

Some framing systems use a ridge beam combined with gable-end posts instead of a ridge board, which provides structural support to the rafters. Rafter ties, which often double as ceiling joists, prevent these horizontal forces from causing the walls to “pancake.” Ridge beam As the rafters sit on top of the wall plates at an angle, they exert horizontal forces on the exterior walls. The rafter tie resists the outward forces imposed on the load-bearing walls. The ridge board serves as a nailing surface for the opposing rafters and provides no structural support. The rafters are the diagonal members that directly support the roof deck. XResearch sourceĭon’t Miss: How Much To Do A Roof Roof Framing: Key Terms And Definitions Rafters For most buildings, the birdsmouth cut is 4 inches deep.XResearch source The width of the 2×4 used to frame the outer wall measures 3.5 inches, and the outside sheathing measures 12 inch.
#Shed roof rafter span calculator full#
This is relatively simple: measure the full width of the outside wall.

Otherwise, if you are building new and will be using UPVC fascia and soffit you’ll want to know the sizes that it’s available in. If you are building an extension you will probably need to match it with the existing soffit size of the main building. So in that instance, I work out roughly what the overhang will be at each end of the roof and make sure the rafter tails are long enough to allow for that before cutting the rafters to length. You can do this by using a string or chalk line to mark them. If I’m cutting a roof where the wall plate or brickwork aren’t perfectly straight/parallel it can be better to leave the rafter lengths too long and then cut them off after the roof is installed. Instances like that include things like sheds, dormers, timber framed and other structures where there’s little chance of getting it wrong. That way you can completely finish all the cutting down on the bench before taking them up and installing them. When building a roof, in some instances I will work out the exact overhang needed for the fascia and soffit boards and add that to the rafter lengths already calculated. This will ultimately define the width of the eaves soffit board as well, so it’s important to know what you are going to use for that. To work out the second length of the rafter so that it runs past the brickwork and can have a fascia board fixed to it, we need to work out the overhang measurement. Adding The Overhang Onto The End Of The Rafters To Fix The Fascia Boards To A rafter or speed square will have marks for both of these angles. The roof on this shed is a 4 in 12 slope which makes it a 18 and one half degree angle on the board ends. Step 1: MARK AND CUT THE FIRST RAFTER ENDS The ridge end of the rafter, and often the eve end, will need to be cut to the angle of the roof slope.
