Replies

1. 
   gdavis62 | Aug 22, 2004 05:37am | #1

   Here's one.

1. 
   nickpartain1 | Aug 22, 2004 04:58pm | #2

   Bob,

        Your drawing is very good.  The eyebrow I'm talking about would be out in the

   middle of a Gable roof of about a 8 / 12 pitch.  It also has a window to let in light.

   You probably know what I'm looking for.  Thanks for your help.

   Thanks,

    Nick

1. 
   gdavis62 | Aug 22, 2004 05:11pm | #3

   I know what you are looking for, but I thought my sketch might set you in the right direction.

   Eyebrows are always over ceilings with a curved shape, and I think it is best to think outward from the shape of the ceiling.  Yours is likely over heated space, so you need a ceiling structure with enough thickness to insulate appropriately.  My sketch shows a thin ceiling structure, because it is over a screened porch.

   Dream up a ceiling structure, with curved rafters or whatever, and then figure on how to set it on your plated sidewalls.  It's really just like a dormer, except that your roof is shaped, rather than in pitched planes.

   Your roof opening is headed off square to get your eyebrow to poke through, then you stickframe the connecting rafters onto the curved roofdeck of the dormer, like shown in my pic.

2. 
   Framer | Aug 22, 2004 05:25pm | #4

   I've never framed one but would love too. I'll try this link from a guy that framed one a few years ago and posted pictures of it. I also have a book from Will Holladay called,

   "A Roof Cutter's Secrets" To Framing the Custom Home.

   He has a section starting on page 194 on how he does Eyebrow dormers along with pictures and formulas to figure all the cuts.

   Also there's an article called "Raising an Eyebrow" by James Docker page 47 an he shows two different ways to frame them in the 1996 Addition of "Framing Roofs" The Best of Fine Homebuilding.

   http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070337.asp

   http://www.cbczine.com/dealdormer/index.htm

   Joe Carola

   Edited 8/22/2004 10:31 am ET by Framer

   
   

   ---

   Edited 8/22/2004 10:32 am ET by Framer

1. 
   nickpartain1 | Aug 22, 2004 08:27pm | #8

   Framer,

        I've got Will Holladays book and mine only has 179 pages.  Copywright

   1989.  Is yours the same?

   Nick

1. 
   Framer | Aug 22, 2004 08:38pm | #9

   Sorry, I should've mentioned it was his latest book 2002. It has 323 pages. It's worth buying.

   http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconline.filereader?4128d7e4002c50fa27177f0000010596+EN/products/RC102

   Also you can get "The Roof Framers Bible" That's an great book also. Talks alot about "Bastard Hips" and alot of other roof framing.

   http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconline.storefront/4128d93b000e3de927177f0000010567/Product/View/RB950

   Joe Carola

1. 
   nickpartain1 | Aug 22, 2004 10:31pm | #12

   Framer,

        Thanks for the info.  I just ordered 2 of Will Holladays books.

3. 
   UncleDunc | Aug 22, 2004 05:31pm | #5

   A search for eyebrow at the FHB magazine index http://www.taunton.com/cgi-bin/artresult-fh.cgi returns about 30 hits.

4. 
   davidmeiland | Aug 22, 2004 06:30pm | #6

   You mean something like the picture? Wish I could draw like Bob....

   It's California framed, meaning that the roof is framed and sheathed, and then the dormer is framed on top of the sheathing. You may need to head off one rafter (twice) to create a skylight-type hole. The main trick is to come up with the curved header/top plate assembly and then install chunks of rafter that run level back from that to the sheathing.

   Then go underneath and detail the underside of the lid so that the flat ceiling ties into the vault. Great place to use plaster, not rock.

   I bet you could talk to a hundred good framers and not find a guy who ever built one....OK... maybe one guy.

1. 
   gdavis62 | Aug 22, 2004 07:15pm | #7

   I once detailed one out, but didn't get to build it.  The pic I showed of the porch, we'll do next spring.  The one I detailed years ago, had curved rafters made up of laminated plywood, due to the need for insulation space and a tighter radii.  We couldn't have bandsawn the rafters out of LVL18, so were gonna use ply instead.

   As I said in my earlier post, it is framed like a dormer, if it is to have floor space bumpout.  If it is just a little slope ceiling peek-a-boo, sort of a skylight with style, I would still head off a rectangular hole in the rafters, build the whole thing on the deck in subassemblies, and hoist 'er up with the help of some friends.

2. 
   nickpartain1 | Aug 22, 2004 08:41pm | #10

   I know, I can cut any roof and set of stairs, layout any building or home.

   I've never framed an eyebrow,  I guess I'm still an apprentice.  Ha!

   Really I could "get the eyebrow framed" I just want to elimminate

   the process of elimination if you know what I mean.

   Thanks,

   Nick P.

1. 
   davidmeiland | Aug 22, 2004 10:19pm | #11

   I'd lay out and build up the fascia/plate/header deal on the bench, take it up on the roof, nail it down, and then stick in the 'rafters'. Since it's not production... it won't be production! I think Bob's right about the plywood, and I'd probably get a sheet of 3/4" Finn birch, cut it in half, laminate the halves together for 1-1/2" thickness, lay out the curve, jigsaw or bandsaw that out, and take it from there. Guaranteed to be over budget on the framing alone, and we haven't even talked about how you get the sash you need.

1. 
   nickpartain1 | Aug 22, 2004 10:32pm | #13

   What's a budget?

1. 
   Framer | Aug 22, 2004 11:26pm | #15

   Just another link or idea for an Eyebrow Dormer.

   http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/images/exteriors/ex200210_eye03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/print/0,17071,357593,00.html&h=168&w=203&sz=11&tbnid=Av4ebutkNOUJ:&tbnh=81&tbnw=97&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3DEyebrow%2BRafters%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG

   Joe Carola

2. 
   davidmeiland | Aug 22, 2004 11:34pm | #16

   Budget: how much you told them it would cost before they signed your T&M contract!

5. 
   Timuhler | Aug 22, 2004 11:02pm | #14

   There are some great articles at JLC and those mentioned in FHB that combined should give you all you need to know.  I haven't tried for awhile, but go to goole and click images and type eyebrow roof or some variation of words.  You might get a few pics of the framing.

   Take a look at this website http://www.kylehuntpartners.com/gallery.htm  It takes awhile for the gallery to load, but there are some great pics of finished eyebrows from the exterior and the interior.  I'm still waiting to do one of these.  I think I might get to this winter.

   When you get to do the eyebrow, take lots of pics and post them :-)