roof trusses how to install

[rdzone]

OK.  I am getting close to being to the point where my trusses get delivered. I have never used trusses before and I am a little nervous.  Seems like it would be similar to using I joists, but my understanding is that you have to make sure everything plumb and securely braced so they don't tip over.  I will more than likely have to pull them up to the top plate via man power as our cabin is built on a hill and I don't think a crane will be able to place them.  Thank goodness they are only 20 footers and are paralell cord trusses so they shouldn't be to heavy.  If anyone has comments or suggestions that would make things easier please let me know.  Thanks!

Chuck

[jb52761]

Chuck...for what its worth, I installed all of mine, 2 gables and 11 inner trusses, by myself. First I had to tote them down the stairs, also alone. Just simply rest the inside top of the ridge on your shoulder and yer good to go....they weren't too heavy ( 24 footers). Once on site, I tied a rope on the outer end, lifted the end closest to wall and set it up onto the sill boards. Got up on the ladder, slid the truss over the edge and let it gently slide into the cabin, keeping a hold on the rope end in case it slid too fast. Once the one end was inside, the other end resting on the top of the wall pointing skyward, I simply took the ladder inside the cabin, picked up the end on the floor and lifted it up onto the opposite top of the other wall and slid it on...ok... when its resting there, it will teeter down, or swing down as the top ridge section wants to hang near the floor...so what I did was, I bought some metal fasteners designed to hold a 2x4 piece, nailed all of them across the entire length of the walls at 24 O/C intervals. Also I bought the metal spacing bars available for trusses (they are exactly for 24 or 16 O/C spacing)..Once I had brackets in place, I got on the ladder, spun the top ridge section back up skyward, lifted the truss slightly up and dropped both ends (one at a time) into those metal brackets on the sill boards, and nailed the hell out of both ends...The only thing with your case is you will have to support your gable end first with 2x4's or something I guess but then my idea will work....it did for me...my roof is done...but when I put up the first end gable, I tied it to a tree outside next to the cabin with rope to support it while I nailed it in....once you have one gable up and one truss, get on your ladder and nail on the 24 O/C spacing bars on each end, and your good to go...they hold the truss pretty much level, straight, and spaced accordingly....

[jb52761]

Oops....one more thing....once I had the trusses lifted into the brackets on the sill boards, I FIRST nailed the 24 O/C spacers on near the tops from the gable to the next truss, or truss to truss so they were stable.....Then the truss can be slid from side to side while resting in the sill brackets, so after you plumb the ridge with a string or whatever, when you know your ridge is going to be lined up on each truss, thats when I nailed the trusses into the sill brackets......don't nail there until your ridge is pretty well lined up.......

[rdzone]

JB,

thanks for the information.  How did you do your gable end over hangs?  Did you build it like a ladder and then attach it using lookouts that were attached to the second truss?  

How about your roof sheathing?  Did you set all your trusses first then start sheathing or did you put sheathing down as you went along?

I can't wait to get the roof on.  A few more interior walls and I will be able to set the trusses.  I just wish it would stop raining.  

[PEG688]

There's so may steps to this part of the job I can't explane  it all . Just be careful and don't do it when your the only one on the job site , at least ahve some one who can call for help.

 You shoul have all your walls all plumbed and lined , and braced .  Then set a gable truss an dwork from that truss to the other end , we use the bottom chord as a guide to keep them straight we split the difference between the two ends , so if  say a 1/4" is hanging out on both ends all the truss bottom chords should hand out the same , if your walls are straight.


You'll have to stand the last 4 or 5 truss up against the last one you can set as you'll run out of room as the truss's take more room when they are laying down , then set the other gable truss the same way , .

Then fill in the rest .

Heres some photo's of truss's being set , study up on the details , the bracing , etc .

We install the anti rotation / bird blocks , after all truss are set , we snap a line so the row is straight.








Those are big truss's 38footers and the garage ones where bonus room truss with 2 x10 bottom chords , it was also a winter time job and we had winds of 65 MPH on a lil island weather station about 2 miles from the site , it was totally open to the wind , so we had a lot of bracing , more than likley you can get by with 1x4 temp support on each side .   Lay out the 1x4's on the ground so all you need to do is line up the truss and tack it to the truss.

You should plumb your  first gable truss after 4 or 5 commons are set witha diagonal brace from near the truss top back down to the subfloor, that will keep you close between lay out and plumbing you can go back and tune up the truss after you set braced and stable.

 There 's so much more but it will get very confusing if I add more .

G/L and please don't try it if you are all alone and ten miles back in the woods . PEG


 

[PEG688]

 I don't have a photo of the completed roof system  ,  

 




We used  a big crane to set these , but thats another storey.