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I’m putting a 6’wide dormer in a garage roof. The attic will have a 5′ short wall and a vaulted ceiling up to a 7’9″ horizontal ceiling. My plan is to double the rafters on the sides of the dormer walls and build the dormer side walls up against them. The problem is the dormer wall section from the 5′ level up to the ceiling. It looks like I should have a bottom “plate” which starts at 5′ and ends at the ceiling with studs filling in the space between this and the top plates. This bottom plate would have to be toenailed into the dbl rafters. Where the sloped plate and top plates meet a valley would start on each side. Is this sloped bottom “plate” idea common? Do I nail the valley into the sides of the plates? help. I’m staring cross-eyed at my sketches. thank you
Kirk
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Kirk
It sounds like the spring line( the top of the two side walls of the dormer) is 5'. I would first build the gable end of the dormer. I would then build the side walls on top of the double or tiple rafters (ply on top first or make sure that you have a nailer for the roof sheathing ). The walls will be triangles. If you need to close it off below the rafters then fill it in.
Use a 4" seat cut (if you use 2 x4 wall) on your dormer rafters. The underside of the rafter will meet the inside corner of the 5'walls. The centerpoint of the bottom ofyour valleys will be where the bottom of the double rafters are 5' above the floor. For this to work the double rafters need to be flush with the inside of the 5'walls.
I am not sure what you have going on at the ridge of your dormer. Does it tie into a header or the other ridge. Do you have equal pitches? It sounds like when it is finished the dormer ceiling will slope up on both sides and then be flat at 7'-9". If this is the case the ridge may need to be sized up.