How To Reinforce Roof Trusses

Trusses form the roof line on buildings and provide support for the lumber that holds shingles or other form of roof cover.

How to reinforce roof trusses.

Thanks for your help. Roof trusses offer a quick and efficient alternative to a conventional timber roof but they re quite delicate when not in their fully braced vertical position. By laying a board or set of boards onto the rafters you can store many items up and out of the way. If a lot of trusses are damaged or one has been significantly modified or cut then consulting a engineer is wise.

These trusses are usually engineered by a structural engineering company to carry a specific roof load. Without bracing it is almost impossible to install trusses. Sagging rafters can lead to serious problems with the entire roofing system. When a truss becomes damaged cut or modified there is a chance of a structural overload or that they will not perform properly.

If you re trying to reinforce a shed or gable roof use a simple king post truss design which has a single vertical joist running through the center of the triangular frame. For larger structures like floors roofs or decks try a fink truss design which has internal joists arranged in a w shape for extra support. But before you begin filling the rafters with your possessions it s a good idea to reinforce the rafters to make sure that they ll support the extra weight. Some bracing provides a way to put up the trusses evenly while holding them and other bracing supports them after they are put up.

Pictures of the attic area and a drawing of what each truss looks like and the reinforcement i am considering are attached. I was thinking of adding a vertical 3 to 4 foot 2x4 between the rafter angled upper piece of the truss and the base horizontal bottom piece of the truss on each side as shown in the attached diagram. Reinforce your roof a properly constructed roof in areas subject to high winds has trusses attached to walls with hurricane tiedowns properly nailed sheathing and heavy duty shingles. If you notice that there is a visible dip in your roof chances are you have a problem with one or several rafters and you may soon be facing more issues like water leaks bowed out walls or your roof caving in on you.

You can accomplish this task with some wood and a few simple tools.