Dormer Windows: The 7 Styles You Can Choose

Have you ever stop to think about why people build dormers in their house and the importance of the dormer window to the entire outlook of a beautiful rooftop? Dormers are typically built on duplex and mansions and often contain a window that projects outwards, vertically beyond the roof's plane. The dormer windows are a great way to increase the space in lofts or attics and allow a sense of privacy and a good view that spins inspiration. The dormerwindow allows nature's brightness into the small room space.

Whether you plan a home remodel, roof replacement overhaul, or build a new construction home, roof dormers are something to think about in the process. Dormers are lovely structures to construct in houses, as most haven't even heard the term before. But even if the name is new to you, it is highly likely that you know what dormers are because they are all around you.

In lamest terms, dormers are protruding roofs (within a roof) with vertical windows. They stick out of existing roofs, and from the outside, appear as additional rooms or indoor window ledges of a home. Building a dormer can be expensive, depending on the kind you choose.

dormer window

There are several advantages of roof dormers, but there are always a few disadvantages to most things in life. To determine if dormers are an excellent addition to your home, talk to a trusted roofing contractor for professional assessments and advice. In the meantime, it is helpful to prepare by learning the basic pros and cons of roof dormers. Continue reading to do just that!


Dormer Types

There are several types of dormers, from classic and traditional, to modern and architectural. The style you would choose for your home will depend on various factors, primarily the existing construction and overall aesthetics of your home. Another major factor is the budget since dormer styles also vary in quality of material, size, labor requirements, and more. Once you have these elements planned, you can choose a suitable dormer for your property. The most popular styles available on the market today include false (or blind), gable, barrel, hipped, eyebrow, recessed, shed, and flat style.

  • Pros

The most common advantages of having roof dormers include added natural lighting, improved airflow, increased attic ventilation, energy efficiency, and aesthetic appeal. It can also add square footage and ceiling space, increasing property value, and creating a more comfortable living space. They are known to add unique character and charm to any property, both inside and out.

advantages of dormer window

  • Cons

The most common disadvantages of roof dormers include expense, time, and labor. Not only does it cost more money to add a dormer, whether building or remodeling, it also requires an extended amount of time and work to accomplish.

The charms of an exterior ornament can be a decorating challenge for the interior. Still, the tower also can be a real asset when viewed with an open and imaginative mind. For instance, dormer windows or slanted windows in some architecture will add interest to the outside of the home, and welcome light on the interior Dormer windows are a popular loft conversion technique that can transform your home. In this method, a dormer window that projects at right angles to the roof's plane is designed to offer extra space and present an attractive appearance.

This projection creates extra headroom to the loft area, which is usually handicapped by a slanting or sloping roof. The window projection can be as wide as the space between two rafters, which opens the rooftop to a certain degree of support. Wider dormers will need extra structural help.

dormer window features

One of the first things that come to mind is excellent views for inspiration, a great place to read for your enjoyment.

The loft conversion technique of adding dormer windows is widely popular in many parts of the world. A variety of these windows are in existence. Some have flat roofs, some have gabled roofs and others are of the hipped variety. The additional space that this type of conversion creates can help transform attics into usable spaces like bedrooms or efficient storage areas.

You cannot build a dormer room without a dormer window. Many dormer window styles come with a dormer house.


Gable Fronted Dormer Window

Gable Fronted Dormer window

Gable fronted dormers are also known as gabled dormers and are the world's most common dormer type. The gable dormer has a simple pitched roof with two sloping planes that support a vertical frame that rises so that a triangle section forms. This shape in the gable dormers earned them the name of ‘doghouse' dormers due to the structure's similarity.


Hip Roof Dormer Window

Hip Roof Dormer Window

Experts often recommend making four faces if you are making a hipped roof dormer window on a rectangular plan. Hip roof dormers windows are made with the same pitches or slopes on all sides, making them symmetrical as they reach the center point of contact. They have a pretty consistent level fascia, allowing a gutter to easily fitted around the dormer.


Wall Dormer Window

Wall Dormer Window

Wall dormers are structures with integrated facial planes. It is generally built into the wall and breaks the eave lines in a home apartment. Because of its low aesthetic value in houses, they are no longer common.

Wall dormers are prevalent in the early construction edifice. However, later structures that included wall dormers were part of the revival styles that emerged in the 19th-century buildings.


Eyebrow/Eyelid Dormers Windows

Eyebrow/Eyelid dormers windows emerged in Britain when homeowners began to build small arched windows in their cottages centuries ago.

Eyebrow Dormers Windows

Initially, they are used in roofs with shingles but nowadays have expanded to more designs. It's popular in Post-modern beach houses, as well as modern cottage designs.

Eyelid dormers windows allow a lot of light into the interior rooms. The long windows are the main reason people consider them more of a window than a dormer. The eyebrow dormer is in different sizes and shapes, from tall half-rounds to Richardsonian sine curves.


Flat Roof Dormer

Flat Roof Dormer

Flat dormers maximize the roof of the roof, so they are considered perfect for houses' backside and built to set back into the roof's slope or reach to the main wall under the roof.

The flat dormer window simple style means that they are cheaper to build and allows more oversized windows for lots of light.


Arched Roof Dormer Window

Arched Roof Dormer Window

The arched dormer window top indicates the wall space left off on the front and the dormer's sides. It helps to add soft contrast to the mostly straight, sharp lines that most slopyroofs have. Also called segmental roof dormer due to its segments from the structure beneath.

They have suitable window sizes that are let in light but are smaller than most other types of dormers.


Mansard Roof Dormer Window

Mansard Roof Dormer Window

Roof dormers are standard feature in-home apartments because they allow natural light to come into the house with large windows allowing natural light by inserting windows and making all the sides steeper. The mansard gained wide popularity and was a must-have feature in old Victorian houses. Now a regular part of modern buildings.

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