# How to Avoid Dormer Mistakes

- Link: https://www.oldhouseguy.com/dormers/
- Published: 2023-04-30T17:26:29-04:00
- Author: Ken Roginski

Almost all dormers you see from the last 40 years are so, have been designed incorrectly.

True, dormers are complicated to design but mostly because builders today and architects,
that are NOT historic preservation architects, have no idea what they are doing.

This is because the required courses universities offer architectural students changed
in the 1930’s in favor of modernism – a revolt to traditional design.

As for builders, they are on automatic pilot and just build what is easy for them.

Although builders and architects may lack the expertise required to create a well-
designed dormer, **most homeowners do not have the knowledge to recognize a good
from a bad dormer**.

[⌊colonial revival dormer⌉⌊colonial revival dormer⌉[

1901 Colonial Revival Dormer.

[⌊good and bad dormers⌉⌊good and bad dormers⌉[

Good versus Bad dormers from the book, Traditional Construction Patterns.

Don’t worry, here you will find everything you need to know in detail so you can
teach your builder or architect to build a correctly designed dormer. The information
comes directly from the best published video’s and articles. The links will be listed
below. I really recommend reading every article before you do anything to your house.

**Here is a list of resources:**

1.      **Good vs Bad Dormers** – video by Brent Hull

2.      **What’s Wrong With My House** – video by Brent Hull

3.      **Can this Dormer be Saved?** – from Fine Homebuilding magazine

4.      **Designing Shed Dormers** – from Fine Homebuilding magazine

5.      **Making Shed Dormers Work** – from Fine Homebuilding magazine

6.      **Designing Gable Dormers** – from Fine Homebuilding magazine

7.      **Design Guidelines for Roof Dormers** – Cambridge Mass. Historic Commission

8.      **Dormers Good vs Bad** – from Get Your House Right & Traditional Construction
Patterns

![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/icon1.jpg)

## Two Videos by Brent Hull

### 1) Good vs Bad Dormers – How to get dormers right

### 2) What’s Wrong With My House?

How a bad dormer can be improved.

![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/icon1.jpg)

### 3-6) Fine Homebuilding Magazine

This magazine has wonderful information on everything.
 They offer** a few free 
articles and after that they charge for a subscription**.

 

3.      **Can this Dormer be Saved?**

4.      **Designing Shed Dormers**

5.      **Making Shed Dormers Work**

6.      **Designing Gable Dormers**

 

[**Here is the link to the above 4 dormer how-to articles. ** ](https://www.finehomebuilding.com/?s=designing+gable+dormers)

![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/icon1.jpg)

### 7) Design Guidelines for Roof Dormers

[Design guidelines are from the City of Cambridge, Mass. ](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Cambridge-Dormer-guildlines.pdf)

 

![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/icon1.jpg)

### 8) Good Dormers versus Bad Dormers

 

Here are two wonderful books that everyone should own. They cover a lot of information
on architectural features showing what to do and what not to do.

 

[⌊traditional construction⌉⌊traditional construction⌉[

 

 

[       Traditional Construction Patterns by Steve Mouzon ](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071416323/kenroginskihisto)

 

 

 

 

 

[⌊get your house right⌉⌊get your house right⌉[

 

 

[        Get Your House Right by Marianne Cusato ](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1402791038/kenroginskihisto)