dormer position on roof?


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## digiconsoo (Apr 23, 2012)

Are these decorative only?

Also, what is going on with the gable framing over the garage? It looks like there is a gable truss sitting on top of main roof trusses?


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## akajoe87 (Sep 16, 2015)

They are decorative only. Yes it is a gable truss sitting above the garage.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

I would set one center with the door and the other one center with the window.


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## Texas Wax (Jan 16, 2012)

Center on Main window and run even spacing from roof edge (Symmetry)

No one ideal fix for this, imho - very individually subjective. 

Dormers look itty bitty , that doesn't help


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## kiteman (Apr 18, 2012)

digiconsoo said:


> Are these decorative only?
> 
> 
> 
> Also, what is going on with the gable framing over the garage? It looks like there is a gable truss sitting on top of main roof trusses?



Looks like an eyebrow to me.


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## akajoe87 (Sep 16, 2015)

Texas Wax said:


> Center on Main window and run even spacing from roof edge (Symmetry)
> 
> No one ideal fix for this, imho - very individually subjective.
> 
> Dormers look itty bitty , that doesn't help


I really like this idea. So is that the official way to position them?


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Both books referenced have excellent chapters on dormer usage. First,Get Your House Right by Marianne Cusato and Traditional Construction Patterns by Steve Mouzon. In order to prevent dormers from appearing clumsy and awkward there are several guidelines that need to be followed. Just for example,no siding on dormer cheeks,windows should take up entire front elevation of dormer,window needs to be in scale with main floor window + no pork chop returns. Those two books should be on every designer,architect and builders shelf IMHO.


The biggest violation of builder designed dormers is they are usually much larger than should be and consequently appear clumsy,and top heavy.


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## Texas Wax (Jan 16, 2012)

akajoe87 said:


> I really like this idea. So is that the official way to position them?


No official way really. No one formula either ...

One way to create visual appeal is to have major elements line up. See Greg24k's image.
Another way is symmetry - balanced elements. 

Example-Centering a dormer on the door looks crowded into the valley on your house. Using symmetry (equal spacing of centers) at the roof level looks better, more balanced. If one dormer is centered on the large windows it all flows in a balanced (visual appealing) way.

Small variations, like distance from entry door to garage wall can make a difference. As to what is visually appealing. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

This current article will shed a tad of light on the subject.



http://www.finehomebuilding.com/design/departments/drawing-board/designing-gable-dormers.aspx


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Texas Wax said:


> No official way really. No one formula either ...
> 
> One way to create visual appeal is to have major elements line up. See Greg24k's image.
> Another way is symmetry - balanced elements.




Another way is to organize the elevations with the usage of regulating lines.


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## akajoe87 (Sep 16, 2015)

So what do you think now? This will give everyone a better idea of what the porch is going to look like. The dormers are not centered with anything below the roof. Just centered with mid roof.


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

Something a little different. I think the dormers simply do not work with such a low pitch roof.

Andy.


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## Defenestrate (Aug 13, 2015)

Just my opinion, but the 2 dormers weren't doing it for me. If you lined them up with anything below, they looked odd. If you scattered them symmetrically on the roof, they looked odd. I like ScipioAfricanus's idea. (Though I'd also support just leaving it alone and having no additional adornment.)


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## Rio (Oct 13, 2009)

I think both designs work better than the original but the two dormer one looks more like what one would see on a track, I think since you have the porch it would make sense to center the opening to the porch under Scipios....


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## akajoe87 (Sep 16, 2015)

ScipioAfricanus said:


> Something a little different. I think the dormers simply do not work with such a low pitch roof.
> 
> Andy.


Thanks for the idea but I honestly like the dormers better. I am learning all of these types of things are in the eye of the beholder.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

akajoe87 said:


> Thanks for the idea but I honestly like the dormers better. I am learning all of these types of things are in the eye of the beholder.


Most likely you will end up with a shed roof, because gable will now work, I had to raise the pitch in order drop a dormer on it to have it the way you showed.

Good luck


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## akajoe87 (Sep 16, 2015)

r.[/QUOTE]
because gable will now work, I had to raise the pitch in order drop a dormer on it to have it the way you showed.

Good luck[/QUOTE]

Did you mean not and not now?


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

akajoe87 said:


> r.


because gable will now work, I had to raise the pitch in order drop a dormer on it to have it the way you showed.

Good luck[/QUOTE]

Did you mean not and not now?[/QUOTE]

Not


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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

Why not save the $ for something that will add value without raising the maintenance costs?

Higher pitched roof, the shingles ALWAYS last longer and they're stronger.... 

Make the house 2' longer or wider..... Big rooms SELL.

Egress window in basement with extra window in same room.

Better cabinetry....

Better plumbing fixtures/ added 3/4 bath in basement?

Finished garage, storage, floor epoxy etc...

Around here they paint the inside of dormer windows black, so they never need cleaning.

Dormers are lipstick on this pig. the pig being a house that no old or lazy person would ever consider buying, or anybody with disabled friends or relatives.

There was a reason this lot was so cheap to buy.


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