Is it possible to add an overhang to a roof which has none. What would be the best way to do this. Is it recommended to add one.

 

Certainly, it's possible. In fact, it's a very doable thing, as long as you're reroofing the house. And, it is a very good thing to do if you happen to live in an area where it rains more than once or twice a year!

On the eave sides (where your rain gutters are), cut your existing sheathing back about 5' from the wall. Sister on a 6' long 2X that is the same width as your rafters, letting it projct 2' beyond the wall. On the gables, cut you existing sheathing back to the 2nd or 3rd rafter in from the wall. Install lookouts that project 2' beyond the gable wall and connect them to the first rafter inside the outside wall. To resheath everything, use full 4' wide plywood on the eaves (you can use OSB from there to the ridge) and on the gables, make sure you use plywood on anything that you can see from the ground. Then, add your facia boards, gutters and new roofing.

 

Hi my name is Cliff , i am doing the very same thing, and have all ready done the eves. am now doing the front and rear i think they are called gables? not sure of the name. my ?? is what are Lookouts????? Please advise so i can install them. thanks

 

I am considering building a 16 X 20 utility/game room out back and have come to a stand still on the roofing. What are lookouts? I want to research so that I understand everything 100% before trying to tackle such a endeavor but can't seem to find out what a lookout is and where and how it's installed. The one drawing I have seen made it appear like the lookout was nothing more than a brace near the end of the eaves between the trusses. How important is ventillation in the roof system of a room of this size? If I just build this room like a big shed, and ignore any roof venting, will all be okay? TIA for your help.


racenut

 

Here is some pics and info on lookouts.
http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projec...e/garage_7.htm

 

Boy this is so easy to show, but a bit hard to explain, if you want to email me with you email address and a fax## and i think i could better draw a picture of them and send it to you or fax it.But i will try also to explain them. the easy way of saying it is they are 2x4s laying flat that run out past the end of the house like eves do, you notch say 2 to 3 rafters back so that the 2x4s lay flush beneath the plywood decking, then they run out past the side of the house how ever far your over hang will be, and you space them about every 4 feet from the base of the roof up to the peak. that is what your roofing will be supported by past the edge of the house, and if you leave them about 1 1/2 inches short you can but up your fasciae board right to the end of them. the spacing kind of has to do with you run from peak to the bottom of the eves making them equally spaced and always being sure to have one at every seam of you roof decking. I hope you can make since of this. Let me know. Cliff cliffhanger45@hotmail.com

 

sorry forgot the rest of your ?? as for venting, well i live where it snows a lot so i said no vents, but had to go back and add them, as it being very cold outside and to worm under the roofing i started to get dampness and even dripping form the moisture in some of my window sills, as the water would build up over months. since i put in the vents all has stopped dripping and all is dry.with good insulation i do not notice any of the cold inside ether.

 

All good points here. Vent the roof or the attic like it is there just to keep the sun snow and rain off the insulation up there and the home is all. Also on the over hang if you want to go by solar the over hang has to stick out as far in inch " as the latitude you live on. So if its 30o lat. the over hang should be 30". ED

 

Hi Ed

I have never heard of this theory on latitude. Although I must say I am not sure if it's true.

When looking at a map, latitude lines run horizontally. Latitude lines are also known as parallels since they are parallel and are an equal distant from each other. Each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km) apart; there is a variation due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate ellipsoid (slightly egg-shaped). To remember latitude, imagine them as the horizontal rungs of a ladder ("ladder-tude"). Degrees latitude are numbered from 0° to 90° north and south. Zero degrees is the equator, the imaginary line which divides our planet into the northern and southern hemispheres. 90° north is the North Pole and 90° south is the South Pole.


So are you saying that if I build a house at the equator I do not need a overhang since the latitude at the equator is 0 ? And if I lived in the arctic I would need and overhang of 90 inches?

 

Thats for sure. Dig out the solar books and think about it. With a home running east and west. How wide the over hang is ,is how it will keep the sun out of you home in the summer. As the sun goes lower in the winter then it will let it in in the windows.

A home on the equator in the summer would have the sun right over head so you dont need any over hang to keep the sun out of the windows. You could for rain . Up in the arctic you dont need it to keep the sun out, Its just to cold and been there when days where only about 20 min long and it was night again

Also You should set a solar panel on your roof at the angle of degrees the same as the latitude you are at facing south say for water or hot air. ED

 

That is one i have never herd of, i can not picture an over hang of 90 inches, but if its true then it is very interesting, i do wonder what the reason behind it would be. Any way to the person who ask me about the lookouts, did it help you??

 

Please ignore .. have started a new thread as rightly pointed out by nap.

 

Wow this one sounds really strange. and yes to the ?? the lookouts worked out great, thanks again. Cliff

 

You might want to start this in your own thread rajang. It seems you have hijacked an older thread that the OP has setup for e-mail notification of new posts. (hence the rise from the dead post following yours)

I am not a carpenter but from what I can see with your idea, it is feasible and actually done in practice in many places.

Hang on for the carpenter guys to catch on to this but as I said, you might want to delete this post and start a new thread about this.