Splicing rafters in the ridge area: a review of technology for all types of roofs. Connecting rafters in a ridge Methods for connecting rafter legs in a ridge

The connection of the rafters is necessary when building up elements, joining with the Mauerlat, in the ridge, with additional elements of the system (racks, tie-downs). Methods of fastening wooden structures are selected depending on the design of the rafter system, the preferences of the craftsman, and the characteristics of the lumber. In this case, planed timber or boards joined across the width are usually used.

There are layered, hanging rafters that transfer the load from the roof's load-bearing frame to the walls unequally.

Additional elements are:

ridge runs;
racks;
struts;
crossbars;
fillies.

They give the spatial structure the necessary rigidity, increase the operational life and safety of use. For any type of connection, fasteners are used.

Extension of rafters

If the building is large, the standard length of lumber is not enough, so the timber has to be increased. The rafters are connected along the length using several technologies:

overlap - no need to trim the ends of the parts, the overlap is at least 0.7-1.2 m, staggered arrangement of hardware;
end-to-end - the elements are fixed with toothed plates or wooden plates, the screws are located offset;
for a run - the knot is strengthened by resting on a longitudinal beam or board;
oblique cut - angled cut of lumber, fixation into a through hole with studs/bolts (10-14 mm) with wide washers;
“three boards” - double overlap, excessive increase in the weight of the rafter system, maximum rigidity, structural strength.

The last method of connecting rafters is used in the manufacture of complex mansard and hip-type roofs. Empty spaces after the joint are filled with scraps of lumber. using boards of equal thickness.

Connecting the rafters with support on the purlin allows you to increase the pace of work - all blanks of one slope have the same size and are sawn off according to a template. When using half-timbered construction technology, metal parts for fixation are traditionally replaced by cutting all the elements into each other. This ensures maximum rigidity. The oblique cutting method is more often used for hanging rafters, butt jointing is used for layered rafters.

Upper ridge knot

The rafters at the junction of the ridge slopes rest on each other or on the ridge girder. In the first option, the template method is used:

triangular structures are prepared in advance;
the outer triangles are mounted in place;
a cord is pulled along them in a horizontal manner;
middle structures are installed.

Connecting the rafters at the ridge with a purlin does not require horizontal control with a cord; the reference point is the purlin itself. No preliminary assembly of roof trusses is required; the roof is assembled from locally supplied lumber.

The ridge assembly is connected using one of three technologies:

overlapping - the ends of the rafters are cut off after fixing them to each other with nails, screws, transverse plates;
tongue and groove - the connection is similar to the previous one, however, each edge has a selection of half a tree;
trimming the ends - the joint of the rafters is made strictly vertically, the angle of the cut is marked in place, the elements rest against each other.

All connections must have one degree of freedom, the minimum. This is due to shrinkage of lumber in the first 1.5-2 years. Otherwise, the structure will weaken and collapse under its own weight. Therefore, fastening with bolts or studs into through holes is always preferable to nails or self-tapping screws.

Rafters can also be fixed with special hinged metal elements placed on the beam or attached to it with self-tapping screws.

This slightly increases the cost of construction, but dramatically increases the service life and maintainability of the roof. Connections with two degrees of freedom are used in complex structures.

Lower support unit

In the lower part (the connection between the roof slopes and the walls of the building), the rafters rest on a longitudinal beam called a mauerlat. It is fixed in the upper perimeter of the walls in such ways as:
wire binding;
putting on embedded studs;

embedding in concrete pouring, brickwork.

Depending on the layout of the rafters, the loads either push the walls of the building apart or compress them. The rigid connection of the rafters with the Mauerlat has two varieties:
support beam - the rafters are cut at an angle, resting on the mauerlat inside the perimeter of the building or outside it;

To connect the notch to the Mauerlat, three hardware is used: one passes through the entire thickness of the leg at an angle of 90 degrees, the other two are attached to the sides. When leaning on the Mauerlat in the first way, lateral shift is eliminated by fastening the support corners on both sides. There is an option of supporting it with a tie, when transverse beams extending beyond the perimeter of the walls are placed on the Mauerlat. The triangular truss rests on these beams; the beam is fixed in the same way as a notch with three self-tapping screws or nails.

The main purpose of the puffs is to compensate for the loads pushing the walls apart.

They perceive forces from the rafter legs, change their direction to vertical, which is beneficial for the resource of the building frame.

For wooden cottages prone to shrinkage, sliding metal fasteners are often used. It adds the necessary degree of freedom to the lumber in the longitudinal direction. This technology ensures maximum maintainability of the roof; all loads are compensated by the system itself.

Additional elements have their own fastening methods:

the board crossbar is sewn to the legs with an overlap;
the bar crossbar is cut into the saddles of both legs;
the racks are usually cut into the legs and connected with corners to the tie beams;
the ridge girder, due to its large length, is extended using the methods indicated above;
the rafters are cut into the ridge girder with saddles.

Template technology for manufacturing trusses is always preferable to on-site assembly. In this case, the slopes are guaranteed to have a rectangular rather than trapezoidal shape, which makes it easier to lay the roofing material and ensures maximum aesthetics.

When using cutting the bottom of the rafter legs into the mauerlat, the saddle can be cut out in any structural element, depending on the required amount of eaves overhang. In practice, the Mauerlat is cut less often than the timber from which the rafters are made.

In hip roofs, each rafter leg consists of two parts that are joined at an angle to each other. The methods for fixing timber and boards in this case do not differ from the above. The most commonly used method is three boards, filling the internal space with scraps of lumber of the same thickness.

The choice of sliding fastenings is justified only in the case of log, frame wall manufacturing technology. Panel and half-timbered structures do not shrink vertically, so the rafters can be rigidly attached to the mauerlat and tension beams.

The roof is the crown of any building. Errors in its construction are fraught with serious consequences for the entire house you have built. One of the important elements of this roof “crown” is the ridge, where the rafters are joined. This is what we will talk about today.

Roof ridge: what is it and what is it for?

The ridge is a horizontal element found in any roof and connecting all its slopes. This element must be located at a certain distance from the purlin, specified by the selected roof slope. The purlin is an additional beam installed parallel to both the ridge and the mauerlat. In other words, a purlin is a mauerlat raised in height.

The main task of the entire set of connecting elements combined in the ridge is to ensure reliable rigidity of the entire roof structure and its strength.

Splicing rafters: what methods are used in the ridge

In total, there are only three such methods:

overlap

A distinctive feature of this method is the connection of the rafters with their side planes, followed by tightening them using studs or bolts. This technology is most popular with.

In a wooden house, the support may be the top log, but in a block house, the mauerlat will have to be laid over the blocks.

The most popular method of combining rafters is to splice them into half a tree:

Often, rafters, when they are overlapped, are fastened with nails.

Butt-butt

To do this you will need:

cut the edge of the rafter at an angle so that the angle is equal to the slope of the roof;
form a rafter stop;
use fastener.

Using a template can make the task easier and ensure a tight fit of the canvases.

To fasten the rafters together, you can use nails, which are best supplemented with a wooden overlay or a metal plate installed in the ridge.

The joint can be partial:

The rafters in this design are adjusted with such precision that the load between them is distributed evenly. Both nails and sockets must be used in the connection. To do this, nail a 30mm board on both sides of the assembly.

On the beam

The rafters in this case are attached directly to the ridge beam. The advantage of this method lies in the possibility of providing a central support for the timber, while the rafters can be strengthened one by one when a convenient moment arises. This method is convenient when there is no time to make a template.

Another variant:

This splicing of rafters is combined, since it uses the butt method.

Fasteners for splicing

The rafter legs that form the roof contour transfer the load of the structure to the Mauerlat, which distributes it across.

The fastening of rafters has long been ensured using:

wooden pins;
bars;
overlays;
metal staples;
dowels;
wedges

Now this fastener is supplemented with other elements that ensure reliability and ease of use. Modern builders use:

screws and bolts;
self-tapping screws;
perforated and nail plates, as well as other products.

The choice of appropriate fasteners is determined by the load that falls on the ridge assembly being fastened with their help, as well as by the tasks assigned to the fasteners.

Using self-tapping screws, the rafters are spliced as follows:

we intend to devote to the methodology of their merging as part of roofs of various configurations.

In this video you can see what we wrote about above:

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When constructing a roof frame, various methods can be used to connect the rafters to each other and to other structural elements. The choice of type of connections depends on the characteristics of the rafter system, the characteristics of the material and the preferences of the builders.

Classification of connecting nodes

The roof frame consists of a number of elements securely fastened together. But the main operational load is borne by the rafters, so the functional characteristics of the roof and the safety of the entire structure depend on the strength of their fastening to the Mauerlat and their connection to each other.

Rafter systems, hanging and layered, transfer the load from their own weight, the weight of the roofing pie and atmospheric influences to load-bearing walls and other structures. The lower ends of the rafters rest on a support beam or mauerlat, the upper ends are fastened in pairs directly to each other or mounted to the ridge girder. In addition, for structural rigidity, additional supports, crossbars, struts and other elements are used. If it is necessary to increase the length of the rafters, the rafter legs are extended. In general, rafter connection nodes can be divided into several main groups:

connection unit with the “foundation” of the roof”;
ridge connection unit;
fastening unit for additional elements of the rafter system;
joining rafters when building up.

All types of rafter connections require the use of certain fasteners.

Extension of rafters

Connecting the rafters together along the length allows you to make a rafter leg of the required dimensions from the available lumber. Most often, splicing is performed using the following joining methods:

end-to-end;
overlap;
method of oblique cutting;
in three boards;
with support on the purlin.

Butt mount. To splice, the abutting ends must be cut strictly at an angle of 90°. After tightly combining the resulting ends, a wooden plate or a metal fastening element (plate with teeth) is mounted on the rafters at the joint. Board overlays are installed on both sides and nailed in a checkerboard pattern with nails of the appropriate length, or fastened with self-tapping screws.

Oblique cut method. The ends are cut at an angle of 45°. The cut ends are joined, after which a through hole for bolt fastening is drilled in the middle. The bars are tightened with a bolt with a diameter of 12 or 14 mm with a wide washer.

Overlap fastening. The wooden elements are laid with an overlap and sewn together along the entire length with nails, which should be staggered. In some cases, studs with nuts and washers can be used. This connection of rafters along the length does not require precise cutting of the ends.

A long rafter leg can be made using three boards and spacers. In this case, one of the boards is laid between the other two with an overlap of at least a meter and fastened with nails in a checkerboard pattern. Then, wooden spacers equal in thickness to the middle board are inserted and nailed into the empty space between the outer boards to ensure rigidity of the structure.

The connection of rafters along the length with support on the intermediate purlin is carried out in the case when all rafter legs are built up at the same distance from the roof overhang. The horizontal purlin is mounted on racks that rest on the internal load-bearing wall or columns. In the case where the splice is located on the purlin, it becomes possible to provide the necessary rigidity of the long rafter leg. Both parts of the rafters are connected to each other with staples or other elements, and additionally secured to the purlin with nails.

The extended rafter leg must have the same rigidity and strength along its entire length, otherwise the roof will deform during operation.

Fastening the upper part of the rafters

The connection of the rafters in the ridge can be done in various ways depending on the type of system and other design features.

If there is a ridge girder, the upper part of the leg is cut at an angle corresponding to the angle of inclination of the roof slope, then it is installed with a cut to the ridge beam and secured with nails or self-tapping screws. Additional metal plates can be used to strengthen the structure. In some cases, the rafter tenon is cut into a groove in the ridge.

To fasten hanging rafters to each other in the ridge part, the following methods are used::

Overlapping rafter connection. In this case, in the upper ends, laid overlapping, it is necessary to make a hole for connection using a bolt or threaded rod. It is important to use wide washers so that the fasteners do not damage the wood under load.
With edges cut at an angle. The upper ends are cut so that the connection of the ends is vertical, and the rafters are located at the angle specified by the roof design. To ensure the necessary strength of the assembly, plates are used to connect the rafters.
Tenon and groove fasteners. As in the previous case, the rafters are located at a given angle. In the upper part, a tongue-and-groove connection is made, which is supplemented with metal fasteners. Fastening with a single or double tooth is also used (if the roof is designed for increased loads).

The construction of structures made of timber or logs requires a special approach to the construction of the rafter system. If the house has gables made of wall material, the shrinkage of the building will noticeably affect the frame design - it cannot be made rigid to avoid deformation. The connection of the rafters with bolts at the ridge part in combination with the sliding fastening on the walls ensures the necessary mobility of the rafter system. In addition, you can use special movable metal ridge mounts.

Fastening the bottom of the rafters

The connection between the rafters and the Mauerlat can be rigid or sliding. With rigid fastening, any displacement of the rafter leg, turning, sliding and other forces should be excluded. To make the attachment point rigid, two main methods are used:

installation with cutting in the leg;
installation with support beam stripe.

The notch (saddle) on the rafter leg should not exceed 1/3 of the height of the board, so as not to reduce its load-bearing capacity.

The rafter leg, rested by the saddle on the mauerlat, is secured with three nails - two of them are driven in on both sides at an angle, and the third is driven vertically from above.

The second installation method is to install a beam no more than a meter long on the Mauerlat, against which rests the lower part of the rafter leg, cut at an angle corresponding to the angle of inclination of the roof. To prevent lateral shift, special metal corners are mounted on both sides.

Sliding fastenings are used on the walls of wooden houses that are prone to shrinkage. These are special metal elements that provide the rafter system with a certain degree of freedom in a certain direction.

The connection of the rafters with the beam is used if the supports for the rafter legs are ties. It should be noted that the fastening is carried out at a distance of at least 40 cm from the edge of the beam in order to ensure the necessary strength of the structure under loads.

Typically, cutting is done with a double or single tooth, with or without a stop. Additionally, metal fasteners and rolled wire tying are used, attaching it to an anchor on the wall.

Bolted fasteners can also be used - in this case, the rafter leg with its cut end is installed on a beam, in the lower part of which there is a cutout. The bolt should be perpendicular to the top side of the rafter board. A clamp connection can also be used. In both cases, a support for the rafter leg is cut out in the beam.

Classification of connecting nodes

connection unit with the “foundation” of the roof”;
ridge connection unit;
fastening unit for additional elements of the rafter system;
joining rafters when building up.

All types of rafter connections require the use of certain fasteners.

Extension of rafters

The extended rafter leg must have the same rigidity and strength along its entire length, otherwise the roof will deform during operation.

Fastening the upper part of the rafters

The connection of the rafters in the ridge can be done in various ways depending on the type of system and other design features.

To fasten hanging rafters to each other in the ridge part, the following methods are used::

Overlapping rafter connection. In this case, in the upper ends, laid overlapping, it is necessary to make a hole for connection using a bolt or threaded rod. It is important to use wide washers so that the fasteners do not damage the wood under load.
With edges cut at an angle. The upper ends are cut so that the connection of the ends is vertical, and the rafters are located at the angle specified by the roof design. To ensure the necessary strength of the assembly, plates are used to connect the rafters.
Tenon and groove fasteners. As in the previous case, the rafters are located at a given angle. In the upper part, a tongue-and-groove connection is made, which is supplemented with metal fasteners. Fastening with a single or double tooth is also used (if the roof is designed for increased loads).

Fastening the bottom of the rafters

installation with cutting in the leg;
installation with support beam stripe.

The notch (saddle) on the rafter leg should not exceed 1/3 of the height of the board, so as not to reduce its load-bearing capacity.

The rafter leg, rested by the saddle on the mauerlat, is secured with three nails - two of them are driven in on both sides at an angle, and the third is driven vertically from above.

Typically, cutting is done with a double or single tooth, with or without a stop. Additionally, metal fasteners and rolled wire tying are used, attaching it to an anchor on the wall.

Fastening elements of the rafter system

The methods of connecting rafters to other elements of the roof frame depend on the functional characteristics of these elements. The crossbar connecting the rafter legs at the top of the truss usually cuts into the rafters if they are made of thick timber. In the case of using rafter boards, the crossbar is made of the same boards installed horizontally overlapping on each side of the rafter leg. Racks and struts are mounted using the cutting method.

Connecting rafters along the length and at the ridge, methods, types, nodes, overlap connection

How to connect rafters along the length, in the ridge and on the mauerlat. The main methods and types of connecting rafter nodes with plates and bolts.

Installation of the rafter system - from A to Z

Rafter system

Today, the roofs of country houses can have almost any shape. Moreover, almost all of them can be created with your own hands, but what similar designs have in common is that installation of the rafter system is a mandatory part of the work. This issue raises many difficulties, so in this article we will present the design features of the roof truss system, indicate the rules and nuances of performing a complete list of works on its installation.

Construction begins with the Mauerlat

Mauerlat is the first thing you should think about when planning to install rafters. It is the base to which part of the load is transferred by the rafter legs. In addition, this design is designed to evenly distribute the weight of the roof over the top of the walls of the house.

As a rule, the Mauerlat is a log or beam that is laid along the perimeter of the external walls. It is worth saying that this is not the only option for constructing bases for rafter legs, but other methods turn out to be much more expensive.

When installing a rafter system, it is the Mauerlat that allows you to achieve the necessary parameters of the base for the roof at minimal cost, which is why this technology has become widespread in suburban construction.

Mauerlat can be treated with various impregnations, but moisture ingress can still cause a decrease in its service life. To prevent this situation from arising, waterproofing is used, which is usually made of roofing material laid under the timber in a couple of layers.

Before installing the rafter system, you need to prepare a place for installing the Mauerlat. Usually the base for it is a reinforced belt, which has a small indentation from the wall of the house. As a mauerlat, you can use timber impregnated with antiseptics, with a cross-section of 10x15 cm. It is better if the wood is hardwood.

The timber is first laid out along the perimeter of the roof between the gables. Here you need to make sure that all elements of the roof base lie at the same distance, and check their position by level.

Roof raftering can only be done after the timber base is securely fixed. Several methods can be used for this today, but the most popular are anchor bolts, which are strengthened into a reinforced belt during its pouring. For installation, holes are drilled in the timber to allow the Mauerlat to be secured to the anchors using nuts and washers.

When building independently, it is not easy to achieve verticality of anchors poured with concrete. This problem can be solved simply: when installing the rafter system, it is necessary to lay a long board along the group of bolts, and set their position using a square.

After the concrete has gained the proper strength, the Mauerlat is installed. In order to avoid distortions during this procedure, it is recommended to use stands made of small planks located under the entire beam. They are taken out one at a time.

What types of rafters are there?

Before the installation of rafters begins, you must already decide on their type. In fact, there are only two options - layered and hanging. The task of the rafters is to hold all the elements of the roof. If we are talking about a small building, then it is enough to use simple rafters, but to cover extended rooms, trusses are used, which are formed through the use of various additional elements.

The installation of the rafter system is carried out in accordance with the roof slope, the expected load from snow and wind, and also takes into account the type of roofing and the functions of the attic.

Hanging rafters are a structure that rests on only two points, for example, on the walls of a building, and no intermediate supports are used. Obviously, in the case when the angle of inclination of the slopes is less than 45 degrees, the horizontal component of the force transmitted to the walls will be greater than the vertical, which means that certain measures will need to be taken. Usually, a way to neutralize such an impact is developed even before installing the rafters. The simplest option is the ties that connect the rafter legs. These can be wooden elements or metal structures. The location of such amplifiers depends on the purpose of the attic space. For example, if it is necessary to create an attic, then the tie rods are located at the base of the rafters, and in other cases they may be higher.

The higher the tie is located, the stronger it should be. The same point must be taken into account when choosing a method of connection to the rafters.

When installing a layered rafter system, a third point of support is required, which is usually a rack mounted under the ridge. The peculiarity of this design is that it can only be used where there is a central load-bearing wall or some reliable supports passing under the ridge. Otherwise, its use is inappropriate.

Pre-installation process

Before making rafters, you need to stock up on everything necessary to perform work at height. Of course, someone will say that 3-5 meters separating the roof of a country house from the ground is not the biggest problem, but it is worth considering that you will need to lift and store tools and structural elements. Scaffolding is best suited for this purpose, but we must not forget about individual insurance, especially when raftering the roof of a two-story house.

During preparation, you need to take care of creating drawings of the roof structure. Even if you are planning only a gable roof for a small country house, the drawing will allow you to avoid any mistakes. It goes without saying that even a team of professionals will not undertake to build more massive and complex structures without a design.

Making rafters

For the role of rafters, timber with a cross section of 50x200 is usually chosen, but before the installation of the rafter system is carried out, a number of calculations must be made. First of all, you will need to calculate the degree of influence of wind load, estimate the possible amount of snow on the roof in winter and also include it in the calculations.

The installation technology is quite simple and includes the following steps:

Climb. With the help of scaffolding, the prepared timber is lifted onto the roof.
The lower ends of the legs are cut so as to turn the mauerlat into a stable support. Each element is marked with a marker so that there is no confusion during the installation process.
The lower ends are set in place and secured with nails.
The connection of the rafters in the ridge is carried out so that their parts overlap, forming a single plane. To do this, you need to trim and then fix the structure with nails.

Trimming at the junction of the upper part of the rafters is carried out as follows:

First, the elements are applied to each other, after which markings are made. Then half the thickness of the timber is cut along the marked contour.
The next stage is carried out on the ground, for which a template is created based on one pair, which allows you to connect the remaining rafters in the same way.
When all the elements are prepared, the two outer pairs are mounted, after which a thread is stretched between them, allowing the selected level to be maintained.
Before making the rafters, the Mauerlat is marked, which allows you to keep the distance between the structural elements constant. Typically, the system pitch is selected within 1 m.
In the event that there is a deviation in height from that specified by the tensioned thread, it is better to regulate it by placing small flat boards under the rafter legs.
In order for the resulting “triangles” to be positioned vertically, it is necessary to maintain the same distance between their upper parts as between the lower ones. To do this, it is enough to use a board on which the marks made on the Mauerlat are transferred.
If hanging rafters are installed at a significant distance between the walls, it is recommended to use tie-downs. Lightly loaded structures can be connected by a jumper near the top. The resulting element is called a ridge knot.

Tightening the rafters

The tightening can be made from several boards connected to each other. Such a jumper turns out to be quite strong and also has the required length. Installation of the rafter system can be done using nails, studs and bolts. The distance between the puffs is controlled in the same way as between the upper parts of the rafters.

A long tie can bend under its own weight, so it is necessary to use a board to connect this element and the ridge of the rafter pair.

Creating eaves overhangs

The eaves light is a very important element of any roof, but it is performed after the installation of the rafters is completed. To obtain an overhang, you will need to extend the rafter leg by using a board (filly).

In order for the eaves overhang to drain melt and rain water from the house and protect the walls from getting wet, an overhang of at least 40 cm will be required, and the best option would be more than half a meter in length. A filly is a board that can be even thinner than a rafter leg. It is fixed with a small gap on the nails, and it is better to bend the ends protruding from the other side.

If possible, then you need to think about creating a cornice overhang before making the rafters. In this case, it becomes possible to implement another option - to use a longer beam for the rafter legs, which will make it possible to carry it out as a cornice overhang.

An example of attaching rafters to the wall of a house

The rafter legs, which were fixed with nails, after completion of all work can be transferred not to temporary, but to permanent fastening. For this, a so-called shank, which is a strip of metal, is suitable. You can wrap it around the timber and secure the ends with screws or nails. This fastening will help keep the roof in place even when the wind is very strong.

Anyone who knows how to install rafters correctly can recommend another method. This is a wire fixed on the inside of the walls. Typically, for such purposes, steel wire 4..6 mm in diameter is used, tied to metal pipes driven into the wall.

Log rafters

The creation of rafter structures of this type is made from debarked wood with a diameter of 18 cm. It is desirable that the logs themselves are smooth, without curvature, rot and wormholes. Minor irregularities are eliminated by working with an ax along the cord.

The advantage of this approach is that there is no need to splice the rafters along the length, since the size of the logs is usually sufficient. The maximum length of round timber can reach 6.5 m. When the spans are large, the tightening is carried out by a team of several logs. Struts and racks are made from scraps, but short logs can also serve this role. It is better to mark using a template made of metal or plywood. When the marking is completed, cutting points are created, which must be cleaned with an ax.

Calculation of rafter cross-section

Splicing rafters along the length is not the only difficult point, since even their cross-section will need to be calculated. In general, there are three reasons that influence the cross-section of a beam:

Load. Here we are talking about the weight of the future roof and the mass of the snow cap.
Span size. The longer the span, the stronger the timber required.
The angle of inclination of the slopes.

Before making rafters, you need to carefully analyze information about the construction and climatic conditions in the region, since the classic option may not always be suitable. The most common situation is to use a slope of at least 30 degrees and a pitch of more than 1.2 m.

This article described how to make a rafter system, and also discussed those points that cause the greatest difficulties. If necessary, it can be used as a support material.

Installation of the rafter system: production and installation of rafters, splicing along the length and connecting the rafters at the ridge

So, installing rafters and installing a rafter system with your own hands - how to manufacture and install rafters? How are rafters spliced along their length and spliced at the ridge? We will consider these questions.

Connection of wooden rafters

Rafter fastening diagram.

There are layered, hanging rafters that transfer the load from the roof's load-bearing frame to the walls unequally.

Additional elements are:

They give the spatial structure the necessary rigidity, increase the operational life and safety of use. For any type of connection, fasteners are used.

Extension of rafters

If the building is large, the standard length of lumber is not enough, so the timber has to be increased. The rafters are connected along the length using several technologies:

Scheme of splicing rafter legs.

overlap - no need to trim the ends of the parts, the overlap is at least 0.7-1.2 m, staggered arrangement of hardware;
end-to-end - the elements are fixed with toothed plates or wooden plates, the screws are located offset;
for a run - the knot is strengthened by resting on a longitudinal beam or board;
oblique cut - angled cut of lumber, fixation into a through hole with studs/bolts (10-14 mm) with wide washers;
“three boards” - double overlap, excessive increase in the weight of the rafter system, maximum rigidity, structural strength.

The last method of connecting rafters is used in the manufacture of complex mansard and hip-type roofs. Empty spaces after the joint are filled with scraps of lumber. using boards of equal thickness.

Upper ridge knot

The rafters at the junction of the ridge slopes rest on each other or on the ridge girder. In the first option, the template method is used:

triangular structures are prepared in advance;
the outer triangles are mounted in place;
a cord is pulled along them in a horizontal manner;
middle structures are installed.

Scheme of splicing rafters in the ridge area.

The ridge assembly is connected using one of three technologies:

overlapping - the ends of the rafters are cut off after fixing them to each other with nails, screws, transverse plates;
tongue and groove - the connection is similar to the previous one, however, each edge has a selection of half a tree;
trimming the ends - the joint of the rafters is made strictly vertically, the angle of the cut is marked in place, the elements rest against each other.

Rafters can also be fixed with special hinged metal elements placed on the beam or attached to it with self-tapping screws.

Lower support unit

In the lower part (the connection between the roof slopes and the walls of the building), the rafters rest on a longitudinal beam called a mauerlat. It is fixed in the upper perimeter of the walls in such ways as:
wire binding;
putting on embedded studs;

Options for cutting rafters into a beam.

embedding in concrete pouring, brickwork.

Depending on the layout of the rafters, the loads either push the walls of the building apart or compress them. The rigid connection of the rafters with the Mauerlat has two varieties:
support beam - the rafters are cut at an angle, resting on the mauerlat inside the perimeter of the building or outside it;

The main purpose of the puffs is to compensate for the loads pushing the walls apart.

They perceive forces from the rafter legs, change their direction to vertical, which is beneficial for the resource of the building frame.

Scheme of the transverse contraction of the rafters.

Additional elements have their own fastening methods:

the board crossbar is sewn to the legs with an overlap;
the bar crossbar is cut into the saddles of both legs;
the racks are usually cut into the legs and connected with corners to the tie beams;
the ridge girder, due to its large length, is extended using the methods indicated above;
the rafters are cut into the ridge girder with saddles.

Splicing rafters in the ridge area

When building a house, there are practically no elements or connecting nodes that are not particularly important, since the overall reliability of the structure in one or another area depends on each of them . Splicing rafters in the ridge area is a rather complex task that can be accomplished in various ways. The master usually chooses the most reliable one, applicable for a particular structure.

Splicing rafters in the ridge area

You should always remember that any mistakes made during installation work during the construction of the roof structure, from the rafter system to the roofing material, will sooner or later negatively affect the quality of the entire building. Therefore, when drawing up a house project, it is necessary to think through the connection of each of the nodes. And it is especially important to choose reliable fastening of the rafter legs when forming the ridge.

A few words about the basic design of the rafter system

First of all, you need to pay a few minutes of attention to the general structure of the rafter system in order to remember what its main elements are called, since in the further description of installation work they will appear quite often.

The main elements of a pitched roof rafter system

Mauerlat - This is a beam fixed to a load-bearing wall. It serves to secure the lower side of the rafter leg to it, and to evenly distribute the load from the entire roofing system onto the walls.

Mauerlat - a reliable basis for the rafter system

This element of the rafter system must be correctly selected and fixed to the wall, since the reliability of the installation of all other load-bearing parts depends on this. How to install DIY Mauerlat for a gable roof– is described in detail in the corresponding publication of our portal.

Rafter legs or simply rafters - they form the frame of the slope, are fixed to the Mauerlat in the lower part, and from above - on the ridge girder or between themselves, forming the ridge.
Ridge run is fixed on a stand supported by struts. It is designed for rigid fastening of rafters.
Puff - This is a horizontal beam that additionally connects a pair of rafter legs, giving the structure additional rigidity. Tightenings are of particular importance in hanging rafter systems, when it is impossible to create intermediate supports on main walls. Ties placed between two mauerlat beams are often used as attic floor beams. Installed closer to the ridge, they can serve as the basis for lining the attic ceiling.
Struts and help - These are reinforcing elements designed to give the truss of the rafter system additional rigidity and strength. Usually used in cases where a large length of rafter legs is required, more than 5 ÷ 6 meters.

Reinforcement elements for a layered rafter system

Rack it is used as a support for the ridge girder and is most often installed in each of the trusses if a layered rafter system is being erected, which has additional supports in the form of capital intra-house partitions.
Lezhen - This is a beam laid on the load-bearing partitions of the house, and intended for attaching racks or struts to it.

The importance of correct fastening of the rafters on the ridge

An element such as a ridge is present in the design of most types of roofs. It is not available in hipped, vaulted and single-pitched versions of rafter systems.

Ridge - the highest point of the roof truss system

The ridge is the highest point of the roof, at which the elements that form the slopes - rafters - are connected. Therefore, the main mission of the ridge unit is to impart strength and rigidity to the entire rafter system. Depending on how correctly the fastening is done, the operation of the roof structure will be longer without the need for repairs.

Basic methods of installing rafters

Installation of rafters on the load-bearing walls of a building can be done in various ways, which you need to have an idea about before choosing the type of connections for the load-bearing elements of the ridge slopes:

The rafters and tie are connected into a triangle on the ground, and then lifted onto the box of the house in finished form, where they are secured to the mauerlat laid on the walls. The installed trusses are connected to each other by side slopes or ridge girders.

Rafter triangular trusses can be assembled below, on the ground, according to a general template, and then, ready-made, installed with a given pitch on the Mauerlat

Two extreme triangular trusses are assembled on the ground, which will go to the end, gable sides of the structure. Then they rise up and are fixed on the Mauerlat. The upper ridge corners of two opposite trusses are connected by a stretched cord, which becomes a kind of level along which the remaining middle rafter pairs, assembled on site, will be placed. After this, the assembled trusses are connected by a ridge girder.

A cord stretched between the two tops of opposite trusses becomes a guide for installing the remaining rafter pairs.

All elements are lifted onto the floor separately and assembled at the place of their installation. In this case, vertical posts are installed on the end walls, in the center, setting the height of the ridge. Then the racks are connected to each other by a ridge girder, onto which the rafter legs are secured.

The ridge girder immediately installed at the required height becomes the basis for securing all rafter pairs

If the rafters are connected on a purlin, then they do not require control using a tension cord. Therefore, the racks and purlins must be set very carefully, level and plumb, at right angles to each other.

Types of rafter connections on the ridge

As mentioned above, there are several ways to connect rafters when forming a ridge, and different fasteners are used for this purpose.

The main options in private housing construction include three types of connections:

Connecting rafter legs with a “half-tree” sample

“Half-tree” cutting, when half of its thickness is selected at the edges of the rafter beam. These selected sections are superimposed on each other and fastened with one of the fasteners suitable for this case, for example, twisted with a bolt passed through.

The rafters are overlapped one to the other

Overlapping - the ends of the rafters overlap each other and are fixed together with a through fastener.

Precise adjustment of rafter legs by simultaneously cutting the combined beams at the required angle

Trimming the end sides of the rafters - this method of connections is performed most often. It is carried out by laying rafters overlapping each other, then they are simultaneously trimmed. This creates an even cut of two rafters at the same angle in a mirror image, so they fit perfectly together.

It should be noted that there are other connection methods, for example, “tenon and groove” or end-to-end to the ridge girder, possibly with additional bars or boards attached to the girder for additional strength between the rafters.

For greater reliability, additional bars are installed between the attachment points of the rafters to the ridge girder.

Often one of the sides of the rafter leg, upper or lower, is fixed to movable fastenings, hinged (top) or sliding (bottom). It is important to consider this in cases where the roof is installed on a newly built house, especially a log house. This approach is due to the fact that in the first years of operation the structure usually shrinks, and if rigid fastening is used, the roof structure may be damaged or deformed, since the “geometry” of the system will change and the distribution of loads will be disrupted.

Elements for fastening rafters on the ridge

There are many options for fastening rafters to each other or on a ridge run - they can be rigid or hinged. To decide on their choice, you need to know what they are and what rafter connections they are suitable for.

To fix rafters in the ridge area, fasteners such as overlays made of metal or wooden plates, beams, metal corners of various configurations, staples, movable fasteners, wooden wedges, and nail plates are used. These fasteners are secured with self-tapping screws, screws, bolts and nails. The choice of fasteners mainly depends on the chosen connection design.

Various approaches to fastening rafters in the ridge area

Bolt fixation

Fixing the rafters on the ridge with one bolt allows them to move to one side or the other relative to the axis when the structure shrinks. If such a fastening is used in the upper part, the lower side of the rafter leg must have a rigid installation on the mauerlat.

The diagram presented above, number one, shows the connection of the rafters using the tongue-and-groove method and fastened with a bolt, allowing them to have a slight play relative to each other when the building shrinks.

It should be especially noted that this method is suitable for light, cold roofs that will not be burdened with a heavy load, since the rafters in the fastening unit are somewhat weakened by the cutouts for the tongue-and-groove connection and the through hole drilled in them.

The sixth picture of the diagram also shows the fastening of the rafters with a bolt, but in this case they are installed with each other “overlapping”, and on the run - using the cutting method. This fastening method gives a smaller range of displacement, but it is still possible within certain limits. In this version, the rafters are less weakened, since they do not have cutouts for connections and can withstand a greater load. However, it is still not recommended to use this connection technology for roofs with a large slope area.

Connecting rafter legs with two bolts using a metal plate

If you plan to make a rigid fastening in the ridge part of the rafter legs fitted at the end part using bolts, then two fasteners are used, installed in through holes, through two metal plates, which are mounted on both sides of the connection.

An additional angle fixed on the rafter leg and on the ridge purlin makes the connecting unit more rigid

If you want to make the connection of rafters installed overlapping and fixed with one bolt rigid, additional fasteners are used - metal corners attached to the ridge girder.

Fastening rafters with plates

The diagram above, numbered two and three, shows options for rigid fastening using metal plates and wooden plates. In this case, the correct arrangement of additional elements is very important. A similar fastening method is used when rafters are connected end-to-end by trimming and adjusting their edges, as well as when installing rafters on a ridge girder.

Connecting rafters with metal plates and bolts

Perforated metal plates are fixed to the rafters using nails, screws or bolts. To ensure rigidity of the connection, the rafters can be additionally attached to the purlin using metal corners. This type of fixation is quite strong and can be used for installing roofs with a large area and load.
Wooden linings are more reliable, since they work not only as fastenings, but also as a tightening of rafters among themselves.

Rigid pinching of the ridge girder between two overlays - puffs

If it is intended to make a reinforced fastening option, for a roofing covering that is heavy, the rafters are fastened with two rows of overlays, between which the ridge girder is pinched. This method of fixation rigidly fastens the rafters in the ridge area, but in this case, a sliding connection must be installed on the Mauerlat, which will avoid deformation of the system when the structure shrinks.

The sliding mount was built on the Mauerlat

In a separate line, we can highlight the fastening of the rafters at the ridge with a triangular overlay, repeating the angle of inclination of the roof slopes.

The rafters are connected at the ridge by a triangular overlay. Pay attention to the location of additional puffs

This method of fixation provides a high degree of fastening rigidity, but if the slopes have a large area, then the rafter legs are additionally connected with ties. They are located below the ridge connection, and they are designed not only to impart rigidity to the structure, but also to remove part of the thrust load from the rafter system from the load-bearing walls.

These elements can also serve as a frame for covering the ceiling if it is planned to equip a residential or utility room in the attic.

Overlays and ties can be secured to the rafters using nails or self-tapping screws.

Fastening the rafters with a notch

Cutouts were made on the rafter legs for the ridge beams

This fastening method is shown in the diagram above as numbers four and five. With this approach, cuts are made on the rafters to fit the width of the ridge girder. Cutouts are made 5÷7 mm larger than the width of the purlin, since it is necessary to provide a distance for temperature and humidity expansion. The notch can be used in combination with other fasteners, for example, “overlapping”, “tongue-and-groove”, overlays and metal corners.

Hinged rafters

The rafter legs are connected at the ridge by a hinged fastening

This method of connecting rafters is not often used in construction, although it is quite convenient to install and allows the rafter system to be balanced when load-bearing walls shrink. In this method, you do not have to adjust the angle of the rafter legs, since it can be formed using a hinged fastening. It is fixed between the rafters at the required distance, which will depend on the slope of the roof slopes. The hinge is a bolt that fastens the rafters after installing them on the purlin at the desired angle.

Fastening rafters with nail plates

Special, so-called nail plates are very convenient for joining wooden parts.

In addition to the elements mentioned above, nail plates are used to fasten the rafters at the ridge connection.

However, they can only be used when the trusses are assembled in a lying position on the ground, and are installed ready-made on the Mauerlat, since this type of plate is fixed to the rafter legs using a special press. This process is almost impossible to carry out in weight, in a vertical position.

Rafter truss assembled using a nail connecting plate

By using this method of fastening wooden parts, you can significantly speed up the installation process, but for this you will have to purchase or rent a special press.

Special press for installing nail connecting plates

In this way, not only the rafter legs are fastened, but also other structural elements. Nail plates help to significantly save money on screws, bolts or nails, since you will have to purchase a lot of these fasteners, given the number of connecting nodes in the rafter system.

Various steel angles are widely used for fastening rafters.

In addition to these fasteners, metal corners and brackets of the required size are used as auxiliary ones, driven into both rafters at the ridge part at once. However, it is necessary to work with staples extremely carefully, since they can easily split the rafter beam.

Splicing rafters on different types of roofs

Now, having familiarized yourself with the main methods of connecting and fastening rafter legs on a ridge, you should next consider what types of them are used for the installation of various rafter systems.

Gable roof system

One of the options for connecting rafters on a gable roof

Splicing of rafter legs in a gable roof system can be done:

Butted, that is, they rest against each other, and in this case their ends are adjusted by trimming;

With fastening to the ridge girder on both sides.

If the rafters are connected end-to-end, they are usually fixed together with overlays, which are screwed with self-tapping screws or bolts.

Connecting rafter legs and vertical drains with brackets and overlays

If the rafters are fixed to the ridge purlin, then they are fixed to it with metal corners, corner brackets or overlays, screwed using self-tapping screws.

If the rafter legs are long, additional purlins can be installed

This diagram shows a design with two runs:

1 – Rafter legs.

3 – Tightenings (crossbars).

The rafter legs of a gable rafter system can rest on two purlins mounted on racks, which are installed and fixed on the beams. For the spacer effect of the structure, tie rods (crossbars) are also used. All these elements firmly hold the rafter legs, removing the main load from the ridge, so the rafters can be fastened with an overlap or a tongue-and-groove connection.
If the rafter system is assembled without the use of a purlin, only by connecting the ends of the rafter legs end to end, then in addition they must be equipped with one or two pairs of overlays, which are secured to the rafters with nails, screws or bolts.
To fasten the rafter leg to the crossbar, when installing it end-to-end, side wooden or metal plates are used, and nail plates can also be used if the truss is assembled in advance.

A set of ready-made trusses assembled using nail plates

If the rafter legs are made of logs, then they are fastened to the crossbar without the use of overlays. To connect, notches are made at the ends of the crossbar to ½ their thickness, then they are pressed against the rafters and fixed with nails or self-tapping screws. These rafter legs are additionally reinforced with struts. This is especially important to take into account if the distance between the load-bearing walls is more than 7000 mm.
Corner brackets are used for more reliable fixation of rafter legs on the ridge girder in buildings located in regions with strong winds. The brackets will help prevent possible displacements and deformations of the elements of the rafter system.

Rafters from logs are made only with securely reinforced load-bearing walls that have a large thickness, since the entire rafter system from them will turn out to be quite massive. If you plan to use this particular material for the structure, then it is recommended to make accurate calculations of the load-bearing capacity of the walls and the system itself in advance, and it would be best to entrust them to specialists.

Another point that must be taken into account when drawing up a roof design and during its installation is that the steeper the roof slopes, the stronger the reinforcing horizontal structural elements should be. And, conversely, if the roof slopes are located at a slight angle, then special attention should be paid to the strength of the vertical supporting elements of the rafter system.

Hip and half-hip roof

There are two similar designs - the hip and half-hip rafter systems. They differ in the configuration of the end slopes: if in the first there are two full hip slopes, from the ridge to the level of the cornice, then in the second the slope ends above the level of the cornice or is crowned on top with a small triangular vertical pediment.

Fastening the rafters in the ridge girder in both structures has its own characteristics, somewhat different from a conventional gable roof. The installation of these rafter systems is complicated by additional elements that form the hips - slanted legs or diagonal rafters. In addition, in addition to the usual rafter legs, which in this design are called central and intermediate, shortened ones (springs) are installed parallel to them.

Approximate design diagram of a hip rafter system.

If a hip roof is chosen, the size of the ridge will be less than the length of the building. According to the “classical” scheme, with equal steepness angles of the side and hip slopes, the length of the ridge will decrease by the width of the building. The cornice side of the side slopes will be equal to the length of the wall without taking into account the overhangs. Thus, the side slopes will have a trapezoidal shape, and the end hips will have a triangular shape.

In such roofs, the installation of a ridge girder (console) differs from the standard design, since the load on it will be much higher than in a conventional rafter system with two slopes.

The support posts to which the purlin will be attached must be installed on a support laid and secured to a solid interior partition or to powerful floor beams. The rafter leg closest to the hip in this design is fixed on the purlin, with a distance from the edge of 150÷200 mm. This distance will depend on the width of the diagonal rafters, which must be attached to this section of the purlin end-to-end with the outer rafters of the trapezoidal part of the roof. Such a connecting node is quite difficult to adjust independently, and the corners of the elements converging on it must be carefully calculated and adjusted by trimming.

Hip roof system supported by a main partition in the center of the building

The Mauerlat in hip and half-hip roof structures must be laid along the entire perimeter of the building box, representing a single, rigidly connected frame, as this is necessary to secure the hip elements and uniformly distribute all loads on the walls.

Diagonal (sloping) rafters that form the edges of the hip must have step-shaped cutouts or mounted cranial bars along their entire length on both sides. This is necessary to simplify the fastening of the shortened rafter legs of the hip - spigots. Since the diagonal rafters are longer than the central ones, and they bear the maximum load, they are often made from two boards, fastening them together. Skull bars on diagonal rafters are secured with nails or self-tapping screws.

Work on the installation of hip elements is carried out in the following order:

The finished diagonal rafters are installed and secured by cutting to the edge of the ridge girder and to the central rafters of the gable part of the structure. The underside of the rafters is fixed exactly at the corner of the building on the mauerlat. Fastening can be done using metal corners and corner brackets.

Connection unit for central and slanted rafters on a ridge girder

The next step could be the installation of two struts, which are fixed on the rack of the main rafter system with one edge, and on the inner sides of the diagonal rafters, at a level of approximately ⅓ of the length from the top fastening, with the other. Fastening is carried out using metal corners or plates and self-tapping screws (nails).

Truss trusses are often used to strengthen the slanted rafter legs.

Further, if there is a need for this, you should strengthen the diagonal slanted rafters from below with support posts attached to the truss. The sprengel is a beam installed diagonally at the corners of the mauerlat frame, on which the stand supporting the slanted rafters rests. These elements can be fastened with metal corners or staples.

The upper edge of the racks is cut at an angle equal to the slope of the diagonal rafters and secured to them with self-tapping screws. If necessary, the stand can be additionally strengthened with struts fixed on it and on the truss.

Option for fastening shortened rafters (springs) on a braced leg

Then, depending on the slope of the diagonal rafters, splices are marked on them and secured by cutting into the cranial bars. In the lower part of the structure, the spigots are fixed to the Mauerlat.

Calculation and installation of a hip roof is not an easy task!

If you decide to build just such a roof, you will have to work hard on both the calculations and the preparation of the necessary structural elements.

Installation of any rafter system is an extremely important undertaking, since the durability of the entire structure as a whole depends on the quality of its installation. Therefore, if you decide to do this work yourself, it is recommended to invite an experienced craftsman as an assistant, who will not allow the gross mistakes that beginners often make.

Splicing rafters in the ridge area - basic technological techniques

Correct splicing of rafters in the ridge area is the basis for the reliability of the entire system as a whole. There are several installation methods. This is discussed in this article.

One of the most important systems of any building is the supporting structure of the roof, the basis of which is a frame of rafters. And the reliability, strength and stability of the roof as a whole depends on how strong the rafter connections are. The need to connect rafters with other roofing elements may arise when this is provided for by the design or when the rafter legs themselves are being extended. In general, connection nodes can be divided into the following groups: connection with wall structures, connection of internal elements of the rafter system, extension of rafter legs.

Connecting rafters to wall structures

Regardless of what type of rafter system (sloping or hanging) is used in a particular case, it must transfer the loads created by the roof to the load-bearing structures provided for by the building design - walls or columns. This is why the connection of the rafters with the supporting contour of the house is so important and should be given special attention.

Almost any building project requires the presence of a mauerlat - a rafter beam. If layered type rafters are used, then it will work for shear, and if it is a hanging type, it will work for compression, in a direction that coincides with the orientation of the load-bearing walls. Due to the different directions of the vectors of the acting forces, for fastening layered and hanging rafters, fastenings of different designs are used, since they must provide compensation for loads of various kinds. The main task that connections of a layered type rafter system must solve is to prevent the rafters from slipping along the Mauerlat. In this case, the load created by the actual weight of the roof and other factors (for example, a layer of snow) is directed perpendicular to the plane of the ceiling. In this regard, the connection of the rafters to the mauerlat must be done in such a way that the rafter legs do not “spread”, which is more likely the greater their length. For this, in addition to nails, bolts and metal overlays, various carpentry fasteners are used to ensure reliable connection of wooden elements with each other.

Often, when building a new house, especially a wooden one, sliding fastenings are used, so that there will be no destruction or critical deformation of the roofing system due to shrinkage of the building frame (more details: ""). In this case, the plank should be attached to the rafter leg, and the corner to the mauerlat. Thanks to the bent corner, a constant connection between the structural elements is created, but at the same time there are no obstacles to the movement of the rafter leg within the limits allowed by the free movement of the plank. After the shrinkage of the building stops, all rafters will take a certain final position, and there will be no more displacement. If desired, the position of the corner can be fixed, for example, by a wedge. It should be noted that a sliding type connection is used only when arranging layered rafters, since the hanging rafter system has a design that is practically independent of the deformation of the building walls.

To know how to properly connect hanging type rafters, we will consider several different fastening methods, depending on the specific structure. The type of fastening is influenced by both the nodes themselves and the nature of the loads acting on them. , working under compression, are most often fastened using the “tooth” method (and under significant loads, a double “tooth”) or “spike”. For more reliable fastening, bolts, staples and various metal overhead parts are additionally used. When using plates and angles, they are secured with screws and self-tapping screws, and for bolted connections, holes are prepared whose diameter is 1 millimeter less than the cross-section of the bolts. The staples are driven into the side surfaces of the wooden elements of the rafter structure. As for the size of the fasteners, it is determined by the thickness of the rafters.

If the parts of the units are subject to tension or rupture, then in such cases it is advisable to use clamps. This is especially true when the rafters are connected at the ridge. In this case, the clamps cover the ridge beam and are attached to the beam or strut using bolts. This will ensure reliable .

The upper connection of the rafters to each other is made in one of the following ways:

the rafters are cut at the same angle and connected by end planes, while at least one 150-mm nail is driven into the side of each rafter at a certain angle;
through to the ridge beam;
side edges. In this case, the rafters are shifted along the length of the roof to the required distance.

Among other factors, the length of the hanging parts of their legs also influences how to connect the rafters to each other. This length should not exceed four and a half meters, otherwise additional support beams should be placed along the slope, laid parallel to the mauerlat and ridge beam. The connection between the rafters and the beam can be further strengthened using metal or wooden overlays.

When installing a rafter system, it is extremely important that all rafters are symmetrical. Achieving this is quite simple - just make a template rafter with the required dimensions, cutouts and angles in advance. After this, armed with a construction pencil and the required number of blanks, you can easily make all the parts without fear that they will be the wrong size.

Connecting rafter legs when building up

In cases where during the construction process, for one reason or another, changes are made to the original architectural design, it may be necessary to lengthen the rafter beams. At the same time, it is important to know how to properly connect the rafters so that they retain their strength indicators and the reliability of the system as a whole does not suffer.

There are several ways to build rafters:

How to splice rafters, video example:

This is due to the fact that the load on each section of the roof will be concentrated in one place where the rafters are connected, as a result of which deformation may occur. If there is no intermediate run, then the joints must be strengthened with metal overhead parts.

Thanks to the use of traditional carpentry units in combination with modern fastening methods, it is possible to achieve a high level of reliability of the rafter connection and long-term preservation of its performance.