Six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and three half baths. A three-car garage, elevator, theater, exercise room, billiards room, library and six fireplaces. Is this a description of a quaint bed and breakfast? No, it’s a residence, a mansion in fact, in need of a roof. Initial plans for this 18,203 sq ft mansion called for a stick-built roof, but the team at Riverside Roof Truss in Danville, VA, proved the benefits of component construction both conceptually on paper and in the field.
No Components Here
The reasons for not using components can vary by project and region. In this case, neither the framer nor the homeowners were against using trusses, but they thought it wouldn’t be possible due to the large room sizes and interior pitches called out in the plans. Despite the design team’s apprehensions, Riverside knew they could deliver some advantages over stick framing. They reviewed the building plans and saw an opportunity. “I knew components would work for this job. When we looked at the plans it was obvious that we could achieve this roof system with trusses.” said Jeff Cook, Market/Sales Manager at Riverside, who has more than 20 years of experience in the industry.
We Can do This with Trusses
To prove their point, Riverside drafted a preliminary design of the roof. They took their truss design drawings and layouts to the construction team and showed them how trusses would work on the project. The construction team was convinced and Riverside won the job.
Riverside joined the project before the foundation was poured, which offered some design flexibility.
They were able to designate where footings were located, allowing the design to better match the specified plans. By spacing the trusses at 16 in on center and strategically placing internal bearings, the design was able to maintain the large room sizes the homeowners wanted. In addition to many long clear spans, the roof also had to be loaded for a slate tile roof and the soffits had to be loaded to carry stone.
The final design was achieved using a combination of scissor, tray, attic and girder trusses. Walden said the biggest challenge was the size of the mansion. “We used a lot of trusses. It was not complicated stuff, just time consuming, making sure everything fit together in that size of a house,” said Clif Walden, another member of Riverside’s sales staff.
To help manage the project, Riverside divided the mansion into four separate sections: the master bedroom, main body of the house, garage and guest house. Riverside then manufactured and delivered each section individually to the jobsite. Even after portioning off the house in this manner, each delivery was sizable, requiring most of Riverside’s fleet (four trucks and two escort vehicles) to make the 65-mile journey to the site.
Working Hand-in-Hand with the Framer
As a standard practice, the company makes a point of working very closely with framers. For all projects, Riverside goes out to the jobsite to review the layout and drawings with the framer and other members of the construction team. “We go over everything with the framer so that, when the trusses arrive, everyone is on the same page and they’re getting what they expected,” Walden explained. He said this in-person contact on the jobsite has been invaluable, allowing Riverside to verify all dimensions and deal with any issues before they become problems.
Components vs. Stick Framing
How did components measure up against the original plan to stick frame the roof? The biggest difference between the two methods was installation time. Components significantly cut down on framing time, with the roof trusses installed within a matter of days as opposed to the weeks it would have taken to stick frame the mansion.
While components cost more than the material costs for stick framing, trusses made up the difference in other areas. Walden estimated that any component costs above stick framing were covered by the savings in time and fewer workers needed to install the trusses.
Making It All Fit Together
From a start with no components, the project took a 180 degree turn to a mansion with a fully trussed roof. As Walden put it, “everything fit perfectly,” from design, to building the trusses, to working with the framer. Riverside didn’t even have to redo any trusses for the project; the only call backs they received were for some attic trusses that were damaged due to a storm.
The project also gave Riverside the opportunity to change a few minds about component construction. After showing on paper how trusses would work for the mansion, the company proved their point with the finished product at the jobsite. “When it was all said and done, I think the architect was really impressed with the roof system that we designed for this house,” said Walden. “He said that he looks forward to working with us in the future on other homes.”