Small Shed Dormers on Gambrel Roof - Trusses Chopped Off to Install Dormers
#1
07-20-14, 06:47 AM
Small Shed Dormers on Gambrel Roof - Trusses Chopped Off to Install Dormers
I am under contract to purchase a home. To be clear, this issue isn't one that I think will stop me from buying the home but I do want to be able to come up with a game plan to fix it once I close.
In short, it appears an owner two owners ago wanted to install dormers in garage's gambrel roof in order to put in some windows. His sons installed a half-pipe to skateboard in the upstairs of the garage (the half-pipe is still there) and my guess is that they needed more daylight.
In installing the dormers, they chopped off the roof truss. They did not install headers above the windows. They scabbed in a 2x6 to give the appearance of continuing the framing of the roof put it does not provide support.
All of the roof trusses are 2x6 with 2x8s sistered. There is a 2x6 tie that goes from the front to the back of the garage on each rafter.
You can see in the photo, it is more clear on the right dormer, that the roof has a bit of a smile to it.
What do I do?
If it makes a difference, here are a few other points:
1. The three left bays of the garage have a cement floor, the right bay (a wall separates this from the rest of the garage) has a dirt floor. Block foundation around the whole garage.
2. There are wood beams, (2) 2x8s, holding up a beam that provides support to the 2nd floor floor joists between the 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and third garage doors. The wall that separates the three cement bays from the dirt floor bay is directly below the 2nd dormer.
Thanks for any help.
In short, it appears an owner two owners ago wanted to install dormers in garage's gambrel roof in order to put in some windows. His sons installed a half-pipe to skateboard in the upstairs of the garage (the half-pipe is still there) and my guess is that they needed more daylight.
In installing the dormers, they chopped off the roof truss. They did not install headers above the windows. They scabbed in a 2x6 to give the appearance of continuing the framing of the roof put it does not provide support.
All of the roof trusses are 2x6 with 2x8s sistered. There is a 2x6 tie that goes from the front to the back of the garage on each rafter.
You can see in the photo, it is more clear on the right dormer, that the roof has a bit of a smile to it.
What do I do?
If it makes a difference, here are a few other points:
1. The three left bays of the garage have a cement floor, the right bay (a wall separates this from the rest of the garage) has a dirt floor. Block foundation around the whole garage.
2. There are wood beams, (2) 2x8s, holding up a beam that provides support to the 2nd floor floor joists between the 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and third garage doors. The wall that separates the three cement bays from the dirt floor bay is directly below the 2nd dormer.
Thanks for any help.
This image might show better where the truss/rafter was chopped off in the middle of the dormer.
#3
07-20-14, 12:26 PM
Group Moderator
The sway along the ridge would make me believe that the entire roof was never constructed right in the first place, and the terrible framing job on the dormers is just the icing on the cake, making it's issues even worse.
