Cape Roof Framing

The cape-style home is seen across New England and is popular among first-time home buyers and smaller families due to its quaint size. Many find themselves, however, eventually looking for more space within their homes as their lives and families grow. One great way to maximize the available space in a cape-style house is the addition of dormers to the structure. Dormers are a great way to increase the livable space and curb appeal of a home with sloped second-floor ceilings. Popular styles of dormers include doghouse and shed. Each varies in look, construction complexity, and internal space.

The doghouse-style dormer is a great way to introduce more windows to a space with sloped walls and add to a home’s curb appeal.

Due to their small size, the framing is relatively simple and is achieved without significant changes to the existing roof. When adding a doghouse dormer, a space is opened in the existing roof. A beam is then added at the top of the opening, and the existing rafters on either side are reinforced to support the additional loads the dormer creates. The dormer itself is then framed with new rafters, beams, and walls to connect it to the existing roof.

A shed dormer is a more significant undertaking but can potentially increase the livable square footage on a cape’s second floor by increasing the ceiling in the space. Shed dormers can range from a small chunk of the roof to an entire side.

The framing of a shed dormer is similar to a doghouse dormer in that you create your opening, reinforce the existing rafters around it, and install a beam at the top of the opening for new rafters to connect to. Since a shed dormer has a single-sloped roof, less material is required for installation. Furthermore, if your existing roof has a structural ridge, it is possible for the new dormer to connect to that ridge and will need even less new lumber to be used. The addition of a large shed dormer can potentially increase the occupiable second floor square footage by 150%!

Adding dormers to a home is an opportunity to maximize living space without increasing the home’s footprint. These projects can have a significant impact on the structure of your home. Before undertaking a renovation, make sure an engineer has analyzed the structure and can certify that your new dormer will be constructed properly and be a safe new addition to your home.