How to build a wood roof

Roof trusses are becoming increasingly popular with homeowners who want to expand their homes in a charming way. Some DIYers want to build their own roof trusses. The first step is to respect the Quebec construction code, because the angles, the exactness of the cuts and the symmetry of the structure have to be flawless.

The best way to ensure that all these requirements are met is to hire a professional who specializes in wood roof construction. In this article, the experts at UsiHome walk you through the main steps in building a roof truss.

The first steps to building a house truss

As a reminder, roof trusses are generally triangular in shape and resemble a wooden deck structure. This structure is assembled with lumber and metal connectors and fasteners.

Each step in the process of building a house truss is crucial and must be done with precision. Learn about the first steps to making a roof truss.

Use software to build a roof truss

Software is used to generate roof truss plans and assemblies to ensure their strength. Trusses are made up of rafters that must all be of equal size and strong enough to accommodate the roof afterwards.

For more information on this type of software and to draw up the plans for your roof truss, please contact a professional team.

Respect the plans and dimensions when building the roof

As discussed above, making accurate plans for building a wood roof is critical. A bad assembly or a cutting error could have a serious impact on the structure and the quality of your construction.

When high winds or heavy snowfalls are forecasted in Quebec, it is important that the structures of your home are compliant to ensure the safety of occupants. If you are unsure whether you can do it yourself, contact an experienced company to help you.

Adapt to weather conditions

One of the most important factors to consider when building a wooden roof is the location where the structure will be installed. This is because the house truss will need to be reinforced if it is located in a very snowy or windy area. The weight that the wood floor can support must therefore be calculated.

In Quebec, many roof trusses are reinforced with a steel covering. This is done to improve the strength of the structure and ensure that it can withstand large amounts of snow and ice. Winter cabins or sheds have often collapsed after a heavy snowfall.

Choosing the shape of the house truss

There are various types of wooden roof trusses. While sometimes complex, most structures chosen by homeowners are fairly simple. However, note that, in general, the simpler the shape of your wooden roof, the less solid it will be.

To find out which truss is needed for your home, analyze neighboring structures or ask for help from experts. They can offer you a number of different solutions that will help you determine the best choice for your home.

Installing the habitable roof truss

Installing roof trusses is a procedure that requires careful planning and execution. If you have little or no help, or your house trusses are too heavy, then it will be necessary to use a crane to put the structure in place.

The challenge with this layout lies in the installation of the main roof truss. Because of its weight and size, it must be secured as soon as possible to guarantee its strength. Once in place, the wooden structure must be nailed down with the rest of the beams and partitions of the house to prevent it from moving.

Contact the experts at UsiHome to build a wooden roof

As this article has shown, it is not easy to build a wooden roof on your own, since it requires a lot of experience and precision, both when choosing the materials and when assembling them.

If you want to build a roof truss, we recommend that you go through a professional. UsiHome is the perfect partner for this task. If you have any questions or if you want to talk to us about your project, contact us now! You can also head over to our projects page to see our achievements.