I’ve posted a few times re: a new front porch project that I am placing on my house. I plan on hiring the rough framing out although I’ll being doing the basic design work. What I would like to do is have a roof that is essentially a shed roof with a Gable coming out such that it frames the doorway. I’ve seen houses where this has been done and was wondering how one would frame the outside Gable end so that you get the open arched look. Obviously the carrying beam for the rafter and ceiling joists can’t span this area. But with no beam and hence no vertical support for the outside ridge beam how does one transfer the loads from the Gable portion of the roof. I hope this makes sense. The basic idea is a gable at a right angle to the long run of the shed, centered on the shed, probably 6-8′ wide with a vaulted ceiling, that is higher than the ceiling under the shed roof portions. I’ll see if I can post a drawing if further clarification is needed.
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Hi Rip,
I know you are talking about an open porch, but I posting some pics of what I believe to be a similar frame. Maybe I'm not understanding your description completely.
These pics are of gable/valley framing tieing in perpendicular to a shed roof. The framing shots are of the gable with the french door in the center of the exterior shot. If this isn't what you are talking about, at least we can begin to narrow down what you aren't talking about.
Could be a barrel vault?
Outriggers/flying rake?
Here's a couple I put on my house, that are something like what you're asking, maybe? I used the gable over the entry so it diverts water.
In one shot, you can kind of see the framing.
Dave and Diesel,
The orientation you are showing is what I am after, and yes it would be like a barrel vault ceiling but the main thing I am looking for is that on the open end of the gable there is no supporting beam and vertical member on which the ridge beam rests. The analogy that I can think of is like the old Roman masonry arches where there is a keystone at the apex of the arch and where the opposing forces from either side of the arch are what keep the arch in place even though there is no support in the middle of the arch. I would imagine that some sort of truss would achieve this, with essentially no continuous ridge beam, but there must be some "old-fashioned" way to fram this as I have seen it on many houses from the early 1900s. I hope this brings clarity. Thanks for your input.
Dave,
I like the proportions of this. Whats the width of the gable end realtive to the shed roof portion, and what are the slopes of the two roofs. Nice work!
Both gables are scaled to the doors they shelter. The smaller one is probably 5'+/- for a 3' door, and the total length of the porch is 11'. The rear doors are 5' Frenchies, so I'm guessing the gable is 7 or 8 feet. The whole porch is 22'. Pitches are whatever I could get, given the window placements.
You frame it the old way with valley rafters.