Roof Framing Basics Resource

Roof Framing Basics Information

Roof Framing Basics Information in Answers

What is the difference between trusses and rafters? Ive been doing drafting now for a couple years.. I need to learn the basics such as... Roof framing, Foundations and just basic knowledge about construction so I dont sound inexperienced in the presence of a contractor. Thanks... Any good books that would teach me that sort of stuff ? thanks

billy brite replied: "Ask the question in the engineering section. Those guys are very good."

DAVE W replied: "Trusses are engineered roof systems built by specs for your house and delivered, rafters are boards running to a ridge board from your wall exterior top plates and fabricated on the job site. ADD Trusses are pre-fab and rafters are conventional framed on site."

Dr. Feelgood replied: "A rafter is a single board that runs from the outside wall up to the ridge....It may or may not have supports below it. A truss is a unit which has single board that runs from the outside wall up to the ridge, then another board returns down to the opposite outside wall....(sounds the same, but) the truss has a series of engineered triangular shaped supports, below it, and includes the roof joist. Advantage: requires smaller size lumber. Stronger, and capable of large spans, without center support. Google "truss" and you will see the variety of designs available. Downside, may require a crane to erect."

Canibus Jones replied: "http://www.ehow.com/guide_12-home-garden.html"

Mike replied: "Doctor feelgood nailed it word for word what I would have said. A couple more tidbits: I have always preferred rafters because of the enormous ceiling space you can get, I love wide open rooms, that's just me. With trusses you can't get a full cathedral ceiling. They engineer trusses known as "scissor" trusses where instead of a horizontal board across the top plates they angle the truss supports in a manner where you have a bit of a cathedral ceiling. Trusses put up by professionals can be run in no time with a crane, rafters are tough because you need to be able to put up the ridge board before setting your rafters and to some it can be tricky (not to mention the massive weight of the rafters themselves haha) It really comes down to preference, they both have their pros and cons. But like the other poster said, a truss is an engineered unit of many boards designed to be thrown up and anchored down with ease, with a great amount of strength and stability, while rafters are just long boards individualy erected and fixed to a ridgeboard creating the peak of the roof pitch."

Keepon replied: "Rafters are a single piece of lumber that span from beam to beam or beam to wall or wall to wall. The may be sloped or flat. Although flat rafters are usually called joist. Typically roof rafters are 2x8's or 2x10's depending on the distance and the load applied. When using rafters or joists, this is called conventional framing. Trusses do the same as rafters but consist of a top chord, bottom chord, and web members. The top chord and web members are usually constructed out of 2x4's and the bottom chord is constructed out of 2x4 or 2x6. Because of the shape of trusses, trusses can span much further then rafters and can support much more weight. Trusses can be used for roofs or floors and can span large distances, some wood roof trusses can span 60 feet. Trusses are typically built in a factory and shipped out to the job site. Sounds like you will be visiting a home construction site. Here is a glossary of construction terms. The best knowledge though comes from actually going to the site and observing with someone who can point out aspects of construction."

What is the name for the type of construction when you pay a contractor to do the framing, roofing, and the? other basic outside stuff, as well as basic indoor stuff such as plywood on the floors, etc, then they leave it unfinished for the homeowner to finish? I know there is a special name for it, I just can't remember. My husband is a skilled and working electrician, carpenter, and knows plumbing as well. We just do not want to go through the trouble of permits and everything else.

monicayrafael replied: "I have heard it referred to as the "shell" of the house."

bruce ree replied: "general contractors take care of many diferent occupations involved with home building.it is too much for a home owner to look after."

jemc7 replied: "a framer will build the frame but he usually installs roof and plywood walls floors and roof you can ask around but most general contractors can do all the above and if you want them to stop at a certain point they will. keep in mind that the building permit he gets will be only for the work he performs. no contractor will get an open permit and allow someone else to finish a home as there are liabilities to consider. you will also have to get permits for grading, electrical and plumbing."

How much would an 8 x 8 front porch with roof cost? We live in an old house and want a basic deck like front porch with roof. We are not sure if an a-frame or a shed roof would be cheaper. We are looking at 8 x 8 in size. Any estimates?

Mark replied: "There are a ton of variables that enter into an estimate of this nature. Site considerations, design, materials desired etc. It is a very small project in size, but very important in terms of visual impact since you are talking about the front of your house. You must consider that you will probably need a permit as well. I think it would be irresponsible for someone to guess at a price with so little info to go on. My advice would be to call your local building department to get a fix on their requirements, then call 2 or 3 local contractors or carpenters with good reputations for advice and some pricing. The better contractors and carpenters will always be happy to give free estimates and point out the pros and cons of your ideas. Also bear in mind that your building department may require plans to be submitted for a permit. Best of luck."

Anyone give me an estimate on a 1200 squar foot house? I was wondering around how much it would cost to build a 1200 sq ft house with a basement. But the only thing that I would need would be all the framing, the foundation/basement, the roof, and that would be about it. I would like to leave the interior of the house in basic framing? Can anyone tell me around what this might cost. I plan on the Brookings SD area.

greta replied: "Not without knowing where, what kinds of materials you want used and many other factors."

Landlord replied: "You will not be able to get a construction loan if you are not going to complete the house. Depending on where you are 200-300 a foot."

gk replied: "85,000 with windows, doors, roof, rough electric, plumbing,and siding. Unfinished interior. roughly $70 per sq/ft. Finish Interior Insulate ,rock, trim, and fixtures $50 sq/ft more. +- Hope this helps"

loslunas87031 replied: "depends on construction, building codes of that area, permits, impact fees, local cost of materials, engineer costs, impervious watewater area studies. no price across the nation applies everywhere I built a home in lake county florida in 1995 and was surprised with slightly over $5,000 for a gopher turtle study and re plan that had to be completed before any permits would even be considered."

godged replied: "There are so many variables, it is impossible to give an accurate guess. $120 per square foot is an vague estimate in my area. Are you planning to finish the interior yourself? Your permits will only be in place for a certain amount of time, and the work has to be completed in that time frame or you have to get a new permit. Building permits are typically not cheap. Lenders (if you get a construction loan) will only allow the work to continue for a set amount of time also, and bear in mind that the construction loan interest is higher than a conventional loan, so you won't want to run this project out too long."

Jeanne B replied: "It depends on the quality of materials you want to use. The first link below is to a report from the National Association of Homebuilders showing the average cost per square foot of residential construction in different parts of the country from 1992 - 2006. The second link is to the NAHB main site where you might find other helpful info. Good luck!"

What is the going rate per square foot for new roofs (basic shingles) in the northeast? also if you know what the going rate is for "framing a house" per square foot that would be great!!

philbertpheinstein replied: "Call some roofing companies and you'll soon find out.."

How much would I pay to add a room? I want to add a 12x14 room to my house, its a framed wood home and I only need the 3 additional walls, floor and roof build. (no restroom or closet, no wiring or plumbing) I've been told it would be by the square feet but can someone give me an estimated ball park figure in South Texas. I want a basic almost straight line roof and two windows which I have. Any estimates?

Three_Kings_Clooney replied: "Your best bet is to seek free estimates from local remodelers (they're the one-stop contractor who does all required trades, like rough carpentry, finish carpentry, drywall, flooring, roofing, etc). So, call around some local remodelers in your area. Better yet, here is a handyman site I use often, which has a section devoted to home improvement articles, where you'll also find towards the far left, very bottom of the following home improvement page a big, bright, kind-of-orange ad that conveniently offers up to four (4) Free estimates that can be given to you very fast from local remodeling contractors in your area to help you build the additional room you want (again, this free-estimate offer is towards the very left-bottom of the following linked page): Like I said, get a hold of some local remodelers. In exchange for giving them work, you also might be able to get a good deal on the material from the remodeling contractor, since, usually, they have access to wholesale pricing on building material given the great amount of installations they do. That's the way to go. Good luck with your project!"

Why do Newton's carts include a rope and spring, but building frames don't? I was studying Newton's Momentum Conservation and Equilibrium works, and saw that in two carts on wheels, you can connect the carts with proportionately balanced rope and spring, and the carts will move in unison, along a straight line. There are illustrations and everything on this proven law of Physics. I have worked on constructing buildings, and amcurious as to why this technology is not included in reinforcing the building frames? The walls and flor/roof cross-framing all represent the compression spring in Newton's Carts, but there is no tension ropes counter balancing the building frame assemblages!! Anyone know why this basic element of proven physics is missing in buildings and structures?

rs replied: "You are not looking close enough or at enough structures. There are numerous examples of tension cables in buildings and in the concrete foundations. Check the link below or do a search on "cable tension buildings""

crusader149 replied: "Say, I don't suppose this is gonna turn into another shameless advert for your website, is it? Thank you, Billy Mays!"

Building a basic structure? On my property there is an old building/just wooden frame tin roof, kinda falling apart, but it has a decent concrete foundation, and a 3foot lip wall around the back... i was wondering what the cheapest way to make a complete structure.. (waterproof, electricity...possibly plumbing), just like a nice warehouse where i can work on my cars, or turn into a woodshop....ect......... i was thinking just cinderblocks with a tin roof... but im not sure

John D replied: "Steel buildings, tell them what your looking for and how big of an area you have and they will give you a good idea of what you can go and quote a price."

Jeffrey S replied: "Without knowing for sure what the foundation looks like, I would not erect anything with the additional weight like block walls. It may be the slab is just that and could crack if you overload it. It would be best to erect a new wood frame structure. Siding could be wood or also metal, and the tin roof should be effective for a shop. Electric can be routed underground from your current service (if you have enough entrance power there) and run up a wall and into the shed. Plumbing would be more difficult, since anything inside the building would require you to break-out the foundation to install. Don't forget about checking codes and inspections required in your area."

Estimate Question? I wasn't specific with details in my last question, sorry :( We are looking at building this home : or something similar. We are building it on or near where a house currently is, but the house is being torn down. Hookups are all there, most will not need to be updated. We have a licensed plumber at our disposal, and people who have worked in construction who will do our drywall , painting, cabinets, floors, etc for us. For this home, which is 1800 sqft, how much are we looking at, for foundation, and the basics of the home? Frame, gyprock,( I think thats what it is called), roof etc. We would be getting a mortgage/loan to build the house. We would have around 20,000 of our own money to put into the house from the sale of our current home. Thanks so much for replies. We really need this info as we are trying to figure out if we will go with stickbuilt or prefab.

DJ B replied: "You might check with a couple of appraisers in your area to see how they look at these in the appraisal world. Some lenders may also have certain criteria for loaning money with prefabs versus stick built. To elimination any future questions, I would go stick built."

William replied: "Well you have to know where you physically live since that has a lot to do with building cost. I assume you own the land and want to build a fairly nice house. You are probably looking at $90 to $100 per square foot without the lot assuming the inside will be fairly nice and you will have everything done on the outside, landscaping etc. I'm not a big fan of prefab and the savings that you might have will lessen the value when you sale. Without much info these are just guesses."

mazziatplay replied: "You may find it difficult to find a lender who will finance a pre-fab home an, even if you find one, you won't have access to conventional financing which is where you will find the most competitive rates and programs."

linkus86 replied: "There is no way to answer this question without seeing the plans to the house. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but not to a home builder. The plans would give details to the amount of roofing, foundation and drywall necessary to build the house (or something similar to it) and even then only an experienced LOCAL general contractor could give you estimations because different places offer necessitate different building costs. But, does offer construction estimations (if you register) and if you found one that is similar to the one you desire in their inventory, perhaps you can get an answer to your question."

Leo F replied: "First you want a stick built home is the only way to go. 2nd you will find it hard to find a lender to give you a construction loan and building it yourself. Try checking into Ubuildit , They have construction loan and they have sub contractors. You wil be able to do as much as you want or little as you want. They handle all the permits and paper work for you. They have been around a long time. Good luck with your dream home"

theoccoastalgroup replied: "That's a tough question without knowing where you live as cost of materials and labor rates vary. In Southern California where we are, the cost to build a new home is roughly $300 - $400 per square foot, depending on the materials used. You're best bet is to call a couple of local contractors and ask them what the price per square foot on building a new home is."

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