AboutRichard Taylor, AIA Expertise Ask me about all aspects of house, remodeling. , and room addition design and construction. Ask me about historic homes, renovation, and restoration. Ask me about materials and techniques, and about how you can get the best value for your design and construction dollar. Ask me how you can make your home a very special place. I can't, however, answer specific structural engineering questions in this forum - that's something you'll need on-site observation for.
Experience I own a five-person residential architectural firm, and have been designing custom homes, remodelings, and room additions across the country since 1983. Check us out at Richard Taylor Architects and RTA Plans. I have written and been published extensively on the subject of residential architecture. .
Organizations American Institute of Architects, City of Dublin Architectural Review Board, Past Editor of SPLASH (a CAD program), Past Editor of Open Directory Project, Boy Scouts of America
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) Miami University 1983
For more about home design, check out my blog at Richard Taylor Architects Looking for great Luxury Home House Plans? Try ours at RTA Plans.
Question The planned addition to our house extends outward at a right angle to the existing building, so the new roof line will be perpendicular to the old. Even with a lower pitch, the greater width of the addition means that its roof line would be about 6" higher than that of the primary roof. I've not seen a structure with this arrangement, but am considering having the new roof join the old as a very small 'hip', blending into the back side of the main roof. Is this the way to go? How will it look and how difficult to turn into a good job?
Thanks
Answer Arnold - thanks for your question!
I'll admit I'm having a hard time picturing the small hip you're talking about but I think I can help anyway.
We often create additions with higher or lower fascias than the existing, using the difference in height for architectural effect. But 6" isn't enough to do it right - and you'd have problems building the fascias and soffits that close together anyway!
More importantly, you're going to have some problems with gutters. One way or another, the old gutters will have to terminate and the new ones will have to butt up against the old roof - which is a potentially clumsy-looking and leaky connection.
I'd suggest that you instead find a way to align the two fascias. With a height difference of only 6", you should be able to either raise the roof pitch, lower the rafters, extend the overhangs, or widen the addition to make them align. Or maybe a combination of several of those options!
That'll make a cleaner, neater connection between the two roofs, and will look more natural. And it will be much easier to build with the fascia, soffit, and gutters continuous around the corners.
Hope this helps!
Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com
