Do-it-yourself rafters: roof rafter systems and their installation. Installation of the truss system - we do it like professionals Do-it-yourself wooden rafters for a gable roof

To install a gable roof yourself, average carpentry skills and an understanding of its manufacturing technology are enough. All this is easy to understand. It is also necessary to involve an intelligent assistant in the process, because many operations cannot be performed by one person alone. Therefore, many without a doubt take up this work and successfully cope with it.

Do-it-yourself gable roof device

The construction of a country house is associated with considerable costs. Therefore, many people are looking for options to reduce the cost of this process through the use of modern materials and technologies. Currently, frame buildings with gable roofs have become very popular. This happens largely for the reason that even a person with minimal knowledge of the construction business, with appropriate preliminary preparation, can carry out such a design.

A gable roof is formed by triangular trusses connected to each other by a longitudinal upper beam (ridge run) and a crate

However, the construction of the roof is a crucial moment that requires a serious attitude. Need to calculate:

  • correct angle of inclination;
  • rafter length;
  • the distance between them;
  • ways to connect different parts to each other.

Without experience in the production of such work, you should not take on complex structures, but it is quite possible to build a small house with a simple gable roof with your own hands.

Design features of gable roofs

Such a roof consists of two inclined planes located at a certain angle. Gables are arranged along the end walls, which are a vertical continuation of the walls. In shape, they are isosceles or arbitrary triangles, if the slopes are arranged at different angles to the horizontal. In the case of a gable sloping roof, the gables are trapezoid-shaped.

When building a roof, a rafter system is created, which is the supporting element of the roofing pie. The rafter system can be made in the form of hanging rafters if there are no capital partitions inside the building box. If available, a floor frame is arranged when the span is supported by three or more points.


Depending on the configuration of the building, a gable roof can be built according to different schemes.

How to make a gable roof yourself

Depending on the design of the truss system, its main elements may be different, but the main details are present in all options:

  1. Rafters are the main load-bearing element of the structure, on which roofing material is mounted through the crate.
  2. The ridge run - also called the spinal beam, combines all the rafter legs into a single whole, evenly distributes the load on the Mauerlat.
  3. Rack - used in floor structures as an additional support on a major internal partition.
  4. Lying - a horizontal bar on which the racks rest, serves to evenly distribute the loads on the Mauerlat.
  5. Mauerlat - a support beam between the walls and the upper structure of the building, intended for attaching rafters.
  6. Sheathing - flooring from a board 25 millimeters thick for fixing the roof finish.

Regardless of the type of truss system, there are always several basic elements in it.

Roof design

In the process of designing a truss system, it is necessary to optimally place all the elements of the frame in order to ensure a uniform load on the roof over its entire area. The main types of load are:

  1. Snowy - occurs under the action of a layer of snow lingering on the roof. At high rates for the construction region, the angle of inclination of the roof is increased so that the snow comes off it as it accumulates.
  2. Wind - associated with the force of the impact of the wind. In open, blown places, it is higher. The means of counteracting wind loads is to reduce the angle of inclination of the roof.

Thus, it is necessary to find the optimal combination of these indicators with simultaneous exposure to wind and snow. Data on specific loads for the construction region can be found on the Internet.

Gable roofs with a simple design give the house an elegant and festive look.

Photo gallery: projects of houses with gable roofs

The gable roof allows you to arrange a small attic room on the second floor. The slope of the gable roof is selected based on the intensity of the winds and the average snow load in the construction area.

Calculation of the parameters of a gable roof

Determination of the main characteristics of the roof is necessary already at the stage of designing the foundation to calculate the effect of the total weight of the building on the support base.

Area calculation

With a symmetrical gable roof, it is enough to determine the area of ​​​​one slope and double the result.

The height of the roof depends on the chosen angle of inclination of the slope. Usually it is in the range of 30-45 degrees. In the first case, the height will be half the distance from the projection of the ridge to the Mauerlat axis. Using the Pythagorean theorem and after doing the calculations, we get that the length of the slope for a building of 10x9 m will be 5.05 meters. The slope area is defined as 5.05 x 10 = 50.5 square meters. And the total roof area will be 50.5 x 2 \u003d 101 m 2.

In cases where a gable roof has a non-equilibrium roof, i.e., the axis of the ridge is offset from the axis of the building, the area of ​​\u200b\u200beach slope separately is calculated using the same method and the results are summarized.

However, this calculation does not take into account the area of ​​the roof overhangs. Usually they are 0.5–0.6 meters. For one slope, the overhang area will be 0.5 x 5.05 x 2 + 0.5 x 10 \u003d 4.1 + 5 \u003d 9.1 m 2.

The total roof area will be 101 + 9.1 x 2 = 119.2 m 2.


Most rafter calculations are done according to the Pythagorean theorem, reducing the design to a set of rigid figures - triangles

Calculation of the section of the rafters

The size of the cross section of the rafters depends on several factors:

  • the magnitude of the load on them;
  • the type of materials used for rafters: log, timber - homogeneous or glued;
  • rafter leg length;
  • types of wood;
  • the distance between the axes of the rafter legs.

All these parameters have long been calculated, and to determine the cross section of the rafter legs, you can use the data below.

Table: rafter section size

With an increase in the installation step of the rafters, the load on each of them increases, which leads to the need to increase the cross section.

Common sizes of the main parts of the truss system:


Determining the angle of inclination

The angle of inclination of the roof slope is determined by the requirements of its finishing coating:


One of the reasons for reducing the angle of inclination is the desire to make the attic or attic space as large as possible. This intention is also the reason for the installation of a sloping roof.

Calculation of the distance between the rafters

This parameter depends on the type of finish coating, or rather, its weight. For the heaviest material, the distance should be minimal, from 80 centimeters. In the case of using a soft roof that is light in weight, the distance can be increased to 150 centimeters. The calculation of the number of rafters and translations is carried out as follows:

  1. The length of the building (10 meters) must be divided by the distance between the rafters, presumably 120 centimeters: 1000 / 120 = 8.3 (pieces). We add 1 to the result, we get 9.3.
  2. Since the number of rafters cannot be fractional, the result is rounded up to an integer - 9.
  3. The distance between the rafters is finally set: 1000/9 = 111 centimeters.

With this distance, all rafters will be equidistant, and the load from the roof will be distributed evenly.

The length of the rafters is calculated according to the Pythagorean theorem, as already shown above.

Do-it-yourself installation of a gable roof

Work on the installation of the truss system begins with the installation of the Mauerlat.

Mounting the carrier on the wall

Mauerlat is made of high strength wood - oak, larch, etc. In the absence of such materials, pine can be used.

The bar is of standard length - 4 or 6 meters. Therefore, the connection of several parts along the length is inevitable. It is made with a cut of the connected ends “half a tree”, for example, for a beam with a section of 150x150 millimeters, a sample of 75x150 with a length of 300 mm is made. The ends are overlapped. Fastening is carried out with two or four screws M12 or M14 with the installation of washers of large diameter. By the same principle, the bars are connected at the corners. The finished structure is a regular rectangle, which is installed on the upper plane of the wall around the perimeter.


Two beams are spliced ​​by sampling wood on each of them. Then they are bolted together.

The Mauerlat installation technology provides for its placement strictly along the axis of the wall or with an offset in any direction. In this case, you can not place the support beam closer than 5 centimeters from the edge. To increase the service life, the Mauerlat should be installed with waterproofing on the wall surface. Most often, ruberoid is used for this.

Methods for attaching the Mauerlat to the wall

  1. Anchor bolt installation. Ideal for monolithic walls. Threaded studs are immured into the wall when it is cast.
  2. Wood dowels. They are hammered into the drilled hole. With such fixation, additional metal fasteners are used.
  3. Forged staples. They are used with pre-installed embedded parts made of wood.
  4. Stud or armature. The pins are immured during the laying of the wall and are removed through the support beam through the drilled holes. The diameter of the fasteners should be 12–14 millimeters, the protrusion above the surface of the timber should be 10–14 centimeters.
  5. Steel wire. A bundle of two or four wire strands is installed when laying the wall 2–3 rows before its completion. The Mauerlat is tightened using a crowbar. Often used as an additional fastening of the support beam.
  6. When constructing a reinforcing belt, fastening to studs or anchor bolts is also used.

The mounting points should be located approximately in the middle between the rafter legs.

Video: installing a Mauerlat on an armored belt

Photo gallery: ways to mount the Mauerlat on the wall

The studs are immured into the wall during its pouring, then a Mauerlat is put on them and fixed with bolts. The wire is also installed at the stage of laying the wall. staples

Types of roof systems and their installation

The choice of roof truss design is determined by the configuration of the building. If there are no internal capital partitions, a hanging truss system is constructed.

In the presence of capital partitions, it is necessary to use a floor mounting scheme.

Manufacturing of truss pairs

This is the name of a pair of rafter legs connected in an arch with the installation of a spacer element in the form of a puff for a hinged system or a crossbar for a flooring system.

Installation of truss pairs is carried out in three ways:

  1. Assembly is done at the top after the translations are installed. They are covered with a flooring made of wood, nailed.
  2. The formation of truss pairs is performed on the ground in the immediate vicinity of the house. Only blanks are assembled, which are a rigid triangular structure. The lifting of products is carried out when the rafter pairs for the entire system are ready. For this, it is possible to use lifting devices in the form of a manual or powered winch, which presents certain inconveniences and additional costs. On the other hand, assembly on the ground is much easier and more accurate.
  3. The assembly of the roof directly at the installation site is carried out in detail.

With any option, the rafter legs are mounted according to the template, which is the first truss. For higher assembly accuracy of the parts of the next pair, it is desirable to fix them to the previous one with clamps.


When assembling roof systems on the ground, all structures are made according to the template, which is the first manufactured truss. This makes installation more accurate.

The procedure for installing the truss system

Prefabricated roof elements are installed in the following sequence:


Fastening parts of the truss system

For reliable connection of the elements of the roof frame, various auxiliary elements are used, made of galvanized steel up to 1.5 mm thick.


The use of additional fasteners ensures a solid assembly of the truss system

When assembling with the use of additional connectors, labor productivity increases and the strength characteristics of the structure increase.

To connect the elements of the roof of wooden buildings, special fasteners are used. So, the upper joint of the rafters is often connected using a hinge. This is due to the frequent movements of the building, including seasonal ones.


The swivel joint avoids high stresses at the junction of the rafters during seasonal movements of the log house

For the same purpose, sliding fasteners are used on houses made of this material.


Reliable sliding connection of rafters with Mauerlat relieves this node from stress during structural deformations

Video: quick rafters

Before installing the crate, the roof is insulated. For this:

  1. The inner crate is stuffed from the side of the attic or attic.
  2. The vapor barrier film is stretched.
  3. The heater is installed.
  4. A moisture-proof film or membrane with one-sided permeability is laid.

Thus, in addition to insulation, a ventilation system of the under-roof space is created. It starts to work after the installation of the coating.


It is more convenient to lay a layer of insulation from the outside on the inner crate with a vapor barrier coating

Under certain conditions, roof insulation can be done from the inside, it is not so convenient, but you can safely work in all weather conditions. The formation of the roofing cake is carried out in the reverse order. Each layer of insulation as the flooring needs to be strengthened in the openings between the rafters.

Creating a frame gable

Before proceeding with the design of the pediment, you need to arrange the crate and lay the finish coating of the roof.

When forming the crate, the type of future roofing is taken into account. It is made from edged boards with a thickness of 25 millimeters. The crate happens:

  1. Solid - boards are stuffed at a distance of 2-4 centimeters from one another. It is applied when using a tile or a soft roof.
  2. Sparse - the distance between the boards is 15–25 centimeters. Such a crate is arranged under a metal tile, corrugated board, slate and other similar materials.
  3. Rare - the distance between the boards is from 0.6 to 1.2 meters. It is used when the length of the coating sheets is equal to the length of the slope with an overhang. This cover is only made to order.

The crate should be taken out of the gable rafters for the overhang device.


On the front rafter trusses, a frame is mounted for fastening the material of the front finish

Roofing installation

Before laying the crate, the roof is insulated and a moisture-proof layer is laid. Further:

  1. Roof covering is being laid. The installation sequence is from bottom to top in order. The straightness of the first row is controlled by a stretched cord.
  2. Roofing sheets are fastened with self-tapping screws using shock-absorbing pads.

When installing the finishing coating of the roof, you cannot save on fasteners; the protective layer must be durable, able to withstand wind and snow loads.


Sheets of metal tiles are laid from the bottom up, starting from the corner of the roof

Installation of gables

The crate of the frame gables is made based on the characteristics of the material intended for the front finish. For this, the following products can be used:


After installing the crate, it is necessary to lay a moisture protection from a polyethylene film 200 microns thick. It can be fixed with building brackets. This work is done outside. On the film, you can sheathe the outer surface with the selected finishing material.

Gables need to be insulated with rolled or tiled heaters. The thickness of the protective layer should be at least 10 cm, and for areas with a cold climate - at least 15 cm. An internal moisture-proof film layer is stretched over the insulation.

On top of it, a crate for the front finish is stuffed, for which bars measuring 50x50 millimeters are used. Finishing of the entire building is carried out simultaneously, after the insulation of the roof.

In the process of facing the pediment, windows are installed if they are provided for by the project, and in some cases doors.


The pediment of a wooden house with a gable roof is most often finished with clapboard

Registration of overhangs

Roof overhangs, both gable and cornice, except for a purely decorative function, are designed to protect walls and foundations from water or snow. Their sizes are usually 50-60 centimeters. Overhangs are made with various materials:

  • planed board, installed end-to-end or overlapped;
  • grooved lining;
  • lining block house;
  • sheet plastic;
  • sheet profiled or smooth metal;
  • finished products made of metal or plastic - soffits.

There are several ways to arrange overhangs:


Ventilation holes must be made along the lining. They can be of any size, but large ones must be covered with a fine mesh of any material. This avoids the penetration of birds and harmful insects into the under-roof space. Soffits are sold with ready-made ventilation grilles.

Ventilation is arranged only on cornice overhangs; it is not needed for gable ledges.


When finishing with soffits, the ventilation holes do not need to be drilled - they are already made at the factory

Video: do-it-yourself gable roof device

With the modern abundance of building materials and their quality, you can install a gable roof yourself. The cost savings will be quite significant. But it can also turn into losses if you do not carefully consider every step you take during construction. I wish you success!

During the construction of private houses, the roof is most often made gable. There are reasons for this. First, it is reliable. Handles wind and snow loads well. The second - it is compatible with any roofing. The third is relatively inexpensive. The fourth is a simple design that is difficult to spoil. Fifth - it looks attractive. All this, and also the fact that a do-it-yourself gable roof is built without special knowledge, determines its popularity.

Do-it-yourself assembled gable roof ready for installation of roofing

Step-by-step installation of a gable roof

As you saw above, there are a lot of truss systems. Accordingly, when assembling each has its own characteristics, but in general the order is the same. It is necessary to say about the general step: pre-drying and processing of wood. This step is required if you bought fresh lumber, not dried.

The use of raw wood of natural moisture in the construction of the roof will lead to problems: the beams will bend, they will dry out, the geometry will change. All this will lead to the emergence of stress points and at the slightest sign of overload (a lot of snow, strong wind or rain), negative processes will begin. Their elimination is a complex and costly undertaking. Therefore, either buy dry wood (no more than 20%, ideally chamber drying 8-12%), or buy material a couple of months in advance, put it in ventilated piles. After that, treat with the necessary impregnations (from fungal attack and to reduce flammability) and only after that use it in the installation of the truss system.

Timber must be dried in ventilated stacks. To do this, they are laid in short pieces of boards. They are placed a meter from the edges and further through the meter. Spacers must be installed under the bottom

We will talk about the main stages of assembly, about how to make a gable roof with your own hands in this section.

Mauerlat

The assembly of the gable roof truss system begins with the installation of the Mauerlat. It must be set strictly horizontally, therefore, before starting installation, the horizontalness of the wall to which it is attached is carefully checked, if necessary, it is leveled with cement mortar. You can continue work after the solution gains 50% strength.

Depending on the system, this is a beam with a section of 150 * 150 mm or a board with dimensions of 50 * 150 mm. It is attached to the top row of masonry walls. If the house is wooden, its role is played by the upper crown. If the walls are made of light building blocks - foam concrete or aerated concrete and others - their rigidity is not enough to redistribute the load. In this case, a reinforced concrete belt is made over the last row of masonry, into which embedded fasteners are embedded - wire or studs. A bar or board is then mounted on them.

There are several ways to connect walls and Mauerlat:

  • In the masonry (in the reinforced concrete belt) a smooth rolled wire of large diameter is fixed (two ends stick up). Holes are then made in the board in the necessary places, into which the wire is threaded. She then twists and bends.
  • Studs with a diameter of at least 12 mm are immured in the wall. Under them, holes are made in the Mauerlat, a beam / board is placed) and tightened with nuts with wide washers.
  • Aligning the beam or board along the outer or inner edge of the wall, take a drill with a diameter of 12 mm, make holes for the anchor bolts. They (the same diameter of 12 mm) are hammered to the very hat, then tightened with a key.

The distance between the studs (wire) should not be more than 120 cm. Cut-off waterproofing must be laid on the wall (belt) under the Mauerlat. It can be rolled roofing felt or waterproofing in two layers, it can be smeared with bituminous mastic.

Rafter installation

There are more than a dozen types of gable roof truss systems. First of all, you need to choose what yours will look like. Further, in order to make it easier to work, a template is made from thin boards for all cuts, cuts and other similar details. To do this, you may need to assemble the first form on the roof, and then make templates for the finished one.

The assembly order depends on the type of truss system. If the rafters are layered, they are installed gradually, assembling from the elements directly on the roof. In this case, it is convenient if the beams of the ceiling are laid and, if possible, the draft flooring of the attic or attic.

In systems with hanging rafters, a farm is assembled on the ground - a ready-made triangle of puffs and rafter legs with all the required struts, racks. The required number of farms is assembled at once. Then they are lifted to the roof, placed vertically there and attached to the Mauerlat.

On the one hand, this is convenient - it is easier to work on the ground, with a high assembly speed, the accuracy is high: one farm is not much different from the other, which simplifies the procedure. But it can be difficult to raise finished trusses, especially for large buildings. To make this easier, two inclined boards are installed, which at one end rest against the ground, and the other sticks out a little above the wall. Farms are brought closer to this “lift”, one by one they are installed below, ropes are tied and pulled along the boards to the roof. In the absence of a winch or crane, this is the most acceptable method.

The assembly of rafters requires certain knowledge: how and in what order to mount them, how to mark and make cuts. See the video for the assembly of one of the schemes with a headstock.

Assembly order of the truss system


Everything, the do-it-yourself gable roof is assembled and ready for installation of roofing material.

The process of installing the rafters itself raises enough questions, but there are many ways and it is impossible to tell about them all. See one of them in the video. The system is large and went up to the roof in parts, and there it was already assembled into a single structure. It is convenient for large houses.

Features of the installation of the truss system of a wooden house

The difference between wooden houses is that the log house shrinks, and this leads to a change in the geometry of the truss system. If the elements are fixed rigidly, the roof may fall apart. Therefore, the mounts are made floating. There are special sliding fasteners, which in this case attach the rafters to the upper crown and to the girders, if any (see photo).

In order for the rafter to move freely during shrinkage, its long part is fixed strictly parallel to its edge, and the support is placed strictly perpendicular. If necessary, a platform is cut out under it. Mark the mount so that the hook is in the lowest position or near it. They are mounted on special self-tapping screws that come with the kit (ordinary ones do not fit). If the installation is done on a log, so that the rafter leg does not slip along it, a semicircular hole is cut out in the lower part, on which it will rest.

Such fasteners are sold on any construction market, it is called "slippery". How to attach the slippery to the beam, see the video.

Video on assembling and installing a gable roof truss system

It is not easy to build a gable roof with your own hands: there are a lot of subtleties and nuances, there are different ways of fastening, building up. Describing them in words is a thankless task. This is the case when it is better to see. Below is a selection of videos that you might find helpful.

Video report on how a gable roof is made

The story of the owner of the house about the stages of construction. There are interesting technical points that may be useful.

Two types of rafter connection: rigid and sliding

Video about the two most problematic types of connections.

How to determine the angle of the rafters

Full video report on the assembly of the truss system

This movie is just under an hour long, but the entire process is shown from start to finish with plenty of detail. The roof is placed on, but when installed on buildings of a different type (except for wooden houses), there is no difference.

The construction of a reliable truss system is one of the most difficult tasks in the construction of the roof of a country house, cottage or garage. Nevertheless, do not rush to give up - today we will refute the popular belief that such work is beyond the power of a beginner. Knowing the rules for calculating, sawing and installing a roof frame, you can build a roof no worse than specialists. In turn, we will try not only to talk about the device, design and features of the construction of various types of truss systems, but also share the secrets of experienced craftsmen.

What is called the truss system and how it works

Any, even the most seedy roof, is based on a strong power frame, called a truss system. The rigidity of the roof, and hence the ability to withstand even the strongest wind and snow loads, depends on how correctly this structure is mounted.

The truss system is the power frame of the roof, which perceives the entire wind and snow load.

The best material for the manufacture of rafters (trusses) is considered to be a bar or thick board made of softwood. And there is an explanation for this - pine or spruce lumber has a relatively low weight, and the presence of natural resins makes it quite durable. Even if the timber will have a small residual moisture, it will not lead when it dries, which is no less important factor than ease of use and long service life.

Depending on the size of the roof, the supporting structural elements can have a cross section from 50x100 mm to 200x200 mm or more. In addition, the length of the roof directly affects the number of rafters, because they are installed in small steps - from 60 cm to 1.2 m.

Structural elements of the truss system

The main requirement that is put forward to a wooden frame is the ability to resist bending and torsion. For this reason, a triangle shape is best suited for timber frame trusses. However, they can consist of several parts:

  • rafter legs - the base of the roof frame, which has the greatest impact on the size and geometry of the slopes;
  • crossbars (puffs) - boards that pull together a pair of rafter legs;
  • runs - transversely installed bars, due to which the rafters are connected into a single structure;
  • racks - vertical supports that serve to support the rafter legs or prevent deflection of the runs;
  • struts - the same racks, only set at an angle to the vertical;
  • beds - boards attached to the floor of the attic, on which supports are installed;
  • mauerlat - a support beam installed on the bearing walls, to which the lower parts of the rafter legs are attached;
  • filly - pieces of timber or boards that are nailed to the lower ends of the trusses and serve to equip roof overhangs.

Additional elements of the truss system make the roof frame more durable, rigid and stable

When choosing the design of the roof frame, it is important to find the very middle ground that will allow you to get a solid and reliable structure at minimal cost. For this reason, you can deviate a little from the established canons, if it does not concern the rigidity of the entire structure. For example, it is quite possible to do without fillies, and form a cornice overhang due to longer rafter legs. Or use not a solid Mauerlat, but pieces of timber laid only at the attachment points of the rafter legs - it all depends on the engineering ingenuity and experience of the roofer.

Rafter classification

Depending on the design of the roof and the purpose of the attic, the wooden frame may consist of several types of rafters:


Features and varieties of truss systems

To make an informed choice, you need to understand the features of various types of truss systems and know the strengths and weaknesses of each design.

Roof frame with hanging rafters

Since the principle of attaching hanging rafters does not imply additional support points, this design is used for buildings with a width of no more than 6 m. Installation of unsupported trusses involves attaching each pair of legs to opposite main walls, while their upper parts are fixed directly to the ridge run.

The roof frame with hanging rafters transfers only vertical forces to the walls, therefore it has simpler attachment points to load-bearing walls

During operation, a force acts on the hanging rafters, tending to push the structure apart. To compensate for the bursting force, a crossbar made of a wooden beam or a metal profile pipe is installed between the rafter legs. If the attic space will be used for domestic purposes, then the upper jumper is attached as close as possible to the ridge, and the lower edges of the pairs of rafter legs are connected with puffs. Such a scheme allows you to increase the useful height of the attic, without reducing the strength of the frame at all. By the way, if the lower jumpers are made of timber with a section of more than 100x100 mm, then they can also be used as load-bearing beams. It is necessary to ensure a reliable connection of puffs and rafter legs, since significant bursting forces also act on the place of their fastening.

Roof with rafters

Rafter rafters require the installation of at least one support, so they are used for buildings with internal load-bearing walls. The maximum length of a single span should not exceed 6.5 m, otherwise the strength and rigidity of the roof frame will suffer. To increase the width of the roof, the truss system is reinforced with intermediate supports. Even one additional rack allows you to increase the width of the roof up to 12 m, and two - more than 15 m.

The rafter system is ideal when a large roof width is required.

The stability of slope trusses can be increased by using a sub-rafter frame with girders, posts and struts. In addition, this rafter system requires much less lumber costs. Versatility, strength and cost-effectiveness have long been appreciated by both construction companies and individual developers, most often using roof structures with layered beams in their projects.

Combined options

Today, the roofs of country houses amaze with the elegance of design, the quirkiness of shapes and the variety of configurations. There is only one way to build such complex structures - by combining both types of truss systems in one frame.

The combination of layered and hanging trusses allows you to get a truss system of any configuration

Even for the construction of not the most complex sloping roof, both truss systems are used at once. The right-angled triangles located on the sides are layered truss structures. And they are connected due to the upper screed, which at the same time plays the role of a puff for the upper hanging rafters.

The procedure and rules for the installation of roof frames

Since two types of roof frames are used in the construction of roofs, we will consider the installation technology for each structure separately. However, before proceeding with construction work, it is necessary to study the methods of fastening structural elements to each other.

Roof construction with hanging rafters

It has already been mentioned above that hanging rafters are most often used in the construction of small or undemanding buildings. A log house in this case is an almost ideal option, since you can do without a Mauerlat. The lower part of the rafter legs is attached to the upper crown or the edges of the ceiling beams (matrices) protruding beyond the perimeter of the walls. In the latter case, the puff must be moved up - this will allow you to put the beam on top of the finishing log and make the attic more comfortable.

To increase the height of the attic space, the puff should be installed as close as possible to the top of the roof

Preparatory work

The geometry of the slopes depends on how well the beams will be prepared for the rafter legs. A cord stretched between nails driven into the extreme beams will help to level the supporting surfaces..

  1. It is necessary to cut down the slab, having received flat platforms for the installation of trusses. After that, you should definitely check how accurately they lie in the same plane. This can be done using a long straight rail and a level.

    Before installing the trusses, the supporting surfaces are aligned with the cord

  2. After removing excess wood, in each beam you need to make a recess under the rafter spike. You can draw the places of future nests using the same nails and cord as in the previous case. Although the recesses for the rafters can be made both before and after the manufacture of the trusses, experts advise doing them first - this will allow you to try on with higher accuracy and convenience.

    The method of attaching the rafters depends on many factors - the type of support beams, their cross section, the features of the roof overhang, etc.

  3. Professional roofers recommend installing an additional reference point in the center of the span of each tong - a vertical rail. One of its sides is used as an axis of symmetry, which will make it possible to monitor the strict observance of the geometry of the structure.

    In order to simplify the process of marking and mounting the roof frame, use vertical rails installed along the center line of the roof

Rafter manufacturing

In order for the rafters to have the same dimensions and configuration, they are made according to a pre-made template. For its manufacture, we suggest using the following instructions:

  1. Take two slatted boards and bolt them together to form a drop-down compass design. The threaded connection should not be tightened strongly - the structure should rotate around the top. Be sure to check that the slats are 10-15 cm longer than the rafters - this will be needed to take into account the height of the thrust tooth.

    The simplest template allows you to get roof trusses of the same size and configuration

  2. On the rail set as a guide, make two marks. The lower one should correspond to the height of the truss system, and the upper one should be separated from it by the height of the mounting ledge.
  3. Install the template on the mat so that the corners of the boards rest against the recesses for the rafter teeth.

    In order for the structure to successfully cope with bursting loads, the thrust tooth at the end of the rafter leg is inserted into a recess on the floor beam

  4. Align the axis of rotation of the "compass" with the upper mark on the rail and set aside the height of the spike from the lower corners of the jig.
  5. Lower the template down and cut the teeth along the drawn line. After that, raise the device to the roof and insert the spikes into the nests on the mother. Check the coincidence of the sample axis with the lower mark on the vertical rail. If necessary, move the bolt to the desired side and fix the angle between the boards with a cross member.

    Several methods are used to fasten trusses - it all depends on the type of support beams, the design of the roof frame and the section of its elements

  6. Having adjusted the template in height, apply vertical abutment lines to each board. In conclusion, measure the length of the crossbar and build a template from the scraps of the boards for making overlays on the tops of the trusses.

    To attach the crossbar to the rafters, linings from pieces of an inch board are used.

After the template is lowered to the ground, it is disassembled and cuts are made according to the markings. In addition, they construct a separate pattern, along which the ends of the rafter legs will be cut. The manufacture and assembly of hanging rafters is most often done below, raising finished structures to the roof. If the weight and dimensions of the assembled trusses do not allow them to be pulled up manually, then the assembly is carried out on the spot. At the same time, the components of the truss system are fixed with nails ranging in size from 100 to 200 mm.

How to install roof rafters

In order to raise and install farms, you will need the help of at least one person. Fitting and setting the rafters on a plumb line alone is an extremely difficult task - you will have to fasten them to the struts more than once and repeatedly descend from the roof to control the deviation from the vertical plane.

With the help of a rafter tooth, it is possible to obtain such a reliable connection that only one nail can be used for the final fixation.

Raising the assembled rafters up, first mount the extreme structural elements, and then the central and intermediate ones. To strengthen the structure, a support is installed under each leg:


Having set the hanging rafters according to the level, they are fixed with temporary struts. After that, the lower ends of the beams are nailed to the mat or floor beams.

Various temporary structures greatly simplify the process of installing rafters by level.

It is not worth resorting to newfangled methods of fixing with the help of various corners and perforated plates. A reliable "old-fashioned" method of fastening with nails 200 mm long or construction staples will be much better both in terms of strength and reliability, and in terms of cost. At this stage, do not worry about the design looking flimsy.. After the remaining elements of the truss system are installed and the crate is completed, the structure will acquire the necessary rigidity and stability.

Video: making and installing do-it-yourself hanging rafters

Features of the installation of layered rafters

The process of manufacturing and installing layered rafters is generally very similar to the construction of a hanging roof frame. The main difference is at the top point and it is due to the fact that the tops of the layered beams rest on the ridge run. In this case, the connection with the latter is performed in several ways:

  • simple adjoining apart (in parallel to each other);
  • with the implementation of a vertical joint (the same as when connecting the paired legs of a hanging truss);
  • by tightly fitting the beams to the upper beam (using a vertical cut or notch).

If the design of the wooden frame provides for the support of trusses on the side girder, then the rafters are joined end-to-end, and recesses are made at the junction with the girder.

For fastening layered rafters, nails, building brackets or linings made of wood and metal are used.

To ensure the strength of the structure, the cuts should not be too deep.. Experts recommend making recesses no more than a quarter of the thickness of the beam or a third of the width of the board.

Individual developers most often resort to installing rafters in the following way:

  • the upper part rests on the ridge beam by means of a vertical cut;
  • from below, the rafter legs are held by a corner cut.

For marking it is convenient to use a construction square. After the scale is selected, on the sides of the right-angled triangle, the values ​​\u200b\u200bof the rise of the slope and half the span are set aside. Thanks to this, it will be possible to obtain the slope angle of the slope without resorting to mathematical calculations.

For the manufacture of rafters, we suggest using the most convenient method:


At first glance, this method is very tricky. However, even a cursory acquaintance with the given instruction is enough to master it perfectly. Of course, it is possible to set aside the necessary distances and make markings by calculation, however, when calculating angles and distances, it will be much easier to get confused.

It should be remembered that the cuts made in the rafter legs must be exactly the same, otherwise the roof slope will be uneven. To do this, you can use a wooden block as a template. It is only important that its thickness does not exceed 1/3 of the thickness of the workpiece.

For the most common slope angles, there are templates that professionals have already worked on calculating the configuration of. Using one of these patterns, you can significantly simplify the task of marking the corners of the cuts.

Templates with marked corners of the cuts allow you to simplify the process of manufacturing rafters

Assembly and installation of a layered structure


Video: installation of rafter legs of a layered roofing system

Methods for connecting rafter logs

When choosing a beam for overall roof trusses, you have to look for a reasonable compromise between the length and thickness of the rafters. The reason for this is the peculiarities of the standard range of lumber, in which longer beams have an increased section. On the other hand, their use is not always justified both technologically and due to an increase in the cost of the structure. The way out of this situation is to lengthen the rafter legs by splicing. The stiffness and mechanical strength of the beam depends on how correctly the joint is made, so the connection is made strictly according to a certain method.

Oblique cutting method

The method of merging with an oblique cut consists in the fact that inclined cutouts (cuts) are formed on the mating parts of the bars. They should be carried out very carefully - after combining both parts of the timber, there should be no gaps, otherwise deformation will appear at the junction.

When splicing with an oblique cut, there should be no gaps and gaps between the mating surfaces, which can weaken the rafter and cause its deformation

When making cuts, a small transverse section is left with a height of at least 15% of the thickness of the rafter - the presence of the end part will make the connection more durable. To calculate the optimal length of the oblique cut, it is necessary to multiply the height of the beam at the place of the cut by two. The cut is fastened with nails, clamps or bolted connections.

Coupling

To lengthen the rafter by rallying (stitching), the edges of the boards are overlapped and a rack is installed in the center of the junction zone. The fastening of the elements is carried out with the help of nails, which are hammered according to a certain pattern:

  • along the edges of the ends - every 45–90 mm;
  • along the edges of the stitched boards - in a zigzag manner, with a step of 50 cm.

Joining the boards by rallying eliminates the need for additional overlays, however, it requires the installation of an additional support in the center of the junction area

In order for the beam to successfully cope with operational loads after docking, the length of the rallying section (T) is calculated by the formula T = 0.42 × L, where L is the length of the overlapped span.

frontal stop

The frontal extension connection is that the edges of the individual parts of the rafters are carefully trimmed and matched end-to-end. For fastening, linings made of lumber with a thickness of at least 1/3 of the section of the main beam are used. The length of the overlays is determined by the formula L = 3 × h, where h is the width of the board.

When splicing with a frontal stop, a monolithic structure will be obtained only with the correct placement of fasteners

The fixation of all parts is carried out using a nail fight or bolted connections. In the first case, nails are hammered in two parallel rows, trying to place fasteners in a zigzag pattern. The threaded connection is performed in a checkerboard pattern, determining the number of bolts depending on the length of the lining.

Compound length extension

To build up a rafter leg, it is not at all necessary to use both parts of the same section. With a compound build-up, a single element can be lengthened due to two boards that are sewn onto its side planes. The resulting gap is filled with l = 2 × h lumber cuts with a step L = 7 × h, where h, as before, is the thickness of the element being extended.

Composite extension of rafters allows you to attach crossbars, supports and other structural elements in the most convenient way

Tips from experts on the manufacture of rafters and assembly of the roof frame

When starting to independently design and install a truss system, be sure to consult with experienced roofers regarding the features of building roofs in your area. Perhaps their advice will keep you out of trouble and help you save time and money. In turn, we offer several recommendations that will help make the design more reliable and durable:

  1. If a minimum cross-section bar is used to make a Mauerlat or top trim, then cuts can weaken it. For this reason, cutouts should only be made at the lower ends of the rafter legs.
  2. In order to prevent precipitation from falling on the wooden frame and walls of the house, the roof must have an overhang. For its arrangement, pieces of timber (filly) are used, with which the length of the rafter legs is increased, or larger trusses are made.
  3. Connection using cuts at an angle of 90 o cannot be used- in this case, the resistance of the element to load forces is significantly reduced.
  4. If the elements of the truss system are connected by threaded fasteners, then wide washers or metal plates are installed under the heads of the bolts and nuts. Due to the increased area, the fasteners will not be pressed into the wood.
  5. All wooden parts of the structure must be thoroughly impregnated with an antiseptic and fire retardant.
  6. When determining the cross section of the puffs, they are guided by how close they will be to the ridge. The shorter the connecting bar, the greater the load on it and the more powerful lumber and bolted fasteners are used.
  7. When determining the cross section of a beam for the manufacture of rafters, do not forget to take into account the thickness of the heat-insulating layer.

Video: recommendations of experts on the correct connection of the elements of the roof frame

https://youtube.com/watch?v=GbTAu5-flfs

Modern materials and technologies allow you to build a roof of any configuration and purpose. Given this diversity, it is simply impossible to consider in detail all the options within the framework of one article. However, based on the basic principles of construction discussed here, you can easily cope with the most complex design. The main thing is to pay attention to the little things, to be attentive and accurate in work. And then the roof will be not only a reliable functional superstructure, but also a real decoration of your home.

Thanks to my versatile hobbies, I write on various topics, but my favorite ones are engineering, technology and construction. Perhaps because I know many nuances in these areas, not only theoretically, as a result of studying at a technical university and graduate school, but also from the practical side, since I try to do everything with my own hands.

A gable roof is the best DIY option for an inexperienced builder. It is simple in execution, but at the same time reliable and can withstand significant loads from both wind and precipitation. She, of course, is not very beautiful, but in the baths she looks quite organic.

To do everything consciously, it is necessary to understand the structure of a gable roof and the purpose of all its elements. Let's start in order.

Mauerlat

This is a large bar attached to the load-bearing walls around the perimeter of the building. It is this element that accounts for most of the load from the roof. And it is the Mauerlat that transfers it to the load-bearing walls.

For this element, square bars with a size of 100 * 100 mm or 150 * 150 mm are used. They are connected to the walls with embedded studs. If the bath is wooden, then the upper crown usually serves as the Mauerlat. For all other types of walls, a reinforced concrete belt is made into which studs are embedded. Then the beam of the selected section is “put on” on the studs and attracted with nuts. Sometimes it is additionally fixed with long pins.

Since the thickness of the walls is often greater than the width of the mauerlat, it can be laid with bricks from the outside of the timber. This will make the system more reliable. Only wood needs to be wrapped with two layers of roofing material - to protect it from moisture and decay.

Rafter legs and skate

A ridge is a horizontal wooden block located at the top of the roof and connecting two slopes. Rafter legs or rafters rest on it and on the Mauerlat. Since the ridge has a rather large load, it must be made of a considerable section and wood of durable species should be chosen.


The height of the roof ridge is determined based on the slope of the roof and the width of the building. The angle of the roof slope is a value that depends on climatic factors: if there is a lot of snow in winter, then you need to make the slopes steeper. They will snow well. If there are strong winds in the region, the high roof will experience heavy loads and may be damaged.

For medium conditions, the optimal roof slope angle is about 35°-45°. They will not be heavily loaded by the wind, and the snow will not accumulate much. In addition, with such an angle, you can choose any type of roofing: any of the tiles, soft roofing, slate, metal tiles.

Also remember, the higher the ridge is raised (the steeper the slopes), the larger the roof area will be. And this will lead to the fact that the cost of purchasing roofing materials and the amount of work will be large.

Knowing the slope angle and the width of your bath, you can calculate the height of the roof ridge. To do this, the width of the building must be divided by two (if the ridge is in the middle, and not shifted to one side or the other) and multiplied by the slope angle tangent (the first formula in the figure). In order not to look for the necessary coefficient in mathematical tables, it is written out and summarized in a simple table.

Roof slope angle 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Tg A (skate height calculation) 0,08 0,17 0,26 0,36 0,47 0,59 0,76 0,86 1 1,22 1,45 1,78
Sin A (rafter length calculation) 0,09 0,17 0,26 0,34 0,42 0,5 0,57 0,64 0,71 0,77 0,82 0,87

Multiply half the width of the house by this factor. Get the height of the ridge for your bath. For example, the width of the bath is 4 meters, the angle is 35 °. We consider: 4 m / 2 * 0.76 \u003d 1.52 m - the height of the ridge from the ceiling.


Now about the rafter legs. They are made from pine or spruce bars, or better - larch. Section 50*150 mm or 50*100 mm. The choice of bar thickness depends on:


The length of the rafter leg is also calculated according to the mathematical formula: the height of the ridge is divided by the sine of the angle of inclination (the second formula in the figure). The sines of the tilt angles are also in the table. Find the right value and count. For example, for the ridge we found is 1.52 m and the angle of inclination is 35 °, the rafters will need 1.52 m / 0.57 = 2.67 m.

Roof overhang and filly

But the roof does not end exactly above the load-bearing wall. It extends beyond the walls by about 40 cm. This ledge is called the roof overhang. This is done so that the water flows further from the foundation, does not wash it away. Therefore, the rafter legs are taken longer. If their length is not enough, they are grown with boards, which are called "fillies".


To organize the overhang of the roof, boards are added to the rafters - filly

Types of truss systems

Rafter systems come with hanging or layered rafter legs. The hanging ones rest only on the outer walls of the building (on the Mauerlat or the upper crown). In order to increase the reliability of the system, so as not to ruin the walls, they are connected by puffs (also called a jumper or crossbar). This type of rafter system is suitable for buildings of small width (less than 10 m) and in cases where there is no load-bearing wall running in the middle.


Two types of truss systems - with hanging and layered rafters

The second type of system is with layered rafters. They rest on a ridge beam and a mauerlat, but the load from the roof is also distributed to the middle load-bearing wall, through vertical bars - girders, which are installed with the same pitch as the rafters and rely on the lower puff.

Do-it-yourself installation of gable roof rafters

For most of the baths, the system is made with hanging rafter legs - the dimensions allow this. In this case, less consumption of lumber and less time is required for its arrangement. In this case, most of the work can be transferred to the ground.

They make one triangle from the rafters according to all the rules and sizes. They try it on, and then make the right amount of its exact copies. Finished rafters with puffs and crossbars, fastened and measured, are raised to the roof. There they are set strictly vertically in the designated places and are fixed to the Mauerlat and the ridge.

An example of how to make a gable roof with hanging rafters, see the video.

With a roof slope length of more than 4.5 meters, to increase the reliability of the system, vertical racks are installed, which support the rafter leg at one end, and rest against the floor beam with the other. This is done regardless of the type of installation of rafters: both hanging and layered. They also install slopes that make the structure even more rigid.


In any case, the rafters will need to be attached to the ridge beam, as well as to the Mauerlat. The figure below shows the mounting options for the ridge.


It will also be necessary to attach the rafters to the Mauerlat. How to do this - see the photo below.


Lathing device

Making a gable roof with your own hands ends with the installation of a crate for roofing material. To do this, a waterproofing film or membrane is rolled out on the outside of the rafters. Lay it in a horizontal direction. Starting from the bottom, moving up. The second and all subsequent rows are laid with an overlap of at least 15-20 cm. They are fixed with small nails or staples from a staple gun.


After installing the truss system, a film or waterproofing membrane is fixed on it, and on top - a crate

There are two ways - with or without a counter-crate. The counter-lattice is stuffed along the rafters, and on top there are already lathing bars. Thus, an air gap is formed between the waterproofing and the roofing material. This option is better from the point of view that such a roof will dry out better and faster. And this is very important for baths.

Without a counter-lattice, the bars are packed immediately over the waterproofing. There is also a gap here, but it is smaller, therefore, ventilation will be worse. But this option is also acceptable: less consumption of materials and work, too.

After the manufacture of the crate, it remains only to fix the selected roofing material.

Results

Now you know how to make a gable roof with your own hands. Of all types, this is the simplest option that a non-specialist can make.

The truss frame sets the geometric and operational parameters of the pitched roof. Due to violations in the installation technology, due to flaws in the manufacture of its elements, distortions of the system, traditional leaks, holes in the coating appear, threatening emergency situations.

In order to build a reliable and stable roof structure, you need to clearly know how the sawing and installation of rafters is performed, followed by fixation to the supporting elements.

Rafters, or rafter legs, are wooden or metal beams installed on the house box at a given angle. They determine the configuration of the roof structure, take on and steadfastly resist the sum of permanent and temporary loads acting on the upper enclosing system of the building.

The structural simplicity of the rafter legs is extremely deceptive. In fact, these are quite complex elements that require careful marking and accurate cutting. Inconsistencies in the connections of the rafter legs with the Mauerlat, with each other and other components of the system lead to a change in the shape of the slopes, a violation of the integrity of the coating and the destruction of nodes.

On the other hand, competent installation of rafter legs can correct some errors in the construction of the house box, and not aggravate the situation by clearly repeating and increasing wall height differences. True, in such situations, the frame elements are made individually and scrupulously adjusted in fact directly at the facility.

However, before dealing with the specifics of installation, you need to find out what their design differences are, according to which the rafter legs are divided into two groups, these are:

  • Hanging. Type of rafters that do not have an upper support. At the top of the roof, the rafter legs rest against each other with their ends. So that under the weight of the components of the roofing cake and snow, such a design does not burst the Mauerlat beam, the hanging rafters are connected with a horizontally installed puff.
  • Layered. A kind of rafter legs, stacked on two supports of different heights. At the top, they most often rely on a ridge run installed in the cross to the rafters, less often they rest against each other, cut down at an angle. The bottom rests on the Mauerlat beam or rests against it.

The scope of their application and installation technology depend on which group the rafter legs belong to. The hanging variety is collected on the ground, and the trusses, made in the form of peculiar triangles, are raised to the roof and mounted in a form completely prepared for installation.

The advantage of building a truss frame using hanging technology lies in the safety of work and the ability to perform nodal connections as accurately as possible. If the simplest version of a hanging truss with a puff at the bottom is used in the construction of the roof, you can abandon the Mauerlat device, in place of which a narrow leveling board is quite suitable.

The disadvantages of hanging technology are accompanied by advantages. For example, a truss assembled on the ground is much more difficult to transport to the installation site than boards and timber for layered rafters. There are restrictions on the spans to be covered: the limit is 14 m, above which it is unreasonable to install wooden beams prone to sagging without intermediate supports.

The rafter legs of the layered group both top and bottom are based on independent structures. The top of them is laid on a purlin structure, which is mounted on the floor beams or on the bed, replacing the Mauerlat on the inner wall. The bottom is either installed on the Mauerlat, or rests against it, catching on the bar with a tooth or a support bar sewn instead of a tooth.


The advantage of layered systems is rightfully recognized as the possibility of overlapping almost any span in size. It’s just that with an increase in the overlapped space, the design becomes more complicated: it is supplemented with struts for a couple with racks, additional runs, coupled with beds, fights.

The layered structure is assembled and mounted longer, because. it is built not from farms, but from individual elements. However, just this scheme has more opportunities to correct the shortcomings of a box or an unevenly settled log house. Because layered rafters are stacked individually, it is possible to slightly change the position and size of the node, in order to eventually form a perfectly aligned slope plane.

The specifics of the manufacture and installation of rafters

It is clear that for the construction of the truss system, lumber will be needed - long-length products of timber processing enterprises with clear geometric parameters. You will need a board or timber, on which, of course, there are no mounting cuts and cuts for installation.

Why are cuts and cuts needed? The fact is that when placed on an edge, boards and beams have too little support area. They are in contact with the Mauerlat with only one vestma in a thin line, because of which, at the slightest load from above, they can tritely “move out” from their position and drag the entire structure with them.

In order to increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsupport in the junction of the rafter and the Mauerlat, or it and the additional run, a corner cut is selected in the beam or board, a tooth is cut out or a support bar is sewn on. If the top of the rafter is paired with a mirror-opposite counterpart, then for a reliable stop, you will need a gash, the plane of which must be clearly perpendicular to the horizon.

The basic rule in the construction of truss frames is that the support sites selected in the lumber are strictly horizontal and vertical. At the slightest violation of horizontality with verticality, stability is lost, structural parts are displaced under their own weight and load, up to the complete destruction of the system.

Note that the nodes of the truss systems are entrusted with the obligation to ensure the possibility of a slight displacement and rotation when the load is exceeded. These movements are necessary in order for the structure to bend slightly, move slightly, but not collapse and maintain stability.

These subtleties should be known to both the master, who decided to do the manufacture and installation of rafters with his own hands, and the owner of the house under construction, who does not want to pay for the poor-quality labor efforts of the builders team. Let's analyze the common options to understand the essence of the process.


Hanging roof frame construction

Consider an example of the construction of a truss system over a log cabin of a bath. The span between the walls is small, it is easier and more reasonable to block it with a hanging structure, the installation of which will be carried out on the bypasses of the ceiling beams - matrices.

The log base is an almost ideal option for installing hanging systems, because. it is easiest to cut it into the horizon, eliminating the need to adjust the rafters in case of a violation of the geometry of the foot. There is no need for a Mauerlat device. However, the puff will have to be moved up in order to bypass the upper crown of the log house and form a useful attic space.


Before performing the installation of the rafters, a phased preparation of the log house is carried out. On both sides of the foot, we align the bypasses according to the lace tied to the nails hammered into the two extreme beams. On top of the bypasses, we cut off the slab so that the edge of each beam ends with a flat horizontal platform.

The surface formed after squeezing the upper bulge of the log along the edges of the beams is aligned to the horizon according to the level. We apply the specified control tool to three or more beams at the same time. If the level is not long enough to carry out such a check, use a long rail or board instead.

After squeezing all the excess, we mark the nests for the rafter tooth. To do this, we again use nails and lace. Note that it is possible to draw nest sampling sites on the bypasses both before the construction of hanging trusses and after. However, it is much more convenient to make nests before making rafters. They will help to carry out the fitting with higher accuracy.

To facilitate your work, it is advisable to find the center of the log house from the side of future tongs. At these points, it is recommended to nail along the control rail, one of the edges of which will indicate the axis of symmetry. You can do without rails if you already have some experience in the construction of roofs.


  • We sew two inch boards 10–15 cm longer than the designed length of the rafters at the top with a nail or bolt so that they can rotate around this connecting point.
  • On the rail installed in the center of the future tongs, we mark the design height of the truss system. We put one more mark above it - this is the height of the tooth, more precisely, the length of the vertical laid off from the base of the tooth to its top.
  • We set the boards sewn at one point to the extreme bypasses so that the corner of each board rests against the future socket under the tooth.
  • We combine the connection point of the boards with the upper mark on the rail, which determines the length of the rafters with the tooth.
  • From the lower corner of both rafters, we set aside the height of the tooth, return with the template blank to the ground and cut out the tooth according to the markup.
  • We return the template blank to its place, install it by inserting the teeth into the sockets intended for them. It may happen that after installation, the top of the workpiece does not match the directions of the rail. Then you need to pull out the nail and adjust the position of the top, be sure to mark a new point.
  • After fitting the top, we draw a vertical line of their upcoming joint on both boards, measure the size of the crossbar and mark on the trimmings of the board the shape of the overlays for the upper joint of the rafters.

If everything turned out exactly and no more adjustments are required, the template is ready. We return with him to the ground. We disassemble the workpiece and make cuts along the marked lines. The parts obtained as a result of fitting and fitting will serve as a standard for the practically in-line production of roof trusses in the required quantity.


We will assemble hanging farms on the ground. Their installation, as well as fitting, should be carried out by at least two people. One master simply can not cope with such work. The performer at the top will install the truss, and the second one will change its position according to the plumb line. The position of each leveled and installed truss should be fixed with temporary struts.

To increase the stability of the system, we will install racks under the rafters:

  • Let's mark the matrices under the place of installation of additional supports in an already proven way: we will hammer in a nail from opposite sides and pull the cord.
  • We will hollow out nests in the logs according to the markings.
  • Let's try a piece of a bar to the installation site. We mark on it the line washed down, taking into account the height of the spike.
  • We will make a rack and two linings for attaching it to the rafter.
  • Install the support made and fix the position of the truss truss on the other side in the same way. According to the verified scheme, we continue to work until we equip each rafter with an additional support.

To ensure the rigidity of the hanging system, the truss trusses are connected by wind ties - boards, poles or slats nailed from the inside of the structure. On the outside of the truss frame, rigidity will increase due to the construction of the crate.

The rafter legs are attached to the matrices with 200 mm nails or angle brackets. In this regard, metal corners and plates with perforation for fasteners significantly lose to traditional methods. To the sidewalls of the rafters we nail fillies made of a board, the width of which is half the material used in the manufacture of the rafters.

The length of the filly should be 70 - 80 cm more than the designed width of the overhang. This distance is necessary for their reliable connection with the rafter legs. The fillies can be cut in advance, or without preliminary cuts, you can nail the trimmings of a narrow board to the rafters, and then draw up the line of the eaves. However, the first option is more convenient and economical.

In most cases, as in the example above, fillies must be partially buried in the mats bypass, for this:

  • We note in fact the width of the filly at the bypass.
  • We make two cuts with a saw according to the markup for 2/3 of the thickness of the filly. We also saw the log between the extreme cuts with a saw. We refine the recess with a chisel, accompanied by a hammer.
  • We install the fillies in the formed recesses, sew them with rafters with nails 100 mm long.

Upon completion of the installation of all fillies in the last ones, we hammer in a nail. We pull the control cord and mark where to saw off the excess.

The device of the layered roof frame

In the construction of a truss frame using layered technology, there is much in common with the installation of a hanging structure. The fitting is carried out in almost the same sequence, so it makes no sense to describe the actions twice. The main difference is in the methods of forming the upper node, because the tops of the layered rafters have a support - a ridge run.

If at the top the layered rafters are tritely based on a ridge run, they are laid either with a run, i.e. parallel to each other, or with a strictly vertical joint, similar to the docking of hanging legs. However, in most cases, they try to fix the upper part with a notch or a vertical cut with a tight fit to the ridge beam.

There are schemes according to which the layered rafters are based not on the ridge, but on the side run. In such situations, the top is formed according to the hanging principle, and the point of support on the girder is made out with a corner cut.

Let us analyze the most popular option in private construction for the construction of rafter legs with support on the lower corner cut and on the ridge run through a vertical gash. Note that the maximum depth of the cut should not exceed 1/3 of the width of the board.

Option for marking with a construction square:

  • On the square, we mark the height of the roof and half the span on a scale. These values ​​reflect the slope of the slopes and set the main angles. The proportions must be exactly maintained.
  • If further use of the square is not planned, then the delayed points can be marked with screwed bosses or short screws with screws, if planned, it is better with paint that is removed with a solvent.
  • We apply a square to the board laid flat with the side on which the height of the roof is marked. We draw a line according to the indications of the square - this is the line of the upper cut of the rafter - the section of its interface with the ridge run.
  • Cut along the marked line with a circular saw. Lay the board for sawing flat, as it should be when cutting in width. Longitudinal cuts are made with setting on the edge.
  • From the top of the formed angle, we set aside the length of the so-called diagonal. This is the distance from the junction point with the run to the outer edge of the Mauerlat or the upper trim, if a frame house is being equipped.
  • We move the square to this point. We draw a line parallel to the first.
  • We turn the square over, move it along the workpiece so that 2/3 of the total distance is on the left, and 1/3 on the right. In the picture, these are 8ʺ and 4ʺ.
  • The line of a smaller segment will just designate a cut for us.

At the end, we draw the outline of the cornice overhang on the board, cut it along the outlined lines and use the rafter blank made by ourselves to saw the rest of the roof elements.

You can apply the described method without a building square and marking the parameters of the roof on it. It is enough to imagine the process in order to set aside the necessary distances with a conventional drawing tool. However, without experience, you can get confused in the calculations of angles and segments.

To help novice builders, a template has been developed with options for forming corner cuts. It will help you navigate the manufacture of rafter legs from the most common lumber in this area.


In cases of laying rafter legs with notches in the upper and lower parts, it should be remembered that the depth of both notches must be the same so that the roof slope does not change during construction work. Usually, for the device of two equal cuts, an auxiliary bar is used, the thickness of which is not more than 1/3 of the thickness of the board.

The rafter blank is then installed with an edge on the Mauerlat and on the run. The bar is applied on the side in the area of ​​​​the lower and upper nodes to outline the cut.

If the cut is needed only in the lower part of the rafter, and the top will be based on the run with a cut, the board is installed at the bottom on the Mauerlat, and at the top on the run and the bar, so that as a result of cutting, the slope of the slope does not change. At the bottom, a second bar of the same size is applied to the future node and the outline of the future cutting is outlined with it.

The same methods are used to form cuts with a tooth. The difference is only in the form washed down.

The installation of layered rafters begins with the installation of two extreme trusses. The elements are mounted one at a time, their position is carefully checked using a plumb level. Most often, extreme farms are arranged from paired boards, because. they carry more load. They are fixed with temporary spacers, then connected with a cord or rail to indicate the plane of the ramp.

Ordinary rafters located between the extreme load-bearing trusses are installed according to the instructions of the laces. If necessary, correct the position of the legs according to the actual situation.

Video about installing rafter legs

Installation of rafters with fastening with metal corners:

How to make rafter legs with cuts for landing on a Mauerlat:

The device of the truss frame under the roof of the garage:

We have given and described only a part of the methods for constructing truss frames. In reality, there are much more manufacturing and installation methods. However, an analysis of the basic options allows you to perfectly understand how to properly make rafters and truss trusses for the roof, how to saw them down before installation.