How to cut out rafters to create a new bedroom upstairs

[pclausen]

I was hoping to get some advice on how to finish out a new bedroom upstairs in my house. It will involve cutting out a bunch of roof rafters, so I want to make sure my roof doesn't cave in.

Here are a couple of external shots showing where the new room will be.

I plan to put in a window (as seen in the red rectangle):

Another angle.

Here's the floor plan for the 2nd story of my house. The red rectangle represents the new room I propose to built.

Here are some internal shots showing the roof rafters that needs to be cut out in order to create the new room. Basically, the areas enclosed within the red lines needs to be cut out.

And here's a detail shot showing how the valleys were built. Note that there are no valley rafters.

And finally a shot showing where the window will go.

What do you guys think it will take to cut out the common rafters to open up this space? Will I need to put in valley rafters somehow?

I have a 9 month old daughter and we just found out my wife is pregnant with twins, hence the quest to built a 3rd bedroom so that each child will have a room to themselves. I do have some time to get this completed, but I'd like to begin looking into it now. Moving is not really an option as I got too much invested in my property and plan to retire here.

Thanks guys.

 

[mcd176]

Congrats on youæ±*e soon to be new children! As far as the rafters, I would pay the money and consult an architect, there are way too many things that can go wrong when you start cutting into the structure of a home, I知 sure you will be able to create your additional space but leave the design up to the experts, you'll thank yourself in the end.

 

[Kyle241]

I am assuming you are doing this yourself? Cutting into roofs is always a tricky project. You will need to build a temporary wall to support whatever you cut out but I'm having a hard time visualizing where it needs to go based on your pics. I have put in a large dormer on a house previously and it sure made for a lot more room and can be a great add-on. Mine was not as complex a roof line as your those, just a simple gable roof (small Cape house).

 

[Craig Clayton]

I raised 4 daughters and finished off the inside of my house. You will get the last bedroom door on 6 months after they have left for college.
I know

I am sure you will do well.

Craig Clayton

 

[pclausen]

Appreciate the feedback. Yes, I plan to do this work myself. It will be tricky, and you might be right that given the roof lines and angles involved, it would be worth it to consult an architect before I start cutting.

I realize pictures like this makes it hard to visualize what it looks like in person. It's too bad they didn't put in true valley rafters in the first place, seems to me that would have saved them a lot of material, but there would have likely been more labor involved.

Craig, 4 daughters, wow, that sounds like quite the handful!

 

[Damifino]

I,m no architect or engineer, if I understand in the pic with the red x"s, you plan on removing these rafters to accommodate a door opening. I would think of temporary support while those 2 rafters are being removed and after removal, a new header above opening to carry load of the 2 rafters.

If I were flyin by the seat of my pants, I would use double 2x8 if not 2x10 for header, header would need jack stud on either side for support.

Same goes for window opening.

After enlarging photos, I see the rafters appear to be 2x6, that would change header from double to triple, those rafters look to be bearing on double 2x4 plate, what you would be doing is transferring the weight now be carried by rafters to top plate on new header. As stated I'm no architect or engineer but know there's better qualified people on this site for better info, like load calcs and such to determine size required.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I will not advise you on how to cut those rafters. I am curious though, did you already rule out a first floor addition? Often what we encounter is families that are expanding like yours but have all the living quarters upstairs usually choose to build a new master bedroom/bath on the first floor if they have the room. A new wing off the side of the house can usually work out very easily and blend in to the house rather well and your not forced into making something work that isn't ideal.

Either way your best bet is to talk to an archtitech and have them look over your place and go over the ideas you have. Then they can advise you on what they feel is the best route to go.

Congrats on the newest additions

 

[pclausen]

I'm looking to cut out 8 rafters to make the room about 12 feet wide. The door will be cut out of an existing vertical wall.

Basically, I want to cut out the 8 rafters in this pic with the red x on them. That will give me a room that is 12' x 16'. Btw, all the rafters are 2x10s.

It should end up looking like this existing upstairs bedroom with the cut-in ceiling, only it will be 12' wide instead of 14'.

 

[ustmd]

Congratulations on the impending house full.


We did something similar to this in our attic and got professional help.

You need an engineer. Not only do you have the roof load, it looks like those rafters are providing carring the shear load for the end of the house. Also, how big are the floor joists? Can they carry the load of a bedroom?

I highly recommend consulting a structural engineer and by-pass the architect--all architects will kick this issue to structural engineer to avoid any liability issues.

 

[pclausen]

Everything is 16" O.C. The floor joist are all 2x10s just like the rafters.

I will contact a structural engineer to get their opinion as that seems to be the consensus. Appreciate all the advice guys.

The main floor of the house has 3 bedrooms. One is the master, one is my office, and the 3rd is the guest bedroom, which is currently the nursery. My wife is kicking me out of my office when the twins are born, as that will become our little girl's bedroom, and the twins will then be in the nursery.

Long term, we would like all the children to be upstairs, sharing that bathroom, and I would then get my office back and we would still have a guest bedroom for when family visits from overseas (I'm from Denmark originally and still have a lot of family there).

Another option would be to finish the rest of my basement. There is already a full bath there. This would mean giving up my workshop however, which I could then relocate it to my detached garage. This is what it looks like:

And an actual picture of the unfinished area:

Some other concerns with the basement is all the mechanical's down there and that the kids would be able to sneak in and out of the basement door. Having them upstairs would allow us to keep closer tabs on them.