Roof Trusses

There's a Better Way

Why flat-bottomed gable frames are not always the best solution

Get a Leg Up on Leg-Down Trusses

These unique truss configurations require special design considerations

Upend Your Hip End Truss Sales

Lay-On Gables are an opportunity for component manufacturers.

Not Your Typical Truss Job

An unusual project with an uncommon shape presented the kind of design challenge truss technicians don’t see every day.
 

"You Just Have to See It to Believe It"

When Jim’s Apple Barn, the largest candy store in Minnesota, wanted to expand by way of adding a confection-filled planetarium to the end of a blazing yellow barn already bursting with sweets, it had a difficult time finding a truss company willing to take on the project. “We were the only ones that said yes,” recalled Trevor Ebinger, a member of the Manion Lumber & Truss sales staff. “It was quite an undertaking.”

Puddle Problems

A little forethought can prevent the potential overstress that occurs when deflection leads to rooftop ponding.

Learning Experience

The BFS design team in Shelby, Alabama “collaborate on anything that doesn’t sit right,” says Thom Patton. One result: a roof that rests perfectly on a school building after a simplified build and easy install process.

Insulating Concrete Form Sill Plate Requirements

This Research Report will look specifically at the sill plate requirements according to the 2009, 2012, and 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC) and clarify if a sill plate is required in the following conditions:

  • Flat truss bottom chord bearing on ICF wall.
  • Flat truss top chord bearing on ICF wall.
  • Roof truss bearing on ICF wall.

Lumber Design Values

No matter the species, component manufacturers (CMs) purchase and rely on the accuracy and reliability of many different lumber design properties, including: bending (Fb); shear parallel to grain (Fv), compression perpendicular to grain (Fc^), compression parallel to grain (Fc), tension parallel to grain (Ft), and modulus of elasticity (E and Emin).

Charring Of Trusses

Question: 

Our home caught fire last month and burned partly through a tongue and groove ceiling to the trusses. Some are charred. Our contractor did a moisture meter test. An engineer for the insurance company said the trusses were only smoke damaged & the moisture meter test is invalid (it can be set to read anything). I found one article on charred trusses, but it’s pretty vague. We do not feel safe with the insurance engineer’s assessment because some of the trusses are obviously charred. We hired an engineer who agreed with us.