I need to build two 5 foot wide by 5 foot tall fake dormers. My question is do I build them after the sheathing is on the main roof or do I tie the dormers directly to the truss members and sheath around the dormers? They are for looks only.
Thanks.
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You can do it either way, but after the roof sheathing is on is easier. If you do it after roof sheathing you may need to cut out a piece of sheathing to allow access to make the building inspector happy. Also, if you build them after roof sheathing, be sure to lay 2x material flat on the roof where the dormer framing will "land". You may want to put some blocking in the main roof to help distribute the load of the dormers between truss members; this would be before the main roof is sheathed. This type of construction is called an "overframe". Question: was the truss company aware of the plans for the dormers at the time the trusses were designed? In other words, some thought has to be given to how the trusses will bear the load of the dormers (although it won't be much load), regardless of weather you build the dormers before or after the roof sheathing. If you havn't done your homework in this area, it may just be a matter of a phone call to the truss company.
Matt's right, they're much easier to build with the main roof plywood already on. You'll have a plywood surface to chalk your lines on. Chances are your corners will land in a spot between trusses, where you'll have nothing to mark without the plywood there.