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August 21, 2007
Raise the Roof
I admit a certain prejudice when I see truss roofs -- especially in custom homes that are supposed to be, well, custom.
But this is one of the many areas in my life where I find myself ... what's the word ... oh, yes ... wrong.
Trusses can be big-time problem solvers -- and they solve more than the problem of installing cut-up roofs with inexperienced labor (which they do, by the way.) Trusses definitely shine in single story additions and structures like garages. They span farther than sawn lumber, enabling you to eliminate intermediate framing.
Trusses also bring the manufacturer's engineering capacity, nice for permitting and inspections. And a timber-framed hybrid-ed into conventional framing means form and function in one package.
So what's the deal on your builds? Are you the all-truss-all-the-time channel? If you're super-custom-man, will a truss ever see one of your sites? Is it a bit of both?
And where do you get them? National manufacturer? Regional supplier? Lumber yard?
Good truss drawings:
Posted by Mark Clement at August 21, 2007 11:43 AM
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Comments
I design/build ten to fifteen custom homes a year in a resort community, and most of my designs have a Great Room and a loft while most do not have an attached or detached garage. Cut rafters are the only way to go for our homes. Out of over 165 homes, I have used trusses in maybe ten homes.
I share your opinion about "custom" meaning custom (that's why I hand-draw my plans, too) and your distaste for trusses. Not only do they spoil the custom feel of a well-built home, they also destroy nearly all of the storage area cut rafters can provide. That said, there are times when trusses are just plain necessary, particularly over a garage. If all vehicles were made the same size, the placement of a post would be easy, but cars, trucks, and SUVs come in all sizes so wherever you set a post, it is sure to be in the way of one of them.
Posted by: Chas Minor at August 23, 2007 10:48 AM
Trusses Rule in this instance! I am building a single story addition on the back of a 2 story ranch. The clients wanted to have one giant great room/ kitchen that combined the new addition space ( 450 ) sq ft to the existing family room kitchen (400 ) sq ft . Other contractors told them that there would need to be post and beam across the old bearing line. Enter the Carrier truss! A 4 member truss with 2x10 bottom cords supports the entire existing upstairs load and the new addition roof. Now they have a postless open space.
Larry
Posted by: Larry at October 17, 2007 12:46 AM
