Dormering a cape...?

Here's a stupid question - in general, when one dormers out the back of a cape, are they just making the 2 existing bedrooms bigger (by getting rid of the sloping walls) or are they're way to do it to add a couple bedrooms? (I'm laughing as I type this b/c it sounds like a really dumb question)
We're looking at capes, and I'm just trying to visualize what it will look like if we go up in a few years.

Re: Dormering a cape...?

I just bumped a post that had a few pics in it..

hth

Re: Dormering a cape...?

We actually made a master suite on the upper level (my pics are in the post that was bumped). It was basically empty...and we made a bedroom, living area, bathroom and walk-in-closet.

Re: Dormering a cape...?

I was in a newly dormered cape yesterday that added a MBR, oversized bath and 2 additional bedroom's (I'd say they were 10x8 each?).

My friend dormered his and added a bath, a MBR and 1 other bedroom. I like they way he did it so much better though...instead of the typical cape where the bath is at the top of the stairs, he made a hallway. So up the stairs, to the left, is his master and down the hallway is another bedroom and at the end is the bath (which is over the downstairs bath). Much nicer feel, imo, more like a colonial than a traditional cape.

Re: Dormering a cape...?

Rt, I'd rather make it look more colonial. Tx

Re: Dormering a cape...?

If you guys can re-post your pics that would be great. I'm looking at doing something as well. Thanks

Re: Dormering a cape...?

Wait if you do only a rear dormer or only a front dormer, how did you add that much space? When we were looking at houses, and the ones I saw with only a half dormer still had the two bedrooms upstairs and a closet or possibly a bathroom too.

The only thing you are doing is raising the roof so there is more space in the existing bedrooms, bathroom or closet. If you want to add everything that was mentioned above then you would have to do a full dormer
Scott

Re: Dormering a cape...?

My friend only has a half dormer - just a back dormer. He was able to add 2 large bedroom's and an oversized bath.

The other house I mentioned same thing - just the back dormer.

Both dormer's are the full length of the house - save for a few inches on either side.

Re: Dormering a cape...?

Re: Dormering a cape...?

No, not at all. His master is fairly large with a double walk-in closet (on the side that isn't dormered so there's a severe slope)...and the second BR is a decent size - more long than wide. The bathroom is very large with a skylight.

I would guess it depends on the size of the cape. His first floor is about 1100 sqft.

Message edited 6/23/2006 1:42:01 PM.

Re: Dormering a cape...?

We just added a dormer to the back of our house, just one bedroom, and the bathroom was already dormered out.

We def could have made two small rooms out of the now dormered room, but instead we made a bigger master bedroom with a huge walk in closet.