Dormers On Houses

Dormers on houses are a common feature of many American homes. They were originally invented by a French architect Francois Mansart. Dormers are small, protruding structures built on the sloping roofs of houses. Besides being an innovative aspect of home decorating, they create some additional space and headroom, and also increase the ventilation and lighting in the attics and upper rooms. Dormers are useful if you plan to create a living space in your attic. They can also be thought of as windows that have their own roof and extend onto the larger, overall roof of the house. They can significantly improve the aesthetics of your house.

Types of Dormers

Dormers can have many different shapes, each of which can complement the architecture of a house. Some of the common types are mentioned below.

The Gable Dormer
This dormer is shaped like a gable. It consists of a pitched roof with a gable at each end. It goes well with the American Colonial, Colonial Revival, Federal, Georgian, Queen Anne and English Tudor house styles.

The Hipped Dormer
This type of dormer is characterized by its roof which has three sloped sides. It is sheltered from the sides by the sloping roof which looks like a pointed cap over the dormer. It goes well with the Shingle, Prairie and French Eclectic house styles.

The Shed Dormer
The shed dormers have a single-planed, pitched roof. These dormers are not the same pitch as the main roof and require different roof sheeting. They go well with English Tudor, Arts and Crafts, Bungalow and Dutch Colonial house styles.

The Flat Roof Dormer
As the name suggests, roof dormers have a flat roof. These dormers are suitable when the loft space is not very high.

The Recessed Dormer
The recessed or inset dormer, is set back underneath the roof of the house. This dormer looks good on small roofs, as it doesn't jut out like most of the other types.

The Eyebrow Dormer
This type of dormer lacks vertical sides and consists of only a curved roofing. It is also set in the roof and looks like a half-open eye. It is a feature of Shingle style architecture.

Points to Remember While Building Dormers

• The dormer should blend well with the overall structure and design of the house. A huge dormer on a small house or a very tiny dormer on a big house will definitely not create a very good picture. So, in case of dormers, the correct size and proportioning matter a lot.
• The dormer should not occupy more than half the width of the roof on which it is built.
• The dormer should be placed slightly lower than halfway down the roof. This is necessary because the ridges of the dormers should be lower than the main ridge of the house.
• The roof of the dormer should follow the same style as that of the main roof.
• The dormer windows should be smaller than the windows on the walls below in order to create an aesthetically correct structure.

When trying to increase the living space in your home, the most economical options are dormers on houses. Cost of dormer additions is much lesser than any other type of home additions, as no extra excavation or foundation work is required. Dormers are a great way to add a new dimension to your home. They are very useful in creating small living spaces which can provide a good view, as well as some peace and quiet, and at the same time, enhance the appearance of your home.