
However, unlike rafters, trusses are pre-assembled before being installed. Trusses, like rafters, form the profile of the structure’s roof. Rafters are installed piece-by-piece during the construction of the roof. They join at the peak of the roof by connecting to the opposing rafter or to a ridge beam that runs the length of the peak of the house or shed.

Rafters are beams that run from the peak of the roof to the top plate of the supporting walls. Let’s begin by comparing these two different roof styles. While they function similarly, they have unique differences that affect how they attach to the supporting walls.
RAFTER VS TRUSS HOW TO
RAFTER VS TRUSS INSTALL
Trusses can typically be installed in a single day, compared to 2-3 days to install rafters. Not only is production of trusses quicker, they arrive on the job site ready to go making it much quicker to get your home framed and to reach the "dried-in stage" where it is less susceptible to rain. There really is only one downside and it is really minor in the grand scheme of things - your home will have less accessible space in the attic. There are also additional benefits as a result of the increase in structural integrity of a truss compared to rafters: eliminates the use of oversized structural walls on the interior and also eliminates the very large beams on the interior. Prefabricated process speeds up production and reduces labor time on the jobsite.Engineered design provides greater strength.Scrap wood is captured when trusses are fabricated and recycled into other materials.

The way a truss is made offers several advantages: With the rise in lumber prices continuing, using trusses will significantly offset the price of lumber in each home and will help keep home prices affordable. TrussWorksLLC If Omega has been building with rafters for so long, why change to trusses now?Īs a homebuilder focused on lean construction, making the switch to trusses has been on the list for quite a while.īecause it impacts the roof design of every floor plan we build, it was a pretty big undertaking and one we wanted to make sure we were doing right. This arrangement gives them high strength to weight ratios, which permit longer spans than conventional framing and offers greater flexibility in floor plan layouts. What is a Truss Roof?Ī truss roof is comprised of many individual trusses combined to make a structural framework of timbers to create bridge-like support.Ī truss is a structural frame relying on a triangular arrangement of webs and chords to transfer loads to reaction points. It requires larger dimensional lumber and takes longer to build. In traditional home construction, the roof of your home is framed on site by the framing crew following a roof plan.

There are many advantages to using roof trusses in the construction of a new home instead of traditional rafters, including increased structural integrity, reduction in waste, and cycle time savings.
