The word ‘dormer’ goes hand-in-hand with loft conversions and extensions. If you are planning some home renovation work, you might have heard it used. So, what is it? Well, a dormer is a roofed window that projects vertically from a pitched roof. It is usually a popular option for homeowners who are converting their loft into a living space (a skylight is another common choice), as it enables them to make the new room taller and more spacious. Indeed, as dormers project outwards, they offer extra space at head height. As well as this, they allow natural light to flood in, opening up a converted room beautifully.
Dormers come in different shapes
There are various shapes and styles of dormer windows that you can choose from. The most popular options are:
- Gabled: This is the most common type of dormer. It has a pitched roof that forms a triangular face (a gable) at the front.
- Shed: Shed dormers have a flat roof made up of a single plane. The dormer roof gently slopes in the direction of the main roof.
- Hipped: This is similar to the gabled dormer, except that the pitch is made up of three sloping sides (including the top of the triangular face at the front).
- Eyebrow: This is a more elaborate style of dormer window, usually consisting of glass that is either arched or has a triangular face. Depending on the shape of the glass, the roof is either rounded or pitched.
- Segmental: A mix between a gabled and an eyebrow dormer, the segmental dormer features a standard-shaped window with a curved roof.
Balance is everything
When dormers are designed to be in proportion with the property’s roof, and installed in the correct position, they can truly elevate a home and make it look grander. If the windows are too big, though, the whole roof can look out of proportion, and this ruins the effect of the dormers. Positioning dormers just below the ridge line of the roof is often best, as this makes the roof look proportionate (having dormers directly on the ridge line can make the roof look unattractive and out of balance).
Dormers need to fit in with the style of the building
Like all windows, dormers need to fit in with the original character of your property, or they can end up looking out of place. Ideally, you shouldn’t be able to tell that your dormers are recent additions to your home – they should blend in with the materials, style and shapes of the rest of the building, so that they look like original features (especially if you are updating a period-style home). If you need help identifying which characteristics of your property need to be drawn out in your dormers, just ask the Hamilton Windows team.
We can help you choose beautiful dormer windows for your home in Chertsey, Hook, Redhill, Richmond or a surrounding area. Contact us at Hamilton Windows to find out more.
