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Common Roof Truss Design Types

September 05, 2019

 

When it comes to state-of-the-art roof truss designs, opting for wood trusses offer a larger range of options. Lumber allows for increased versatility in design, and can be manufactured to meet the specifications of any home building project regardless of size and scope.

 

Today we’ll discuss various types of roof truss designs commonly available.

 

King Post Truss

 

King post trusses are ideal for small to medium sized houses or structures due to limitations in its dimensions – only spanning 5-8 meters’ center to center. Its spacing is also limited to 3 meters’ center to center. King post trusses do not offer any sort of storage area as its frames are exposed – leaving no room for additional storage space.

 

Queen Post Truss

 

Queen post trusses are suitable for instances that require roof truss designs that span 8 to 12 meters in length. Queen post trusses make use of two central supporting posts that are connected and located between the tie beam and rafters. These trusses can span longer openings when compared to king post trusses

 

Pratt Truss

 

Pratt trusses are a suitable and cost-effective solution for larger homes and buildings. They typically span 6 to 10 meters.

 

Howe Truss

 

The vertical components of Howe Trusses are sometimes composed of steel – which can contribute to the overall stability of the structure. Howe trusses can span from 6 to 30 meters and allow increased flexibility for design options for larger projects.

 

Scissor Truss

 

Scissor truss designs are similar to that of King trusses, but rather than tie beams, scissor trusses have two angled component members that join at the rafters. The angled components allow for extra height in the center of the room below, also making for more attic space.

 

Hammer Beam Truss

 

Hammer beam trusses are common in the construction of churches, or buildings with large halls that require additional external support – usually using structures known as buttresses. Hammer beam trusses allow for large ceiling space due to the total elimination of central tie beams.