Minneapolis Roof Trusses
Roof trusses have taken the place of stick roof construction in most modern homes today. In fact nearly four out of five new homes built uses roof trusses to frame the roof. Roof trusses replace all the rafters, ceiling joists, ridge board, and collar ties used in conventional framing. The use of trusses enables the contractor and DIY home builders to construct homes that have more complex roof and ceiling designs quicker, cheaper, and easier than conventional stick construction.
Using roof trusses requires less skill and saves a lot of the labor cost in construction. These cost savings reduce the price of new home construction. In addition, using prefabricated trusses in roof construction is much better than conventional roof framing and they are structurally stronger using smaller size material.
There are many advantages of using prefabricated roof trusses.
• Trusses can span longer distances and eliminate the need for inside load bearing walls.
• Roof truss cost are less expensive than stick roof framing because they are made of shorter lengths of 2×4, 6, or 8 stocks as opposed to the larger framing members required of conventional rafter and ceiling framing.
• Trusses are engineered and designed to meet any roof load and building code requirements.
• A roof built with trusses can be erected in one day, reducing the amount of time the inside of the new home is exposed to outside weather conditions.
• Less experienced carpenters and DIY home builders can easily erect trusses, which reduce labor costs and the overall time to construct a building.
The common roof truss can be recognized by their triangular shape and makes up the bulk of any new home truss package. Common truss design consists of seven main parts;
1. Top chord where the roof sheathing is applied.
2. Bottom chord (ceiling joist) where the drywall or finished ceiling is attached.
3. Bearing point, where the truss is designed to sit on the outside bearing walls.
4. Web supports to hold the top chord in position, at intermediary points from the peak to the bearing point.
5. King post to support the peak or top of the common trust.
6. Metal gussets are used to supports web intersection and where the king post intersect the top and bottom chord as well as at the bearing point.
7. Tails on the truss to form the eave or overhang and provides a way to attach soffit and fascia.
There are several different roof truss types used in home construction. A few of the most common are listed below.
• Raised heel trusses that are taller at the bearing point and allow for additional insulation at the outside edge of the building.
• Scissor trusses used to form a cathedral ceiling.
• Hip trusses are used to frame a hip roof and available in three basic types, terminal hip truss system, hip master truss system, and step down hip truss system.
• Girder trusses are used to eliminate load bearing walls and are placed where two roof lines intersect.
• Mono trusses are only half of a common truss and usually placed at a ninety degree angle to the girder truss.
• For attic rooms trusses are made with a bottom chord that is used as the floor joist and the support webs are designed to frame the walls of the room.
• Bowstring trusses are used to form rounded or barrel roofs.
I think the roof trusses are the greatest technology advancement in modern construction since the nail gun. They save a lot of time and money in the construction of homes, sheds, barns, and garages. For your next DIY home construction project that requires a roof, I recommend that you use roof trusses and save yourself a lot of aggravation, time and money.
If you are looking for Minneapolis roofing contractor, please call us today at 763-439-4300 or 507-469-3513 or complete our online request form.
