Alternatives to dormer windows

nice_guy80 · 11-12-2017 12:46pm #1

Hello.

we are currently finalising a house design and we want to bring in plenty of light to upstairs rooms of a 1 and 1/2 story house

we not big fans of dormer windows due to the 'tunnel' like box that has to be made for them

we've been looking at using a single velux vertical and roof window combination to get around this.

they'd have a longer vertical element that the one in the that picture

has anyone experience of using these? how do they perform? any external photos to show how they look afterwards. most photos we can find are internal in catalogues

cheers

Mellor · 14-12-2017 10:40pm

I've no direct experience, but many years ago in college I worked on a timber frame project with one of the low energy kit house providers. These kits were austrian designed and incredibly well detailed. They included this windows in many designs. The Cabrio is another option that is a bit more functional.

FWIW I wouldn't consider the above to be particularly good detailing?

mickdw · 14-12-2017 10:47pm

Have used them a few times. I like the look of them to be honest and they do create a nice feature internally.
Have not got any photo to hand
Will you be using these as fire escape windows?

Metric Tensor · 15-12-2017 1:20am

We've used them on a recent job too. Slightly different because it is a "storey and a half" style house. I like them myself but it cost the owner substantial amounts of money because the units themselves are quite expensive and the multiple breaks in the wall plate on a storey and a half house meant substantial structural work to make it stand up.

Still though - they do look good in my opinion. I've no idea if they will turn out to be the fly magnet that other roof windows (of at least one brand) are.

Lumen · 15-12-2017 4:44pm

Velux windows are manky. Whatever about the flies, having an opening on a slope is just asking for trouble.

What's wrong with a regular dormer? You get more usable floor space and the glass is vertical.

Mellor · 16-12-2017 6:19am

Lumen wrote: »

Velux windows are manky. Whatever about the flies, having an opening on a slope is just asking for trouble.

Why?

What's wrong with a regular dormer? .

They don't suit many house types.

Lumen · 16-12-2017 10:50am

Mellor wrote: »

Why?

With a Velux you have driving rain hitting an opening every single time it rains.

I've lived long enough and seen enough screwups in all professions that I prefer simple solutions that require the least number of things to go right. And that has been reinforced when friends have opened up their building fabric for renovations and I've seen horrible bodges and lack of craftsmanship underneath.

Plus the cluster fly thing, although I don't know whether that's bad installation or inevitable due to the way Veluxes are integrated into the attic space for ventilation purposes.

Mellor wrote: »

They don't suit many house types.

Fair enough, you don't want an odd-looking house, although as an architect told me, a lot of the visual appeal is down to the detailing.

Mellor · 16-12-2017 11:20am

Lumen wrote: »

With a Velux you have driving rain hitting an opening every single time it rains.

I've lived long enough and seen enough screwups in all professions that I prefer simple solutions that require the least number of things to go right. And that has been reinforced when friends have opened up their building fabric for renovations and I've seen horrible bodges and lack of craftsmanship underneath.

A velux window is a much simpler detail that a dormer window constructed on site.
I'd also trust a factory made detail over timber and tiles thrown together on site. I've seen a lot of bodged up roof junctions

But there's a big difference between detailing an original window and a retrospective one. Breaching an existing roof to add a window is more likely to be a bad detail - in terms of both velux and dormers.
But I think people are more likely to go for veluxes for quickie jobs. Which carries with it issues.

Fair enough, you don't want an odd-looking house, although as an architect told me, a lot of the visual appeal is down to the detailing.

There's good details and bad details. But certain houses just don't suit dormers.
Or rather don't suit what rural LAs permit as dormers

mickdw · 16-12-2017 1:28pm

Mellor wrote: »

A velux window is a much simpler detail that a dormer window constructed on site.
I'd also trust a factory made detail over timber and tiles thrown together on site. I've seen a lot of bodged up roof junctions

But there's a big difference between detailing an original window and a retrospective one. Breaching an existing roof to add a window is more likely to be a bad detail - in terms of both velux and dormers.
But I think people are more likely to go for veluxes for quickie jobs. Which carries with it issues.

There's good details and bad details. But certain houses just don't suit dormers.
Or rather don't suit what rural LAs permit as dormers

Velux are well tested at this stage. I certainly have no issues with them. The detailing around those with a vertical element needs attention though to ensure no water penetration.
Any kind of projecting dormer is pretty much outlawed locally here in mayo.

lotmc · 16-12-2017 1:38pm

Are these available in Ireland?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-7d0akwEOQ

mickdw · 16-12-2017 6:56pm

lotmc wrote: »

Are these available in Ireland?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-7d0akwEOQ

Yes velux cabrio balcony.
2444 plus vat each for smallest version. I just specified 2 of them for a client last week.

nice_guy80 · 20-12-2017 5:41pm

ok, well here is a rough idea of what the windows are (hopefully) going to look like (may have to be drawn differently in final drawings)

the house is a story and a half.
factory timber frame house, in sections including roof.
they will not be fire escape windows

cheers for the feedback