How To Construct Roof Trusses

There are three parts to the roof truss that you have to know.

How to construct roof trusses.

See gusset construction below. Even if you don t know how to build a truss any diyer with confidence can construct a simple roof truss for a shed. Attach the truss to the frame every 2 feet securing them with 3 inch deck screws. Determine your shed roof pitch.

The bottom chord which is the bottom of the framed truss. Begin by determining the measurements of the roof s slope. The overhang will depend on the size of the building or house and the pitch of the roof. The trusses you require may depend upon the shed s length.

The best way to assemble the trusses is to lay each rafter and bottom chord on the ground in the desired shape. Take two rafters and connect the peak at the plumbed corner you created. Sheathing added on top of the trusses will provide final support to the roof trusses. Again for the sake of simplicity we ll be building a truss for a gable roof.

Then there is the top chord or rafters that are angled to make the roof pitch. Install the roof trusses. Trusses can be constructed with smaller sized lumber than rafters and often their cost is not significantly higher than normal rafters. Use of manufactured roof trusses can dramatically cut labor costs when framing a gable roof compared to building rafters.

Toe nail them into the top plate to secure them and then make sure they are braced laterally using blocking or long purlins. Now assembly of your roof trusses can finally begin. The good thing about roof trusses is that they are simple to construct. Trusses are commonly used to provide support for roofs bridges and other expansive structures.

Brace the trusses in place and check for plump prior to securing the frame. Do this by nailing the triangular gusses to the rafters. Once the trusses are constructed lift them into place and set them onto the top plates of the exterior walls just as you would a beam or joist. To put together a simple wooden truss you ll fasten a number of pre cut beams into a chosen configuration inside a sturdy triangular frame which will help distribute the weight of the structure more evenly.

Finally there are the gussets that hold the framed truss together.