A familiar
sight in the
northeast is the
Cape Cod
home with a
shed dormer in
back and fulllength
rafters at
the front. This
style is popular
because it's
fairly inexpensive
to build. A
Maine truss fabricator now offers
Cape Dormer Trusses that can
reduce the cost of these homes by
speeding up the framing. The
trusses, which are made as stock
items, extend from the front edge
of the shed roof all the way back
to where the full-length roof meets
the first floor wall. The trusses are
framed 24 inches on-center, and
come in 24-, 26-, and 28-foot
spans. At about $65 each, they're
pricier than framing lumber, but
the extra cost is offset by the labor
savings.
The trusses also eliminate the
need for attic kneewalls