Not always a term can indicate a characteristic, an image of its subject. Let's take dormers. Quite an old design, which remains relevant today. But why is the window a dormer? What is it for? How to equip it, what variety to choose? We will answer all these and other equally interesting questions in the course of the article.
What is this?
A dormer window is one of the small structural elements that is located on an attic or mansard roof. You can also find the following names for it:
- birdhouse;
- train;
- bull's eye;
- bat;
- gnome's house;
- dormer;
- lucarnia and others
The purpose of arranging such an element was originally the ventilation of the attic or attic space. Then the dormer window began to be used as a natural source of light. Often today it is designed purely as a decorative element. If we take into account the practical task, then in modern times the dormer window is often replaced with a ventilation grill.
Today you canfind entire encyclopedias of recommendations on the shape, arrangement and decoration of such elements. Consequently, skylights are still popular and relevant today.
Purpose
The purpose of an element affects its location:
- Natural light - southern roof slope.
- Ventilation of the attic or attic space - northern slope.
Sometimes dormer windows are also used as a "door" to access the roof - for example, for maintenance or repair work. There may be an additional emergency route. Increasingly, their only function in modern buildings is purely decorative.
If you ignore the arrangement of a dormer window on the roof or an alternative element to it, you can observe the following:
- Heat loss through the attic space is inevitable, even if you have laid high-quality interfloor insulation. Hence the appearance of a large amount of condensate in the attic, which, without a ventilation hole, threatens with the accumulation of moisture, dampness, mold growth.
- The lack of natural light, even in a non-residential attic, is an unpleasant factor. This promotes the growth of mold and mildew, and also attracts mice and rats with dark corners.
Ear hole and home security
Such elements are also desirable to ensure the safety of the entire structure of the home. The point is that the flow rateair with a strong gust of wind creates a certain rarefaction above the roof. Under the roof, the pressure does not change. From this, the roof tends to rise, break. Even if its weight is decent, and the mounts are reliable, this is a negative phenomenon - strong vibrations pass through the walls of the house.
And what about the dormer window on the roof? It acts as an overpressure valve during a hurricane. That is, the air flow is more likely to knock out the glass, equalizing the pressure, rather than lift the roof into the air.
Design, device element
The classic design of dormer windows of houses is a superstructure on the roof in the form of a kind of house. The calculation of its dimensions is made according to the needs of the attic room for lighting. Often several such windows are constructed at once, separated by beams.
Dormer windows can be louvered, can be glazed. Quite often, the opening performs both of these functions at once. Glass - for lighting, blinds - for ventilation. For sufficient ventilation of the space, a difference with the street temperature of 5-10 degrees is suitable.
You can arrange several dormer windows in one row or sort of "scatter" them in a checkerboard pattern. When designing, it is important to remember that the total width of all openings should approximately equal the length of the edge of the roof slope. The distance from the floor of the attic or attic to the lower window row is about 1 meter.
For dormer structures, they usually use the same type of roof as for the roof, so as not to disturb the overall harmony. Moreover, they are settlingsuch windows are not only on new houses, but also on those requiring modernization and reconstruction.
Types of dormer windows
And now let's move on to the classification of elements. By design features, dormer windows in the attic or attic are divided into the following types:
- Single-pitch.
- Gable.
- Flat.
- Triangular.
- Built-in.
- Hip roof.
- Arched (with a semicircular and bow arch).
- Arched with full glazing.
By shape they can be divided into the following types:
- quadrilateral;
- semicircular, round (oval dormer windows look very nice);
- triangular;
- trapezoidal;
- panoramic;
- "light lantern", "antiaircraft lantern" (all-glass construction, made without transverse frames).
Vertical glazing variety is also popular:
- With a gable and side walls in the plane of the house.
- With a gable and side walls outside the plane of the house.
- With a gable in the plane of the house, without side walls.
Let's look at the most interesting varieties in more detail.
Shed structures
The roof here lies at a slope of 15 degrees, which is enough to drain precipitation from the window. This design is known for its ease of execution. However, for greater reliability, you should also create a roof overhang over the "house"skylight.
Gable structures
Here there is some difficulty due to the fact that it is necessary to organize the correct joining of the parts of the roof at different angles. However, the gable embodiment looks more aesthetically pleasing. It should also be noted its high reliability with high-quality sealing of seams.
Often, a domed or radius roof is used to equip gable dormer windows.
Triangle designs
The most common in modern times. They differ in roofing slopes of a large angle of inclination. The pediment of this design of dormers is in the same plane with the pediment of the building. Thus, the installation of the element is carried out according to the scheme that its center lines coincide with the axes of the windows of the entire building, which quite harmoniously fits the design into the overall concept.
The steepness of the roof slopes here does not increase the volume of the attic, but it does not complicate the problem of storm sewers. Also, the triangular design is characterized by a simple waterproofing of the side walls. Its slope descends to the roof to the groove, which by itself solves the issue of tightness.
Installing the structure
Let's use a simple example (a triangular dormer window) to consider how the structure is installed:
- First of all, you need a sketch plan for the location of all such elements on the roof of an attic or attic.
- Now we draw in detail the drawing of each "birdhouse" in the appropriate scale, indicating the actual size.
- For each window, the master installs his own truss system according to the same system as for the roof - with supports, a ridge, a supporting frame.
- If a common house truss structure is being mounted, then the most massive boards or beams are installed at the locations of the "birdhouses", since these areas will have the greatest load.
- Horizontal beams are already attached to the rafters. The first is at the level of the upper edge of the wall of the house, and the second is already at the height of the dormer window.
- The "birdhouse" frame will be attached to the beams. To the upper crossbar is the ridge of the house-window, so the orientation of its own roof depends on its location.
- The triangular profile of the dormer window is already attached to the lower horizontal beam. Staples, nails, metal corners are used for fixing.
- From the base of the "triangle" to the upper beam, bars are laid for reliable fastening of the entire structure.
- From the top of the triangular profile to the upper horizontal beam - a ridge span. At this stage, the "skeleton" of the future dormer window is already visible.
- Now it's time to install the window frame. It is attached not only to a triangular profile, but also connected by bars to the fastening beams leading from the base of the "triangle" to the upper crossbar.
- The next step is the installation of vertical lintels and battens (bearing frame).
- At this stage, it is important to lay layers of hydro and vapor barrier, as well as insulation.
- The line on which the frame of the "house" of the dormer window will become into contact with the roof, be sure to be sealed with special corners, clamping strips. Mastics, sealants, self-expanding tapes are successfully applied.
Design and install according to standards
Both the design and installation of such a structure is carried out according to SNiP 21-01, II-26. Following the instructions allows you to build a durable and reliable structure.
The most important prescriptions of SNiPs are as follows:
- Installation of a dormer window is permissible only when the slope of the ramp is 35° or more.
- The superstructure must be at a regulated distance from the outer walls of the building.
- The dissolving sashes located on the dormer window necessarily have minimum parameters of 0.6 x 0.8 m, from which the dimensions of itself come out - 1.2 x 1.6 m.
- Windows with a quadrangular opening and a hip roof cannot be a continuation of the wall of the house.
- For cladding, it is desirable to use copper, tiles, sheet metal.
Useful tips and reviews
Let's also present the advice and feedback of those masters who installed a dormer window in their house on their own:
- It is advisable to install such elements only with a roof slope that provides good water flow.
- Many masters in their reviews do not recommend making designs on their own - it is possible to make mistakes in miscalculations. It is much easier to order a plastic window according to the dimensions you need.
- Natural light will be the onemore intense, the higher the window is located on the roof.
- Do not forget about the preparation of wood for the structure - it must be dried and treated with special impregnations.
- In order not to reduce the strength of the bearing element, in no case do not cut. An alternative to it for the device of dormer windows will be staples, corners, nails and other metal fittings.
- Since windows account for up to 15% of all heat loss, take into account the climate of your region when designing a "birdhouse" in order to install it on the most advantageous side from this point of view.
- If you are equipping wooden dormer windows on the roof of an already finished house, then their frames must be attached to the rafters.
Where did the name come from?
In conclusion, some interesting facts. Why is the window on the roof, attic - auditory? The fact is that in the depths of centuries the word "hearing" also had the meaning of "hole", "opening", "hole". A kind of "hearing hole" - perhaps to listen to what is happening on the street.
There is a legend that the window got its name from the name of the master Slukhov - the one who was in charge of roofing during the construction of the capital's Manege. The engineer came up with the idea of installing windows to increase the density of long-span structures. And over time, they began to be called by the name of their inventor.
The main functions of the dormer window in the attic or in the attic are ventilation and natural lighting of the space. However, inin the modern world, most often such elements are equipped for decoration purposes, which is why they are presented in a large assortment of constructive and shaped varieties.
