At some point both as contractor or residence owner, you may possibly want to purchase roof trusses. Whether or not the roof is for a straightforward wooden lose or a intricate hipped attic extension, it is useful to know what info the truss designer may need.

It is most very likely your create will have proceeded from an architect’s drawings and much of the detail you call for will be specified there. In much more complicated cases there possibly engineers specifications as nicely, offering particulars such as wind bracing and specifying loadings.

Discussion of the numerous sorts of roof framework is over and above the scope of this article and will with any luck , be protected in additional publications. Even so, as component of the style approach and by means of discussions with your architect, you will have solved troubles these kinds of as:

Hipped or gabled roof layout
Vaulted or flat ceilings
Making use of the loft space as living lodging (space-in-the-roof)

Whilst by no implies exhaustive, this article clarifies some of the terminology you might face. It outlines some of the tips you may possibly need to consider about in advance of your meeting with your truss designer.

1. Brief anatomy of a roof truss

You can consider of a easy common roof truss as a triangle with two top chords (rafters) of the exact same pitch assembly at an apex and related at their base by a base chord (ceiling tie). This ‘close couple system’ is the fundamental form from which most roof truss patterns create.

Within the truss, connecting the rafters and ceiling tie collectively, are a quantity of webs. These webs sort triangular designs which support distribute the forces inside of the truss (triangulation of forces). The most widespread form of roof truss employed for dwellings is the fink roof truss, recognizable by the unique w-form shaped by its webs.

two. What is the overall span of the roof truss?

Calculated in millimetres, the overall span of a roof truss is considered to be the span over the wallplates. It is outlined as the length between the outside edges of the two supporting wallplates. These usually coincide with the environment out position of the truss, exactly where the undersides of the rafter and ceiling tie meet up with. In most circumstances consequently, the overall span is also the length of the ceiling tie.

three. What is the height/pitch of the truss?

The pitch of a roof truss is the angle shaped by the rafters to the horizontal and is measured in levels. Mono pitch trusses have just 1 rafter and therefore 1 pitch to consider (consider of a right angle triangle). Widespread trusses such as the fink roof truss are dual pitch, typically having the very same pitch on both side.

There are more information where you may possibly require a dual pitch truss with various angles, both as a nuance of layout or the place you are matching in to an present roofline.

If you are not able to supply a roof pitch, the truss designer can use the truss peak. The peak of a roof truss is defined as the vertical measurement from the apex (upper most stage of the truss) to the base of the ceiling tie.

If you don’t forget your higher school math, you may possibly see the relationship between the pitch and the vertical peak.

4. What is the roof truss spacing?

In the United Kingdom roof trusses are historically spaced at 400 or 600 millimetre centres. These measurements function properly with these of common wall end boards and panels, currently being 2400 by 1200 millimetres.

600 millimetre has turn out to be a common roof truss spacing for timber frame buildings. This does mean less roof trusses are needed and signify a significant saving. Nevertheless, the trusses can demand marginally larger timber sections and greater nail plates. There is also a likely for deflection in battens supporting heavier roof coverings this sort of as natural slates, which might turn out to be evident.

When making use of a roof finish this sort of as box-profile or light-weight sheeting, rafter spacing could be increased adhering to the manufactures specs.

five. What are the overhang, eaves and fascia depth?

The overhang is the extension of a rafter (or ceiling tie) over and above its support or bearing (wallplate). The eave is region following the level at which the overhanging rafter passes the external experience of constructing. In several situations this will be an external pores and skin and not the exact same as the truss bearing wall.

The overhang and eave line supply the width for the soffit the board mounted underneath the eaves to conceal the timbers.

The fascia board is a horizontal board equipped alongside the length of the creating and set to the finish of the truss overhangs. The fascia by itself is normally made from a plastic by-product, fixed in opposition to deteriorating in the sun.

six. What is the purpose of the roof?

The obvious reply is that the roof provides the framework supporting the roof complete, protecting for the building. Nonetheless, roof trusses do a lot much more than this and give a variety of other functions you may require to take into account, such as:

Architectural aesthetic
Integral capabilities (help for the inner ceiling finishes and so on)
Assist for companies (water tanks and so forth)
Assistance for insulation, substitute energy
Access for upkeep
Storage
Area-in-the-roof

All of these symbolize separate articles in their very own appropriate. Even so, it is value briefly mentioning the idea of storage in loft space or attic rooms. You need to contemplate meticulously the volume of materials you are accumulating in your roof room. If you are very likely to have any particular storage needs you need to mention these to your truss designer.

seven. What is the loading on the roof truss?

As properly as prospective storage within the loft space, the truss designer also has to think about a variety of other loading elements. These include:

tile or slate hundreds
The building spot
Wind load
Snow load
Ceiling loads
Ceiling finishes
Water tank hundreds
Storage
Attic trusses
Ground hundreds
Inside finishes
Storage
Interior or external openings

Most of these loads are factored in by the truss design and style computer software throughout the style method. When you offer your location the wind and snow masses can be automatically attributed. You may nonetheless want to give some info, a good case in point being the sort of roof tile kind you are likely to use.

eight. Are there any interior load bearing walls?

The design and style of the constructing or the basis footprint, will outline the place of the external load bearing partitions and hence the bearing points for the roof trusses. For particular truss kinds, notably attic trusses and hip ends, the place of any inner load bearing walls can be influential. Quite typically this added support can decrease rafter and ceiling tie dimensions and make tough openings or spans possible.

nine. The place are there an internal openings?

Accessibility to the roof room is important, at the quite least a loft hatch will be needed for upkeep. There are a quantity of other interior accessibility variables that could want to be regarded as. In the situation of room-in-the-roof, a staircase will be necessary to carry the attic rooms into recurrent use.

If the staircase is run at correct angles to the attic trusses, a a lot bigger and potentially a lot more high-priced trimmed opening will be required. Trimmed openings need more trusses. At the very least doubling up on possibly side of the opening (to sort girders) and the provision of supporting timbers.

If access is needed by way of from one roof area to one more, perhaps the place a roof turns via ninety degrees, then a stroll-by way of will be required (one more trimmed opening).

10. Are there an exterior openings?

There are a amount of various kinds of exterior openings, people which break by way of the roof line. With the exception of the narrowest roof lights and chimneys, which could squeeze between trusses at 600 millimetre centres, all openings will girders and trimming.

Roof lights
Dormer windows
Picture windows
Chimney stacks

11. Do you call for treated roof trusses?

In the United Kingdom is not obligatory to have roof truss timber taken care of for new buildings. As it is relatively affordable and your roof signifies a massive investment, you might think about it a worthwhile preventative step. Exactly where the trusses are destined for aged buildings and restoration work, it is virtually undoubtedly a great notion.

12. Shipping and delivery of your roof trusses?

Roof trusses can be extremely long and cumbersome with deliveries that contains a big volume of resources. You need to have to make confident that the roof truss manufacturer’s shipping and delivery lorry can obtain obtain to your site. If entry is not possible you want to make certain you have dealing with facilities in location to transfer the trusses from an obtainable shipping and delivery stage to your internet site.

On site you need to have to make confident you have storage area for the truss shipping and delivery. You may also require to take into account lifting the trusses into spot, possibly with a crane or telescopic lift.