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Dormer on raised ceiling

gjhensley | Posted in Construction Techniques on March 14, 2014 09:26am

I’m trying to draw this dormer framing and funky truss system but am having problems in the area where the dormer ties into the trusses. I don’t know if this is possible (especially the half truss) but I want a raised ceiling to extend along the width of the house (sort of an extension of the dormer) so I threw a funky half truss to achieve that. Is something similar to this possible? Is there a fairly easy way to describe what I might do to get this effect? Thanks

Truss

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Exterior

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  1. DanH | Mar 14, 2014 09:52pm | #1

    I suspect you need to talk to a truss designer.  The folks who work with them know all the tricks and can come up with the best configuration for you.  Anything you do beyond a crude conceptual drawing they'd throw out anyway, and redesign them the "right" way..

    1. gjhensley | Mar 15, 2014 09:49am | #2

      Thanks...

      Thanks, you're right, I just like to mess around with the drawings to get a sense of what's going on.

      1. DanH | Mar 18, 2014 10:19pm | #4

        If I had to design something like this I'd lay in a supply of balsa from a hobby shop and build a model.

        1. gjhensley | Mar 18, 2014 11:17pm | #6

          Scale models are really cool, but I can draw a little easier.

          1. DanH | Mar 19, 2014 07:27am | #7

            Kinda hard to draw in 3 dimensions.  Yeah, you can do oblique drawings and all that, but they're hard to get right.  (But then, I'm a "tactile" learner, as I understand it.)

  2. finefinish | Mar 18, 2014 09:55pm | #3

    Hey GJ, Does it have to be built with trusses for some reason?  It is fairly simple to stick frame this type of dormer and roof.

    1. gjhensley | Mar 18, 2014 11:15pm | #5

      Hey, I guess I was thinking trusses to span that 28' width front to back of the house (living room+kitchen). I was assuming I would need a scissor truss or something similar. After you posted this I researched a little and it looks like I could use a ridge beam and not need the ceiling joist over the living room and kitchen? 

  3. User avater
    Mike_Mahan | Mar 19, 2014 10:02am | #8

    Conventional

    What you want to do is fairly easy with conventional framing. Attached are some photos of a project I built some years ago, that was basically what you describe. I can't find the CAD files, but I'll keep looking. The interior shows the roof structure with a partially dropped luminous ceiling that contains lights and features a skylight above.

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