Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Dormer Dilemma #7597 11/19/99 04:37 PM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3
E
E ODonoghue Offline OP
Member
OP Offline
Member
E
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3
Hello all, my partner and I are building a timber frame home up here in Northern BC and want to include a dormer. For the challenge we want to design, engineer and build a timber dormer. In the Guilds Timber Frame Joinery and Design Workbook, Ed Levins drawing of a similar style dormer has the jackrafters joining the side of the valley rafter instead of the top (plane of the roof). This seems to make the joinery more complicated and yet I am unable to see the design advantage? Is it stronger, more aesthetically pleasing, or just a technical challenge. The associated article was good in explaining the Hawkindale angles and how to approach the drawing of compound angles but it fails to answer the why's of joinery. As these are Ed's drawings I am sure there is a 'why' and I am just missing it. What am I missing?
Thanks

Re: Dormer Dilemma #7598 11/22/99 12:26 PM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 344
Joel McCarty Offline
Member
Offline
Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 344
Thanks for your interest in the metaphysics of timberframing. What you find on the web page is a way of doing all wooden joinery dormers, not the official Guild-sanctioned way (there is none). Dormer framing styles vary by size, region, species, designer, and of course, client. Most timberframers are prepared to go to some lengths to achieve all-wood joinery in their complex roof work. Clearly a dormer would be much simpler to fabricate and install if it were, say, made on the ground of structural foam-core panels, and hoisted into place after trim and painting. If simplicity were the only criteria, we'd all be building pole barns.

Clients, and owner-builders, and timberframers need to find the balence point between the competing interests of time, money and quality. Let me know how I can help.


Moderated by  mdfinc 

Newest Members
HFT, Wrongthinker, kaymaxi, RLTJohn, fendrishi
5134 Registered Users
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3
(Release build 20190728)
PHP: 5.4.45 Page Time: 0.086s Queries: 14 (0.047s) Memory: 3.1104 MB (Peak: 3.3980 MB) Data Comp: Off Server Time: 2024-03-29 11:50:28 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS