Trying to decide what size, 2 or 1 and if 1 on the lower or upper ridge.
House is 73 feet across the front (23′ is garage).
Been thinking one on the lower ridge around 30″ high.
Any and all advice appreciated.
I have made a lot of money in my life. Most of it I spent on women and boats. The rest I simply wasted!!
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Replies
as decortions only I would limit to one on the top ridge.
As functional venting, i would do two, the top one slightly larger than the garage one
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Non-functioning is the plan. DW wants two and me one. I guess the vote is tied thus far. Getting a new roof (hail) so I want it to look right.
I have made a lot of money in my life. Most of it I spent on women and boats. The rest I simply wasted!!
Why would anyone go to the trouble to put a cupola on and not take advantage to it's ability to ventilate the attic?
Maybe he ha a system that is working 'just right!' and doesn't want to unbalance it.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Here in south central Missouri we have some very heavy, driving rains at times. Then there is the critters like wasps and coons that will chew threw stuff. Going to put in the ridge vent plus the other 10 existing vents,
I have made a lot of money in my life. Most of it I spent on women and boats. The rest I simply wasted!!
OK. This is one of my pet peeves. Cupolas were originally installed on barns, to encourage ventilation, so the hay inside would dry. (Because dry hay doesn't rot and, so I've heard, wet hay actually encourages lightning strikes -- who'd a thunk it?)
Cupolas belong on barns, not on houses. Unless you're storing hay in that spare bedroom? (OK, so a garage is sorta, kinda the modern equivalent of a barn. So that will slip by. Just.)
Just my $.02. But I'm not a designer, so what do I know? Other people install their fake louvered shutters backwards, put "wells" made out of 2X4 cutoffs in their front yards, and even plywood ladies bending over displaying their fat a. . . , er, bloomers, and it's all kosher. It's yer boat, so whatever floats it.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Cupolas are an integral part of the old Florida house design. You have a steeply pitched metal roof up to a cupola, lots of ground level windows and an open porch all the way around to keep the sun out. This creates a house that has natural ventilation and will stay relatively cool all summer without A/C. In a more modern house think of it as a "free" attic fan.
"Cupolas are an integral part of the old Florida house design."
Never saw this. Learned sumthin' new. How does the cupola vent the house -- grilles in the ceilings to the roof space?
Gee, I guess I'll have to take a trip to Fla. (this winter, of course, when it's sub-zero here in Da 'Burgh.) for an educational junket -- tax deductable, of course! ;-)
That said, the OP's house didn't look much like what you describe. I have a personal aversion to gewgaws nailed onto houses "just for looks".
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
The original cracker house didn't have a ceiling but the trick works if you just have some kind of hole in the ceiling. A lot of people with attic steps in the garage leave them open a bit for the same reason.
In South Florida "heat" is not really an issue. You might only run the toaster wire heater in your air handler a couple days a year. I am not sure we turned ours on at all last winter.
I am not sure how much these people who super insulate their attics actually save.I do have a functional cupola in my future. We use whole house fans a good percentage of the year tho.
"I have a personal aversion to gewgaws nailed onto houses "just for looks"."
I don't like it either. The "Doodad look" I call it.
Runnerguy
Cupolas were put on houses but for different reasons then ones on barns. Here's the Mt. Vernon cupola: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2441573730038034569xFEtkc
I built this cupola for my barn. Paid atention to proportioning it right as I wanted to give the barn a little "signature". Where I lived everyone put a lot of thought into the house but when it came to the outbuildings, they all had T-111 with 1:12 roof pitches.
This barn was copied in various forms by several neighbors. I built the cupola on the ground and when I got it done it was heavy. The barn builders said they could haul it up but I opted for a crane which weighed it in at 600 pounds.
Sorry the photo's not that great but everyone commented on how nice the cupola looked. Kept the hay loft well ventilated while at the same time providing lots of light.
Runnerguy
"Cupolas were put on houses but for different reasons then ones on barns. Here's the Mt. Vernon cupola:"
You know, when I was posting that, I was trying to think of any examples of true cupolas on houses. I was thinking that maybe something colonial, or Queen Anne, but couldn't come up with anything. That one right there is nice!
But on a ranch? Not my cup 'o tea.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
"But on a ranch? Not my cup 'o tea."I agree. Totally out of context.Runnerguy
Everything is out of context until somebody does it and someone else copies it.
No. If something out of context is copied it only means there are now two homeowners with no taste.Runnerguy
"No. If something out of context is copied it only means there are now two homeowners with no taste."... and when 10 people do something it becomes the next big thing.Around here it is that "House of Zorro" architecture with the baby poop brown stucco, foam bands and fake tile roof
Here's one on my house-larger that the 1" to 1' rule of thumb, more like twice that. It does a good job letting out the heat on those rare hot days in Maine. It has two openable electric windows and two fixed windows. Inside, we put a pulley at the top and hang stuff (Christmas decorations, kites, etc.) from a rope running from the pulley to a cleat.
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"Inside, we put a pulley at the top and hang stuff (Christmas decorations, kites, etc.) from a rope running from the pulley to a cleat."
I once lived in a real barn. (Now, when somebody yells "Close the door! Were you raised in a barn"? I can reply in the affirmative. Well, not "raised", exactly. But still, . . . . Had a real cupola too!)
We also found the high rafters excellent resources for Christmas decorations, etc. Once, after a few too many beers and hot toddys, we went out to a tree farm to cut down a tree. We found one in the middle of the field that looked good. We proceeded to cut it down, not noticing how long it was taking to get the saw through it. When it finall fell, two of us couldn't lift it onto the car (and not because of the beers.) It was a tad bigger than it looked out in that field. Way too big to fit in any tree stand, or to get it upstairs to the living quarters in the barn. We had to hoist it with the hay crane, hang it from the rafters, it's trunk suspended in a tub of water. Best tree I ever had.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
PS: I was gonna say yours is more of a clerestory than a cupola, but that's probably not technically correct either. I'm feeling dumber and dumber as this thread continues. But I still don't like cupolas on ranches. ;-)
Edited 8/5/2008 3:10 pm ET by MikeHennessy
It is about 26-27 feet from the floor to the peak of the cupola. I wanted to get a huge Christmas tree to put under it, but DW reminded me that a 25 foot long tree would be a bit heavy to drag home from the woods. Even the ten footer we got was pretty awkward to set up.
Our pulley system was not designed by an engineer, so I'm not sure how much weight it will bear. After a few beverages, anyone visiting usually has some creative ideas about what to suspend from it.
"After a few beverages, anyone visiting usually has some creative ideas about what to suspend from it."
LOL. Well, I gotta tell ya, I can think of a few creative ideas -- and that's BEFORE the beers! ;-)
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
(Because dry hay doesn't rot and, so I've heard, wet hay actually encourages lightning strikes -- who'd a thunk it?)
Never heard of wet hay encouraging lightning strikes but it does cause spontaneous combustion thus causing the barn to burn to the ground!
I've stuck my hand into a wet bale of hay after it had been sitting for a while and I could not hold it there for more then a few seconds, to damn hot. It will continue to get hotter thus starting a fire.
Doug
"does cause spontaneous combustion"
Amen to that. I've heard hay mounds in fields burst into flames this way.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
I agree with just one for decoration but would install on garage. Just my preference.
Personally, I don't think they look right on hip roofs. But if you must, the ROT is 1" of width for every foot of length on the ridge. So if the garage is 23' wide and you put it there (preferred) it should be +/- 24" square.
Jeff
Here is ours - 32" square based on 32' long garage/shop - it is functional
Edited 8/2/2008 7:21 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke
I thought the same thing as soon as I opened the OP's pic.
IMO it looks like a mixing of styles.
Family.....Their always there when they need you.
Thje low pitch on his seemed more out of place for a cupola than the hip did, but you are right - I don't think I have seen many on hip roofs.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Using your ROT, on a 24 x 40 shop should I build a square or rectangular cupola?
ROT comes from Allen's Cupolas - a great builder in PA (uses old growth redwood). So a ridge of 40' suggests a cupola of 40" square (they're usually square ;o) )
Jeff
Jeff, have you got a link for Allen's Cupolas? Can never have too many good sources!
Rich
Here is his contact information:http://restorationandbuildingservices.com/pages.php?which_page=profilelister&which_lister=2689
But as far as I know he doesn't have a website.
Jeff
Beautiful setting, appears lake (water front), LOVE the cupola detail on homes and out bldgs. , with/without weather vanes. Until reading these posts never thought of the hip/ridge thing, but since it's brought to mind, the hip cupola (might not) look right. Everything is personal taste. IMO if you're going to put one up I'd place it on the house centered on the front door, based on the photo.
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I have made a lot of money in my life. Most of it I spent on women and boats. The rest I simply wasted!!
Very interesting, truely seems to be a great spot. Have spent many yrs. on the water myself, mostly the Hudson River and LI Sound.
I'm with alot of others on the look of a cupola on a long and low ranch, however, if your heart's set on it I think my placement would be over the front entry door as well. Sometimes a little oversize might not be too bad, maybe with a hip pitched to match your house (with metal roofing). Maybe even a lighted cupola to give it a little bit of function (you'd be able to see your house from the water). That said, after the cuploa is up the entry would be begging for an update, maybe and entry portico with some nice columns. See how easy it is to spend others money??
Giving up on the idea of a cupola. Just trying to dress up the front. I am going to put a portico over the front door. Will use 6X6 cedar to match the lake side. Have thought about faux shutters. Fat fingers, pics are the same.
Thanks all for your input.
edited to add
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I have made a lot of money in my life. Most of it I spent on women and boats. The rest I simply wasted!!
Edited 8/5/2008 12:47 pm ET by Ozark