Drain the Rain: Extending Eaves on a 1950′s House

One of Joe Lstiburek‘s building mantras is simply “Drain the rain.” When approaching a new construction project, it helps to keep this mantra in mind when detailing foundations, window rough openings and roofs – you can apply the mantra everywhere for a better life really. It just makes sense to protect your investment and manage the rain – or condensation for that matter.

But a certain prone design aesthetic tends to crop up perennially. An aesthetic that, as Christopher Hume wrote about the beloved ROM’s Crystal, taunts the forces of nature and leaves our buildings vulnerable to rain penetration and eventually to building envelope deterioration.

The trend to produce homes post WWII without eaves was very common and last weekend, I had the chance to right the 50 year old wrong by partaking in an Eaves Extending. Like an old fashioned Barn Raising* it’s where family and friends get together for extending the eaves of a 1950′s story and a half house as part of a re-roofing project.

This house was prone to water getting into the windows, the window’s brick row-lock sills, solar vapour drive through walls into the house and for rain not being managed at grade even though the foundation walls were meticulously waterproofed from the outside recently and grade was sloped away appropriately from the foundation wall. These eaves extensions would give the house the fighting chance it deserved at lasting another 100 years.

DSC00979

BEFORE: The original homestead with no eaves to help keep the rain off the walls and foundation at grade level.

DSC01595

AFTER: With the eaves extended by 16″the house certainly looks richer with eaves. With the soffit and eaves troughs on, this fetchingly handsome house will stand out from its peers on the street.

DSC01576

Exposing the roof rafters and ceiling joists at the back of the house.

P1060666

Sistering of new rafters extending beyond the brick wall and attaching a new fascia board.

 

DSC01578

The new sheathing installed on the extended eaves portion of the roof deck.

P1060682

Extending lookouts on the gable end meant installing new roof outriggers or lookouts. This was done by cutting a slot in the tops of the end rafters and fastening the new outriggers.

P1060683

Getting straight roof lines is critical and in old houses, there are no safe reference points. Best to snap a chalk line and cut outriggers in place.

P1060686

Fastening the fascia or barge rafter on the outriggers.

It was an amazing project to be on and my 4 brothers, sister in law, cousin, a long-time friend and neighbour all pulled together to get the roof on before the rains fell the following Monday. *The 5th brother couldn’t make it he was busy with a barn raising party!