Got Dormers?
A Classic Seattle Remodel

Tale of Two Dormers
One of the most popular remodel projects is the dormer. A dormer is a great way to take unused or under-used space and convert it into a fully used part of a house. Typical applications are to extend the usable floor area of a second story that is under a moderate to steeply pitched roof. Occasionally that area is an unused attic, but typically dormers are used to open up cramped rooms that are cramped under the roof.

The two common types of dormers are "gable" and "shed," referring to two different roof forms. The gable forms a pitched roof over the dormer. The shed dormer is like slicing a rectangle out of your roof, which you then lift from the lower edge and let hinge at the upper side.

This article will focus on a remodel in Phinney Ridge where I used both kinds of dormers on the same house. It is a Classic Remodel of its kind and shows the potential of both kinds of dormers.

Making it Real
The house in Phinney Ridge is a large "over-size" bungalow with craftsman detailing. At some point in its history a stair was installed, which goes upstairs from the dining room. The stair was squeezed into the space above the basement stair, and arrives at the second floor at a headroom of only 4'-6" at the lowest point!

To add a walk-in closet and bathroom, as well as space for proper head room, a shed dormer is being run along the entire back side of the house (west side). To the east, a gable dormer will give both more square feet and a wonderful view of Green Lake and the territorial views available from the Ridge.

The clients are a couple with a young child, and thinking about a second one. They want to make the somewhat cramped upstairs into a real master bedroom, both for current use and for resale when they move into bigger quarters. Like most clients, their first concerns were budget and schedule. I did not know to what extent "green" concerns were of interest. One of the partners has allergies, which is a typical bridge to indoor air quality and ecological materials.

I was delightfully surprised during their "shopping" phase when they told me about going to the Environmental Home Center and looking at low VOC paints, flat weave Berber carpet, and some countertop materials made from recycled paper and plant glues. For the "green" bottom line, I see the dormers extending the use and "recycling" a home, with the client keeping an eye on green materials for finishes.