{"id":1089,"date":"2021-08-30T20:53:03","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T20:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/?p=1089"},"modified":"2023-08-25T20:28:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T20:28:49","slug":"timber-frame-rafters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Timber Frame Rafters?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking for information about building a timber frame? Have you come across the term \u201crafter\u201d while reading or in conversation and wondered what exactly it means?<\/p>\n<p>In this article, our <a href=\"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prefabricated wood structure specialists<\/a> provide a comprehensive overview of different types of rafters and their uses.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<h2>A brief definition of roof rafters<\/h2>\n<p>A rafter is a structural component of a roof that extends from the roof ridge to the top plate of the exterior wall. When the rafter extends past the top plate, it creates an overhang.<\/p>\n<p>Generally placed side by side, rafters support much of the weight of the roof and serve as a base for attaching the roof covering. Their spacing must be precise and is calculated based on factors such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The load the roof will need to support (covering materials, snow, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Purlin spacing (ridging and top plates)<\/li>\n<li>The length of the overhang<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The uses of rafters<\/h2>\n<p>A few decades ago, stick framing was the preferred method of roof construction. In this method, rafters were custom-made on the construction site using <a href=\"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/what-is-softwood-lumber\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">softwood lumber<\/a>. Measuring, cutting and assembling every rafter on-site was enormously time-consuming.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the stick framing method has largely been replaced by <a href=\"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/products\/roof-trusses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prefabricated roof trusses<\/a>, but rafters are still used. In fact, they are a component of most truss designs.\u00a0 In this context, the term \u00ab\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bestwaytoframe.com\/top-chord?colorbox=1&amp;width=1000&amp;height=450&amp;iframe=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">top chord<\/a>\u00a0\u00bb is sometimes used.<\/p>\n<h3>Materials used to make rafters<\/h3>\n<p>Rafters can be made from a variety of materials, the most common being steel alloys and wood.<\/p>\n<p>Softwood (pine, cedar, spruce, etc.) is the type of wood most frequently used to manufacture rafters. However, for longer rafters, it can be advantageous to use <a href=\"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/what-is-structural-composite-lumber\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">structural composite lumber<\/a> like LVL (laminated veneer lumber). This type of engineered wood can be used to create rafters 2 to 5 times longer than those made of regular lumber.<\/p>\n<h2>Types of rafters<\/h2>\n<p>Here are a few of the different types of rafters:<\/p>\n<h3>Principal rafters<\/h3>\n<p>The principal rafter is always one of the longest rafters in a roof structure. It is supported by a connecting beam.<\/p>\n<h3>Common rafters<\/h3>\n<p>Common rafters can be used by themselves or in combination with a principal rafter, which they help support. They can also be called minor rafters.<\/p>\n<h3>Intermediate rafters<\/h3>\n<p>These rafters are placed between the principal or common rafters to reinforce a specific part of the roof. They are rarely used.<\/p>\n<h3>Jack rafter<\/h3>\n<p>This type of rafter doesn\u2019t reach the ridge or top plate because it hits another component of the frame.<\/p>\n<h3>Barge rafter<\/h3>\n<p>A barge rafter is sometimes used to form a roof overhang. In such cases, it is the outermost rafter at the gable end.<\/p>\n<h2>How much do roof rafters cost?<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to define a price range for rafters, because the cost varies depending on the materials, size and supplier.<\/p>\n<p>For wooden rafters, the price will also depend on the type of wood and the treatments that can be used on it.<\/p>\n<h2>UsiHome: timber frame specialists in Quebec<\/h2>\n<p>Rafters are an important part of a roof structure. They are essential for the stick framing method of building a roof, but can also be used in roof trusses. They come in many different materials and dimensions.<\/p>\n<p>For more information about wooden constructions, <a href=\"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">check out our blog<\/a> or contact our <a href=\"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/products\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">structural wood product<\/a> experts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking for information about building a timber frame? Have you come across the term \u201crafter\u201d while reading or in conversation and wondered what exactly it means? In this article, our prefabricated wood structure specialists provide a comprehensive overview of different types of rafters and their uses. Let\u2019s get started! A brief definition of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-roof-trusses"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Timber Frame Rafters: An Overview | UsiHome<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to learn more about timber frame roof rafters? 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The specialists at UsiHome explain the different types of rafters and their uses.","og_url":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/","og_site_name":"Usihome","article_published_time":"2021-08-30T20:53:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-25T20:28:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/chevron-charpente-bois.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"David Anctil","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"David Anctil","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/"},"author":{"name":"David Anctil","@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/497964d4553a0bfe5e83459e3d9de53c"},"headline":"What are Timber Frame Rafters?","datePublished":"2021-08-30T20:53:03+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-25T20:28:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/"},"wordCount":555,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/chevron-charpente-bois.jpeg","articleSection":["Roof trusses"],"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/","url":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/","name":"Timber Frame Rafters: An Overview | UsiHome","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/en\/timber-frame-rafters\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/usihome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/chevron-charpente-bois.jpeg","datePublished":"2021-08-30T20:53:03+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-25T20:28:49+00:00","description":"Want to learn more about timber frame roof rafters? 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