COMPLETELY REVISED AND UPDATED

b u i l d e r - t e st e d c o d e a p p r o v e d

Framing Roofs

f r o m th e e d i to r s o f
 builder - tested code approved

framing
roofs
from the editors of h

B
Text © 2010 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
Photographs © 2010 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
Illustrations © 2010 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Pp
The Taunton Press Inc., 63 South Main St., PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
e-mail: tp@taunton.com

Editor: Jessica DiDonato

Copy editor: Diane Sinitsky
Indexer: Jay Kreider
Cover design: Alexander Isley, Inc.
Interior design/Layout: Cathy Cassidy

Taunton’s For Pros By Pros® and Fine Homebuilding® are trademarks of

The Taunton Press Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Framing roofs / from the editors of Fine homebuilding.
p. cm.
Includes index.
E-Book ISBN 978-1-62710-070-0
1. Roofs--Design and construction. 2. Framing (Building) I. Fine homebuilding.
TH2393.F727 2010
694’.2--dc22
2010037051

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The following manufacturers/names appearing in Framing Roofs are trademarks: Bass Ale®, Linear Link®, Makita®, Minwax®, Paslode®,
RounDrive®, Skil®, Speed® Square, Swanson® Tool Co.

About Your Safety: Homebuilding is inherently dangerous. From accidents with power tools to falls from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs,
builders risk serious injury and even death. We try to promote safe work habits through our articles. But what is safe for one person under
certain circumstances may not be safe for you under different circumstances. So don’t try anything you learn about here (or elsewhere)
unless you’re certain that it is safe for you. Please be careful.

Except for new page numbers that reflect the organization of this collection, these articles appear just as they did when they were originally
published. You may find that some information about manufacturers or products is no longer up to date. Similarly, building methods
change and building codes vary by region and are constantly evolving, so please check with your local building department.
 Special thanks to the authors, editors, art directors,
copy editors, and other staff members of Fine Homebuilding
who contributed to the development of the articles in this book.
Con t ents

Introduction 3

part 1 : stick framing

Cutting and Setting Common Rafters 4

Framing a Gable Roof 14

Framing a Roof Valley 26

Using a Rafter Square 36

A Different Approach to Rafter Layout 38

Framing a Hip Roof 50

Hip-Roof Framing Made Easier 60

Framing a Gambrel Roof 68

Roof Framing with Engineered Lumber 76

Cordless Framing Nailers 84

 Part 2 : dormers and bays

Doghouse Dormers 90

Framing a Classic Shed Dormer 102

Framing a Dramatic Dormer 108

A Gable-Dormer Retrofit 118

Framing an Elegant Dormer 130

Framing a Bay-Window Roof 142

Part 3: Truss framing

Raising Roof Trusses 150

Rolling Roof Trusses 162

Building Hip and Valley Roofs with Trusses 172

Credits 184

Index 185
in t r od u c t ion
I
often tell myself that building a new house is much easier than remodeling
an old one. By “often,” I mean whenever I’m having trouble with a
remodeling project, which happens most weekends. The exception to this
excuse occurs when I’m working on my roof. With all of its angles and math, roof
framing is intimidating. I’m much more comfortable cutting into a roof to find
things where they should be, straight and square, than trying to build one that
way myself.
One of my early assignments at Fine Homebuilding was to work with Rick
Arnold on a story about framing roof valleys. When I arrived at the job site, Rick
had already determined the lengths and necessary bevel cuts for the valley and
jack rafters. It took Rick less time to cut all the components of the valley on the
ground than it did for his crew to carry them to the roof. Watching each rafter slip
perfectly into place was one of the most remarkable feats I’d seen on a job site.
Rick’s article, which you’ll find on p. 26 of this book, turned out to be
more than a lesson in geometry. It was a great example of how a veteran builder
plans ahead and uses modern tools, like the construction calculator, and
modern materials, like the LVL ridge board and valley rafter, to simplify tricky
details and improve the end result. At Fine Homebuilding, we’re proud to be a
conduit for experienced craftsmen to share their knowledge with readers like
you. Whether you’re looking to learn the basics of laying out a rafter or improve
your skills on more complex roof details, there is a lot to learn in this collection
of our best roof-framing articles.

— Brian Pontolilo, editor

Fine Homebuilding

3
1
stick framing

Cutting
and Setting
Common Rafters
John Spier

I f building a staircase is the test of a master

carpenter, then building a simple gable
roof must be the test of an apprentice. The
be the same. If the floor is square to begin
with and the walls are either sheathed or
braced so that they can’t rack diagonally,
gable roof is the foundation, so to speak, for the top plates should also be square to each
almost every roof a carpenter will learn to other. I check for square by measuring the
build, from sheds to gambrels. Just about diagonals, which should also be the same or
every gable roof begins with common rafters, at least within a 1 ⁄4-in. tolerance.
those simple framing members that stretch Next I stretch a line (usually yellow
from plate to ridge. There are many ways to mason’s string; see photo 2 on p. 6) inside
approach cutting and installing common the top plates of each wall. I use blocks at
rafters; here’s the one I use most often. each end to space the string away from the
wall. A third block makes a quick gauge

Start with Straight, to check the straightness of the wall (see

photo 3 on p. 6). The walls then are held
Plumb Walls plumb and straight with 2x braces every 8 ft.
Every good roof starts with good wall fram- or so. If interior walls have top plates that
ing. The bearing walls that carry the rafters lap over outside walls, I put diagonal braces
and the roof need to be straight, square, on them.
plumb, and parallel to each other. If they’re
not, fix them now, or the roof framing will Simple Math
never be right.
I start by checking the distance between and a Calculator
the plates at the ends of each roof section, There are many ways to lay out common
both at the floor and at the top plate (see rafters, but I stick to the simplest approach
photo 1 on p. 6). With the wall corners using math, geometry, and a calculator (photo
braced plumb, all four measurements should on the facing page). I also work from the

4
 Common-Rafter Elements
All common rafters Ridge
are made of similar Plumb cut or ridge cut
parts from the plumb
cut at the top to the
bird’s mouth where
the rafter rests on
the wall framing.
Length of rafter

Centerline

Rise of rafter

Heel cut

Seat cut

Run of rafter
Thickness of ridge

Rafter tail Plate

bottom edge of the rafter rather than working

from the theoretical line traditionally used Let’s do the numbers
when calculating rafters. With my approach,
the length I find is between two definite Find run of rafter
measurable points: the bottom corner of the 2775 ⁄ 8 in. (plate to plate)
− 31⁄ 2 in. (double LVL ridge)
ridge cut and the beginning of the seat cut.
2741⁄ 8 in.
To find the length of the bottom edge of the ÷2
rafter, I start with the desired roof pitch and 1371⁄16 in. (run of rafter)
the inside plate-to-plate measurement.
From that measurement, I subtract the Find rise of rafter Here are the
Set up a proportion, cross-multiply, and divide rafter calcula-
thickness of the ridge and divide that num-
X = 10 (roof pitch) tions for the
ber in half to give me the run dimension roof featured
1371⁄16 in. 12
for the rafter (see “Let’s Do the Numbers” 12 × X = 10 × 1371⁄16 in. in this article.
at right). Next I set up a simple proportion X = (10 × 1371⁄16 in.) ÷ 12
using the roof pitch to find the rise dimen- X = 1141⁄4 in. (rise of rafter)

sion. Once I’ve determined the rise and run

Find length of rafter
of the rafter, I use geometry to find the rafter
(1371⁄16 in.)2 + (1141⁄4 in.)2 = 31839.19
length. Square the rise, square the run, add √31839.19 = 1787⁄16 in.
the two, and take the square root of the sum.
Construction calculators are programmed Handy Tip: If you don’t have a calculator, pick a big
to do this automatically and have the benefit room with square walls. Measure rise along one wall
and run along another. Then string a tape between
of calculating in feet and inches, but any cal-
the two points for the length of rafter.
culator with a square-root function will do.

Cutting and Setting Common Raf ters 5

 Straighten the Walls First

B efore the rafters can be cut and installed, the walls have to be straight, plumb, and square. First, plate-to-
plate measurements are taken at both ends of each roof section at the inside of the plates (photo 1).
Lines stretched along the walls (photo 2) are gauged straight with a block (photo 3).

2 3

The First Rafter mines the plumb-cut angle, which I mark

using a triangular rafter square (see photo 2
Is a Pattern on the facing page), such as a Speed® Square.
Armed with these figures, I’m ready to lay Today’s framing codes require that the
out the first rafter. I select a nice, straight piece bottom of the rafter’s ridge cut must bear
of rafter stock for a pattern (see photo 1 on fully on the ridge, although the top point of
the facing page) and mark the direction of the cut may be left as much as an inch high
the crown, or the bend along the edge, if any. to facilitate ridge-venting. The length of the
Every common rafter has a ridge cut or plumb cut determines the minimum width
a plumb cut at one end and a bird’s mouth of the material needed for the ridge.
and a tail at the other end where the rafter Measuring along the bottom edge of the
fits over the wall plate. The roof pitch deter- rafter from the short point on the plumb
cut, I mark the rafter length on the stock.

6 Stick Framing
 The Pattern Rafter: A Template for the Roof

A fter finding the length of the

rafter, a straight piece of rafter
stock is selected (photo 1). A rafter
square sets the angle for the ridge
cut (photo 2), and the length of
the rafter is measured down from
the short point. The bird’s mouth
and rafter tail are drawn full scale
with all the trim and soffit detail
(photo 3) before the pattern is cut to
make sure all the details fit properly. 1

2 3

This mark is where I begin the seat cut for The rafter tail is the part that carries the
the bird’s mouth of the rafter. The angle of roof overhang and trim. I lay out the tail by
the seat cut, or the flat part of the notch, is drawing a full-scale picture of the roof-trim
the complement of the plumb-cut angle. The and soffit details on the pattern rafter (see
roof in this project had a 10-in-12 pitch with photo 3 above). Details include the vent,
a plumb cut of 40°. So the seat-cut angle, or subfascia, blocking, frieze, and anything else
complement, is 90° minus 40°, or 50°. that affects the framing. When my drawing
The length of the seat cut is the width is complete, I cut out the pattern rafter and
of the wall plate plus the thickness of the mark it as such.
sheathing. Another plumb cut, called the
heel cut, for the outside of the wall, com-
pletes the bird’s mouth.

Cutting and Setting Common Raf ters 7

 Laying Out the Ridge and Plates

2 3

Rafters Should Align connectors, and improves the structural

integrity of the house.
with the Studs On the wall plates, I lay out all the
A good roof-framing layout starts on the first common-rafter locations, and also the
floor. I always try to line up the studs in the double and triple common rafters for open-
second-floor walls with those on the first ings such as skylights, cupolas, chimneys,
floor and then have the rafters land directly and dormers. I then transfer all these layout
over the studs (see photo 1 above). A unified marks to the ridge (see photo 2 above), mak-
layout all the way through the house simpli- ing sure to keep track of which side of the
fies work for the subs and trim carpenters, ridge goes where. When the layout is fin-
provides good nailing for code-required steel ished, I count the number of rafters I need.

8 Stick Framing
 T o keep the house framing consistent, rafters should fall directly over
the studs and joists (photo 1). Rafter layout is transferred to the ridge
(photo 2). The ridge is then set on temporary posts (photo 3), and a test
fit of the first two rafters braces the ridge while it’s eyeballed for straight-
ness (photo 4).

Setting the Stage planks is the easiest approach, but I’ve also
set many ridges on simple staging site-built
If the roof has ceiling joists that sit directly out of 2x6s and extra rafter stock.
on the bearing walls, I can put the joists on If you’re short or if the bearing walls are
now and use them as staging. If not, or if the more than 5 ft. tall, it’s also helpful to have
ridge is too high to reach comfortably, I take staging set up for lifting and nailing the
the time to set up staging. rafters onto the walls, either from the inside
I like to be able to walk along each side or from the outside. We often set up wall
of the ridge with the tops of the rafters just brackets outside at a height convenient for
about head high so that I can nail the rafters installing sheathing, trim, and roofing.
comfortably but still duck under them eas-
ily. A couple of sections of pipe staging with

Cutting and Setting Common Raf ters 9

 Production Rafter Cutting

A fter the pattern rafter has been tested, plywood blocks are nailed to each
end (photo 1). The blocks register the pattern on the rafter stock while a
crew member at each end traces the pattern (photo 2). The ends are then cut at
the same time (photo 3), and the finished rafter is set aside.

1 3

10 Stick Framing
 Test Rafters
Brace the Ridge
Our ridges used to be a single thickness of 2x
lumber, often toenailed together or gusseted
with scraps of plywood. With today’s wind-
loading codes and cathedral-ceiling spaces,
ridges are more likely to be built-up assem-
blies of LVLs or other materials engineered
to carry some of the roof load.
If posts are incorporated into the gables
or interior walls that support the ridge, I
build and stand them now, using temporary
braces to hold them plumb. If there are no
permanent posts in the structure, I cut tem-
porary props to hold the ridge and to keep it
from sagging until the roof is sheathed (see
photo 3 on p. 8). The post height equals the
rise of the rafter plus the height of the walls.
I like to have the first couple of rafters cut at
this point.
In theory, my pattern rafter is perfect, but
before I cut a whole pile of stock, I test-fit a
couple of rafters to make sure I haven’t made
any stupid mistakes. And because I also hate
to waste time by moving anything twice, the
first two rafters are used to brace the ridge in
place (see photo 4 on p. 9). If I’m not ready
to set the ridge, I test the rafters by inserting
a small block of wood the same thickness as
the ridge between the ridge cuts.

Rafter Cutting,
Tag-Team Style
When I’m satisfied that my pattern rafter is
good, I set up the rafter-cutting operation.
First, I nail blocks (usually plywood scraps)
on the top edge of the pattern rafter at each
end, one directly over the ridge cut and the
other over the seat of the bird’s mouth (see
photo 1 on the facing page). These blocks
ensure that each rafter is uniform so that the
ridge and eave stay straight and that differ-
ences in rafter width and crown don’t affect
the finished frame.

Cutting and Setting Common Raf ters 11

 The Rafters Go In

I t’s easiest to set rafters with

three crew members (photo 1):
one at the ridge, one at the plate,
and another passing up the rafters.
The plate end is nailed in first while
the ridge end is held up slightly
(photo 2). When the rafters are
in, steel connecting plates are
installed (photo 3), followed by the
ceiling joists (photo 4).

1 3 4

12 Stick Framing
 Now I set up an on-site rafter factory. Two and eaves. Now is the last easy chance to fix
of the crew members mark the crown on or replace any rafters that are not in line or
the stock and then stack it near the cutting in plane with the rest.
Setting rafters is
station. Any pieces with excessive crown or best done as a
team with one
bow are rejected.
At the cutting station, stock is stacked on
Final Framing Details
person at the
sawhorses with the crowns facing the same When all the common rafters are in place,
I install the metal rafter ties (see photo 3 on
ridge, another
direction. The pattern rafter is placed on
each piece with the crown at the top edge, the facing page), and I put in as many of the at the eave, and
and the cuts are marked (see photo 2 on cathedral-ceiling joists as possible (see photo a third lifting
pp. 10–11). Then one crew member makes 4 on the facing page). I then turn my atten- the rafters into
the plumb cut while the other cuts the tion to the rest of the roof-framing details
position.
bird’s mouth and rafter tail (see photo 3 on such as chimney and skylight openings and
pp. 10–11). These cuts have to be accurate; dormers. Getting the common rafters right
sloppy cuts translate into humps or hollows goes a long way toward getting the rest of
in the roof, which my competitors will glee- the roof right, and many of the same con-
fully discuss at the coffee shop. cepts and methods apply to other parts of
When I’m cutting the bird’s mouth, it’s the roof as well.
generally acceptable to overcut with the
John Spier builds and renovates custom homes
circular saw to finish the notch. The excep-
and is a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding
tions to this rule are when the notch goes magazine. He and his wife, Kerri, own and operate
more than two-thirds of the way across the Spier Construction, a general-contracting company
rafter and when the tail has to support a on Block Island, Rhode Island.

wide roof overhang. In these two cases, I cut

to the corner with a circular saw and finish
with a sharp handsaw.

Nail the Bird’s

Mouth First
Setting rafters is best done as a team with
one person at the ridge, another at the eave,
and a third lifting the rafters into position
(see photo 1 on the facing page). I like to set
an opposing pair of rafters every 6 ft. to 8 ft.
to hold the ridge straight at intermittent
points. Then I check the ridge for straight-
ness, by eye or with a stringline.
It’s best to nail the lower end of each raf-
ter first while the person at the ridge holds
the rafter slightly high (see photo 2 on the
facing page). Nailing the ridge first tends to
push the bird’s mouth outward. After the
ridge is stabilized and straight, I fill in the
remaining commons, alternating from side
to side every few rafters. Once the rafters are
in place, I cast a critical eye along the ridge

Cutting and Setting Common Raf ters 13

1
stick framing

Framing a
Gable Roof
Larry Haun

O ne of my earliest and fondest memo-

ries dates from the 1930s. I remember
watching a carpenter laying out rafters, cut-
The Rafter Horse
To begin with, pieceworkers try to avoid
ting them with a handsaw, and then, over cutting one piece at a time. They’ll build a
the next several days, artfully and precisely pair of simple horses out of 2x stock so that
constructing a gable roof. His work had a they can stack the rafters on edge and mark
fascinating, almost Zen-like quality to it. In and cut them all at once. To build the rafter
a hundred imperceptible ways, the roof be- horses, lay four 3-ft.-long 2x6s flat and nail a
came an extension of the man. pair of 2x blocks onto each, with a 11 ⁄2 in.
But times change, and the roof that gap between them so that you can slip in
took that carpenter days to build now takes a long 2x6 or 2x8 on edge (see the bottom
pieceworkers (craftspersons who get paid photo on the facing page). An alternate
by the piece and not by the hour) a mat- method is to cut a notch 11 ⁄2 in. wide by
ter of hours. Since they first appeared on about 4 in. deep into four scraps of 4x12.
job sites, pieceworkers have given us new Then you can slip a long 2x6 or 2x8 on edge
tools, ingenious new methods of construc- into these notches. Either of these horses
tion, and many efficient shortcuts. But what can easily be broken down and carried from
skilled pieceworkers haven’t done is sacrifice job to job. The horses hold the rafters off the
sound construction principles for the sake of ground, providing plenty of clearance for
increased production. The opposite is true; cutting.
they’ve developed solid construction proce-
dures that allow them to keep up with de-
mand, yet still construct a well-built home.
Cutting the Rafters
Rafters can be cut using a standard 71 ⁄4-in.
The secret to successful piecework, from
sidewinder or worm-drive circular saw. This
hanging doors to framing roofs, is to break
isn’t the first choice for most pieceworkers,
down a process into a series of simple steps.
who prefer to use more specialized tools
To demonstrate just how easy roof framing
(especially when cutting simple gable roofs).
can be (with a little practice), I’ll describe
But it is the more affordable choice for most
how to cut and stack a gable roof the way
custom-home builders. If you are using a
pieceworkers do it.

14
The key to production roof framing is to minimize wasted motion. Here, carpenters nail gable studs plumb by eye—there’s no need to
lay out the top plates. The next step is to snap a line across the rafter tails and cut the tails off with a circular saw.

tip
If you are using a
standard circular saw,
load rafter stock on the
horses with their crowns,
or convex edges, facing
up—same as the rafters
will be oriented in
the roof frame.

Pieceworkers typically build a pair of simple portable rafter horses. The horses allow them to
stack rafters off the ground on edge so that they can mark and cut the rafters all at once.

Framing a Gable Roof 15

One way to lay out rafters is
with a site-built rafter tee.
The fence on top of the tee standard circular saw, load rafter stock on as a Speed Square from Swanson® Tool Co.,
allows easy scribing of the the horses with their crowns, or convex scribe the ridge cut at one end of the tem-
ridge cuts and bird’s mouths.
edges, facing up—same as the rafters will be plate. Then move down the template about
When laid out this way, rafters
are cut one at a time with a oriented in the roof frame. one foot and scribe the heel cut of the
circular saw. Determine which end of the stack will re- bird’s mouth, transferring this line across
ceive the plumb cuts for the ridge and flush the top edge of the template. This will serve
this end. An easy way to do this is to hold a as your registration mark when laying out
stud against the ends and pull all the rafters the bird’s mouths.
up against it. Then measure down from this The layout of the bird’s mouth on the
end on the two outside rafters in the stack tee depends on the size of the rafters. For
and make a mark corresponding to the heel 2x4 rafters, which are still used occasion-
cut of the bird’s mouth (the notch in the raf- ally around here, measure 21 ⁄2 in. down the
ter that fits over the top plate and consists of plumb line and scribe the seat cut of the
a plumb heel cut and a level seat cut). Snap bird’s mouth perpendicular to the plumb
a line across the tops of the rafters to con- line. Leaving 21 ⁄2 in. of stock above the plate
nect the marks. ensures a strong rafter tail on 2x4 rafter
Next, make a rafter pattern, or layout stock. One drawback to this is that for roof
tee, for scribing the ridge cuts and bird’s pitches greater than 4-in-12, 2x4 rafters will
mouths (see the photo above). I usually have less than a 31 ⁄2-in.-long seat cut. Conse-
start with a 2-ft.-long 1x the same width as quently, the rafters won’t have full bearing
the rafters. Using a triangular square such on a 2x4 top plate. However, this presents

16 Stick Framing
 To save time, ridges can be
gang-cut with a 16-in. beam
saw. Though these saws won’t
cut all the way through any-
thing wider than a 2x4 at a
4-in-12 pitch, where necessary
each cut can be completed us-
ing a standard circular saw.

no problems structurally as long as the raf-

ters are stacked, nailed, and blocked properly
(check your local building code for the mini-
mum bearing). For 2x6 or larger rafters, you
can make the seat cuts 31 ⁄2 in. long without
weakening the tails.
Once the layout tee is marked and cut,
nail a 1x2 fence to the upper edge of the tee.
This allows you to place the tee on a rafter
and mark it quickly and accurately. Make
sure you position the fence so that it won’t
keep you from seeing the ridge cut or your
registration mark. Use the layout tee to mark
the ridge cut and bird’s mouth on each raf-
ter. Scribe all the ridges first at the flush ends
of the stock, sliding the rafters over one at
a time. Then do the same for the seat cuts,
aligning the registration mark on the tem-
plate with the chalk marks on the rafters.
Next, with the rafters on edge, cut the
ridges with your circular saw, again moving
the rafters over one at a time. Then flip the
rafters on their sides and make the seat
cuts, overcutting just enough to remove the
bird’s mouths.
An alternate method for making ridge cuts is to use a Linear
Link® saw, a Skil® worm-drive saw fitted with a bar and chain.

Framing a Gable Roof 17

One method for gang-cutting bird’s mouths is to cut the heels with a worm-drive
saw (above) and the seats with a worm-drive saw fitted with a swing table, an ac-
cessory base that adjusts from –5° to 68° (right).

Production
Cutting common Rafter Cutting
rafters with Cutting common rafters with production
production tools tools is both faster and easier than the
is both fast method I’ve just described. In this case,
and easy. you’ll want to stack the rafters on edge but
with their crowns facing down. Flush up
the rafters on one end and snap a chalkline
across them about 3 in. down from the
flush ends (the greater the roof pitch and
rafter width, the greater this distance). The
chalkline corresponds to the short point of
the ridge plumb cut. Snap another line the
appropriate distance (the common-rafter
length) from this point to mark the heel cuts
of the bird’s mouths. Then measure back
up from this mark about 21 ⁄2 in. and snap a

18 Stick Framing
third line to mark the seat cut of the bird’s Seat cuts are made using a 71 ⁄4 in. or, bet-
mouth. This measurement will vary depend- ter yet, 81 ⁄4-in. worm-drive saw fitted with a
ing on the size of the rafters, the pitch of the swing table. A swing table replaces the saw’s
Most codes
roof, and the cutting capacity of your saw standard saw base and allows the saw to be require the ridge
(more on that later). tilted to angles up to 68º (see the right photo to be one size
Now gang-cut the ridge cuts using a beam on the facing page). I bought mine from larger than the
saw (see the top photo on p. 17). Blocks nailed Pairis Enterprises and Manufacturing. Set
rafters to ensure
to the top of the rafter horses will help hold the swing table to 90º minus the plumb-cut
the stack upright. My 16-in. Makita® beam angle (for example, 631 ⁄2º for a 6-in-12 roof) proper bearing.
saw will cut through a 2x4 on edge at more and make the seat cuts, again in one pass.
than an 8-in-12 pitch and will saw most of The only drawback to using a swing table
the way through a 2x6 at a 4-in-12 pitch. To with a worm-drive saw is that it won’t allow
determine the angle at which to set your a substantial depth of cut at sharp angles, so
saw, use a calculator with a tangent key or, it limits the amount of bearing that the raf-
just as easy, look up the angle in your rafter- ters will have on the top plates (about 21 ⁄2 in.
table book. maximum with an 81 ⁄4-in. saw). Again, this is
For steeper pitches or wider stock, make a of little concern if the roof is framed properly.
single pass with the beam saw (or a standard Once you get used to working with these
circular saw) and then finish each cut with production tools, you’ll find that it takes
a standard circular saw, moving the rafters longer to stack the rafters than to cut them.
over one at a time. This way the only mark With the rafters cut, you can now carry
needed is the chalkline. The kerf from the them over to the house and lean them
first cut will accurately guide the second cut. against the walls, ridge-end up. The rafter
To make the process go even faster, apply tails will be cut to length in place later.
paraffin to the sawblade and shoe. Also try
to stay close to your power source. If you
have to roll out 100 ft. of cord or more, the
Staging and Layout
saw will lose some power and won’t operate Now it’s time to prepare a sturdy platform
at its maximum efficiency. from which to frame the roof. The easiest
Another method for cutting ridges is to way is to simply tack 1x6s or strips of ply-
use the Linear Link model VCS-SK12 saw wood across the joists below the ridge line
(see the bottom photo on p. 17). The to create a catwalk (the joists are usually
model VCS-SK12 is a Skil worm-drive saw installed before the roof framing begins).
fitted with a bar and cutting chain that lets Run this catwalk the full length of the build-
the saw cut to a depth of 12 in. at 90º. It’s ing. If the ridge works out to be higher than
adjustable to cut angles up to 45º. You can about 6 ft., pieceworkers will usually frame
buy the saw or a conversion kit that will fit and brace the bare bones of the roof off the
any Skil worm drive. catwalk and then install the rest of the raf-
With the right tools, the bird’s mouths ters while walking the ridge.
can also be gang-cut with the rafters on For added convenience, most roof stack-
edge. Gang-cutting bird’s mouths works ers install a hook on their worm-drive
especially well because you needn’t overcut saws that allows them to hang their saw
the heel or the seat cut, which weakens the from a joist or rafter. When not in use, the
tail. For the heel cuts, set your worm-drive hook folds back against the saw and out
saw to the same angle as the ridge cut and of the way.
to the proper depth, and then make a single The next step is to lay out the ridge. Most
cut across all the rafters (see the left photo codes require the ridge to be one size larger
on the facing page). than the rafters to ensure proper bearing

Framing a Gable Roof 19

 (2x4 rafters require a 1x6 or 2x6 ridge). Make the roof, avoid nailing into the top edge of
sure to use straight stock for the ridge. In the a rafter. At this point, nail a 2x4 leg to the
No layout is
likely event that more than one ridge board ridge board at both ends to give it extra
necessary on support. If these legs need to be cut to two
is required to run the length of the building,
the top plates for cut the boards to length so that each joint different lengths to fit beneath the ridge, it
the rafters. falls in the center of a rafter pair. The rafters means that the walls probably aren’t parallel
will then help to hold the ridge together. Let and, consequently, that the ridge board isn’t
the last ridge board run long—it will be cut level. In this case, yank the nails out of the
to length after the roof is assembled. rafter pair at the top plate on the high end
Be sure to align the layout of the ridge of the ridge and slide out the rafters until
to that of the joists so that the rafters and the ridge is level. The key to avoiding all this
joists will tie together at the plate line. If hassle is, of course, to make sure the walls
the rafters and joists are both spaced are framed accurately in the first place.
16 in. o.c., each rafter will tie into a joist. Next, plumb this ridge section. This can
If the joists are spaced 16 in. o.c. and the be accomplished in a couple of ways. One
rafters 24 in. o.c., then a rafter will tie into way is to nail a 2x4 upright to the gable end
every fourth joist. Regardless, no layout is ahead of time so that it extends up to the
necessary on the top plates for the rafters. height of the ridge. This allows you to push
Rafters will either fall next to a joist or be the end rafters against the upright and to
spaced the proper distance apart by frieze install a 2x4 sway brace extending from the
blocks installed between them. Once the top plate to the ridge at a 45º angle. This is a
ridge is marked and cut, lay the boards end permanent brace. Nail it in between the lay-
to end on top of the catwalk. out lines at the ridge.
A second method is to use your eye as a

Nailing It Up gauge. Sighting down from the end of the

ridge, align the outboard face of the end
Installation of the roof can be accomplished rafters with the outside edges of the top
easily by two carpenters. The first step is to and bottom plates, and then nail up a sway
pull up a rafter at the gable end. While one brace. Either way, the ridge can be plumbed
carpenter holds up the rafter at the ridge, without using a level. This means carrying
the other toenails the bottom end of the one less tool up with you when you stack
rafter to the plate with two 16d nails on the roof.
one side and one 16d nail (or backnail) on With the bare bones of the first ridge sec-
the other. The process is repeated with the tion completed, raise the remaining ridge
opposing rafter. The two rafters meet in the sections in the same way, installing the min-
middle and hold each other up temporarily, imum number of rafter pairs and support
unless, of course, you’re framing in a Wyo- legs to hold them in place. When you reach
ming wind. If that’s so, nail a temporary 1x the opposite end of the building, eyeball the
brace diagonally from the rafters to a joist. last rafter pair plumb, scribe the end cut on
Next, move to the opposite end of the the ridge (if the ridge is to be cut at the plate
first ridge section and toenail another rafter line), slide the rafters over a bit, and cut the
pair in the same way. Now reach down and ridge to length with a circular saw. Then
pull up the ridge between the two rafter reposition the rafters and nail them to the
pairs. There is no need to predetermine ridge. Install another sway brace to stabilize
the ridge height. Drive two nails straight the entire structure.
through the ridge and into the end of the Now stack the remaining rafters, install-
first rafter, then angle two more through the ing the frieze blocks as you go. Nail through
ridge into the opposing rafter. To keep from the sides of the rafters into the blocks, using
dulling a sawblade when you’re sheathing two 16d nails for up to 2x12 stock and three

20 Stick Framing
Pieceworkers don’t waste time predetermining the ridge height. Instead, they toenail a pair of rafters to the top plates at either end
of the ridge board, then raise the ridge board between the rafters and nail the rafters to it with 16d nails. A 2x4 sway brace is installed
before the intermediate rafters are nailed up.

16d nails for wider stock. Where a rafter falls together. They also provide backing or act
next to a joist, drive three 16d nails through as a stop for siding or stucco. If necessary, tip
the rafter into the joist to form a rigid triangle they can easily be drilled and screened for To keep from dulling a
that helps tie the roof system together. attic vents. sawblade when you’re
There are two methods for blocking a sheathing the roof, avoid

Blocking a Gable Roof gable roof (see the drawings on p. 23). The
first is to install the blocking plumb so that
nailing into the top edge
of a rafter.
In some parts of the country, blocking is it lines up with the outside edge of the top
not installed between the rafters at the plate. plate, allowing the blocks to serve as back-
But in many areas, building codes require ing for the exterior siding or stucco. This
blocks. I think they’re important. They stabi- requires the blocking to be ripped narrower
lize the rafters, provide perimeter nailing for than the rafters. The other method is to
roof sheathing, and tie the whole roof system

Framing a Gable Roof 21

 install the blocking perpendicular to the
Roof Framing Tips rafters just outside the plate line. The block-
ing provides a stop for the siding or stucco,

C heck your blueprints for the roof pitch, eliminating the need to fit either up

lengths of overhangs, rafter spacing, and between the rafters. Also, there’s no need

size of the framing members, but don’t rely on to rip the blocking with this method, which

the blueprints to determine the span. Instead, saves time. Either way, blocks are installed as

measure the span at the top plates. Measure the rafters are nailed up. Sometimes blocks

both ends of the building to make sure the need to be cut a bit short to fit right. Rafter

walls are parallel; accurate wall framing is cru- thickness can vary from region to region

cial to the success of production roof framing. (usually it’s related to moisture content), so

Once you’ve determined the length of the check your rafter stock carefully.

rafters, compensate for the thickness of the

ridge by subtracting one half the ridge thick- Collar Ties
ness from the length of the rafters. Though
theoretically this reduction should be measured and Purlins
perpendicular to the ridge cut, in practice for In some cases, building codes require the use
roofs pitched 6-in-12 and under with 2x or of collar ties to reinforce the roof structure
smaller ridges, measuring along the edge of the or purlins to reduce the rafter span (see the
rafters is close enough. For 2x ridge stock, that drawings on p. 23). Collar ties should be
means subtracting 3 ⁄4 in. from the rafter length. installed horizontally on the upper third
An alternative is to subtract the total thickness of the rafter span. They’re usually made of
of the ridge from the span of the building before 1x4 or wider stock, placed every 4 ft., and
consulting your rafter book. secured with five 8d nails on each end so
Once you’ve figured the common-rafter that they tie the opposing rafters together.
length, determine the number of common raf- Purlins should be placed near the middle
ters you need. If the rafters are spaced 16 in. of the rafter span. They can be toenailed to
o.c., divide the length of the building in feet by the rafters either plumb or square. If there’s
four, multiply that figure by three, and then add an interior wall beneath the center of the
one more. That will give you the number of raf- rafter span, install the purlin plumb and
ters on each side of the roof. If there are barge directly over the wall. This makes it easy to
rafters, add four more rafters. If the rafters are support the purlin with several 2x4 posts
spaced 24 in. o.c., simply take the length of the that bear on the top plate of the interior
building in feet and add two, again adding four wall. The 2x4s are notched so that they both
more to the total if barge rafters are called for. support the purlin and are nailed to the
sides of the rafters.
If there isn’t a wall beneath the center
of the rafter span, toenail the purlin square
to the rafters and install 2x4 kickers up from
the nearest parallel wall at an angle not
exceeding 45º. A block nailed to each kicker
below the purlin will hold the purlin in place.
Kickers are typically installed every 4 ft.
Large purlins such as 2x12s require fewer
kickers.

22 Stick Framing
 Purlins and Blocking
Purlin installation Frieze blocking
Purlin installed plumb

Purlin
Rafter 2x block
2x4 post notched
Double
to support purlin
top plate

Siding
Interior wall Joist or stucco Stud

Blocking installed plumb

serves as backing for
Ridge Purlin installed Rafter
exterior siding or stucco.
square to rafters

2x4 kicker 2x blocks

Purlin
Block nailed Rafter
to kicker

Joist Interior wall Siding

or stucco
Stud
Blocking installed
perpendicular to the rafters
provides a stop for exterior
siding or stucco.

In some parts of the country, rafters have For a 4-in-12 roof pitch, the equation
to be tied to the top plates or blocking with goes like this: 4 ÷ 12 x 16 = 5.33. Four equals tip
framing anchors or hurricane ties for added the rise, 12 the run, and 16 the on-center In some parts of the
security against earthquakes or high winds. spacing. The answer to the problem, 5.33, or country, rafters have
Check your local codes. 53 ⁄8 in., is the common difference. Another to be tied to the top plates
way to calculate this is to divide the unit or blocking with framing

Framing rise by three and add the answer and the anchors or hurricane
unit rise together. For a 4-in-12 pitch, ties for added security

the Gable Ends 4 ÷ 3 = 1.33 + 4 = 5.33. For the angle cuts, against earthquakes or
high winds. Check your
Gable ends are filled in with gable studs set your saw to the same angle as that of
local codes.
spaced 16 in. o.c. Place the two center studs the plumb cut on the rafters. Cut four gable
(on either side of the ridge) 14 in. apart. studs at each length, and you’ll have all the
This leaves enough room for a gable vent, gable studs you’ll need for both gable ends.
which allows air to circulate in the attic. Once the gable studs are cut, nail them
Measure the lengths of these two studs, plumb using your eye as a gauge. There is no
then calculate the common difference of need to lay out the top plates or to align the
the gable studs, or the difference in length gable studs with the studs below. Be careful
between successive studs. Then you can not to put a crown in the end rafters when
quickly determine the lengths of the remain- you’re nailing the gable studs in place.
ing studs. A pocket calculator makes it easy.

Framing a Gable Roof 23

Two Methods for supporting Barge Rafters

Top plate
Ridge board

Rafter
Barge rafters
butt together
over end of
ridge board.

2x4 stud

Roof sheathing should

be cantilevered at rake
for added support.
Barge rafter is mitered
to subfascia.

Ridge board

Barge
rafters

Top lookouts can

be installed 32 in.
down from ridge if Top
sheathing or ridge plate
board is cantilevered
to help support
barge rafters.

2x4 lookouts 32 in. o.c.

(closer for wide overhangs
or heavy barge rafters) 2x4 stud

24 Stick Framing
Finishing The final step in framing a gable roof is
to snap a line across the rafter tails and cut
the Overhangs them to length. Cutting the rafters in place
The notches in

The next step is to install the barge rafters if ensures that the fascia will be straight. Use the rake rafters
the plans call for them; these are rafters the layout tee or a bevel square to mark the are most easily
that hang outside the building and help plumb cut. If the rafters are cut square, use cut when you’re
support the rake. Sometimes barge rafters a triangular square. Then, while walking the
working at the
are supported by the ridge, fascia, and roof plate or a temporary catwalk nailed to the
rafter tails, lean over and cut off the tails rafter horses.
sheathing. In this case, the ridge board
extends beyond the building line so that the with a circular saw.
opposing barge rafters butt together over its
Larry Haun, author of The Very Efficient Carpenter
end and are face nailed to it. At the bottoms
and Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House
the barge rafters are mitered to the subfascia (The Taunton Press), lives and works in Coos Bay,
boards, which also extend beyond the build- Oregon.
ing line. The roof sheathing cantilevers out
and is nailed to the tops of the barge rafters.
Another way to support barge rafters is
with lookouts. A lookout is a 2x4 laid flat
that butts against the first inboard rafter,
passes through a notch cut in the end rafter,
and cantilevers out to support the barge
rafter (see the drawing on the facing page).
sources
Lookouts are usually installed at the ridge,
at the plate line, and 32 in. o.c. in between Big Foot Tools Swanson Tool Co.
(closer for wide overhangs or heavy barge Henderson, nV 89011 211 Ontario st.
(702) 565-9954 frankfort, iL 60423
rafters). If the roof sheathing cantilevers out (888) 798-4499 (815) 469-9453
over the eaves (adding extra support for the www.bigfoottools.com www.swansontoolco.com
sales@bigfootsaws.com
barge rafters), then the top lookouts can be TimberTech
Swing table, head cutter
placed 32 in. down from the ridge. (Distributor of Linear Link)
Pairis Products 11618 Hwy. 5
The notches in the rake rafters are most
P.O. Box 292772 st. maries, iD 83861
easily cut when you’re working at the rafter Phelan, ca 92329 (800) 635-5465
(760) 868-0973 www.linearlink.com
horses. Pick out four straight rafters and lay
www.bestconstructiontools. Linear Link
out the notches while you’re laying out for com VCS-SK12 saw
penny@bestconstruction-
the bird’s mouths and ridge cuts. Cut these
tools.com
notches by first making two square crosscuts
with a circular saw 11 ⁄2 in. deep across the
top edges of the rafters. Then turn the rafters
on their sides and plunge cut the bottom of
the notch.
Lookouts are cut to length after they’re
nailed up. Snap a line and cut them off with
a circular saw. That done, the barge rafters
are face nailed to the ends of the lookouts
with 16d nails.

Framing a Gable Roof 25

1
stick framing

Framing a
Roof Valley
by Rick Arnold

F raming a complex roof is one of the

trickiest parts of home building. But
it doesn’t have to be. If you begin with ac-
lengths of all the rafters (see the examples
on pp. 30–31).

curate, as-built measurements and use a

construction calculator to do the math (see
The Valley Rafter
the sidebar on p. 35), you can cut all of the has a Different Pitch
rafters for most roofs on the ground in just The run of the valley rafter is longer than
one shot. the run of the common rafters, so it takes
This roof valley is a perfect example. To 17 in. of run for the valley rafter to rise the
understand the concept and how all the same distance that the common rafters rise
pieces are laid out and cut, I picture the in 12 in. Therefore, the pitch of the valley
roof two-dimensionally, in plan view (see rafter is 12-in-17.
the drawing on pp. 28–29). Then I use a The first cut that I make on both the com-
construction calculator to find the correct mon rafters and the valley rafter is the plumb
length of each rafter. cut, where the rafter will meet the ridge
To get started, I need to know only two board. On the common rafters, the plumb
things. The first is the pitch of the roof. cut is marked with a framing square for a
On this project, the roof is a 12 pitch, or 12-in-12 pitch (45°) and cut square (i.e., no
12-in-12. The second thing that I need to bevel) (see “Laying Out the Rafters” on
know is the total run of the common rafters pp. 30–31). The valley rafter is marked for a
(see the drawing on p. 29). 12-in-17 pitch and then cut with a double
As a house is framed, measurements can bevel to fit into the ridge intersection (see
vary slightly from the design, so I disregard the top photos on p. 31). Because most
the plans when finding the run of the com- framing lumber is not perfectly straight, I
mon rafters, and instead take my own mea- check each piece and mark the crown before
surements. I measure the width of the build- I start cutting the lumber into rafters. Keep-
ing first, including the sheathing. The run of ing all of the crowns pointing up prevents
the common rafters is equal to half of this waves from marring the finished roof.
measurement, less half the thickness of the
ridge board. Once I have the run of the com-
mon rafters, I use the calculator to find the

26
Framing a Roof Valley 27
 Determining the Rise, Run, and Pitch

W ith a regular valley, where the walls meet at right angles and the roof pitches are the same, the valley
rafter intersects the building diagonally at 45°; hence, the jack rafters intersecting the valley require
a 45° bevel cut. The plan view makes it clear that the run of the valley rafter is longer than the run of the
common rafters.
Jack rafters connect the
ridges and the valley rafter.
Common rafters connect
the ridge and the top plate.
Ridge board

Valley rafter connects

On-center
the ridge intersection
spacing: 16 in.
and the intersection
of the walls.

Top plate
Rafter
tail

LVL ridge board = 13 ⁄4 in.

Pitch of valley rafter is 12-in-17.

Pitch of common rafter is 12-in-12.
Half of ridge
thickness = 7⁄8 in.

Pitch

Rise

Run

12 ft. 1 ⁄2 in.

24 ft. 1 in.

28 Stick Framing
 The Valley’s Bird’s
Mouth and Tail are
a Little Tricky
PLan vieW The key to cutting the tail end of the valley
rafter is to make sure it will work with the
common rafters to form the plane of the
roof, soffit, and fascia (see the bottom draw-
Ridge board Common rafter
ing on p. 31). Therefore, the layout of the
Jack rafters
common rafters acts as a starting point. On
both the common and valley rafters, I mea-
sure the length along the top of the rafter
and mark a plumb line. To form the bird’s
mouth—a triangular shape cut in the bot-
tom of the valley rafter where it sits on the
top plate—I mark a line for the seat cut, per-
pendicular to the heel cut. On the common
Rafter tail rafters, the seat cut is the same length as
the top plate and sheathing. On the valley
Top plate
rafter, the seat cut is located to maintain the
Valley rafter
same height above plate (HAP) as the com-
mon rafters (see the drawing on p. 31).
In a perfect world, the heel cut on the
Because the run of the valley rafter is longer
than the run of the common rafters, but the valley rafter would mimic the ridge cut and
rise is the same, the pitch of the valley rafter form a point that fits into the intersection
changes from 12-in-12 to 12-in-17 in
this case. of the top plates. However, with a single-
member valley rafter, I don’t bother with
this cut. (Valley rafters are structural members
The common rafter run
is always 12 in. of the roof, so sometimes they are doubled
12 up. Consult an engineer if you are unsure
The run of a regular valley
rafter is always 17 in. how to size a valley rafter.) Instead, I simply
(the hypotenuse of a extend the heel cut so that its sides fit
right triangle with
12-in. legs). snugly against the sheathing. To form a
consistent plane for the soffit and fascia,
the length of the overhang on the valley
12 17
rafter is adjusted so that the tail projects the
same distance from the house as the tail of
the common rafters. To align the tail of the
The run of the common rafters is equal
to half the width of the house. But because valley rafter with the tail of the common
the rafters are nailed to the face of the rafters, I simply extend the overhang half
ridge board, and the ridge board bisects
the house, half the thickness of the ridge the thickness of the valley rafter and then
is subtracted from the run. cut the tail with a 45º bevel (see the bottom
drawing on p. 31).
find the run of the Common rafters
12 ft. 1 ⁄2 in. (half building width) – 7⁄8 in. (half
of ridge thickness) = 11 ft. 115 ⁄8 in. (run of
common rafters)

Framing a Roof Valley 29

 Laying Out the Rafters

Double-bevel
plumb cut

Plumb cut

Co
m
m
on
Ra
ft
er
1. Lay out the Common rafters
Make a plumb cut that reflects the 12-in-12 pitch
of the roof on one end of the rafter. Then measure
the length (see calculation below) from the long
point of the plumb cut, and mark a plumb line to lo-
cate the heel cut of the bird’s mouth. The seat cut
is perpendicular to the heel cut and equal to the
width of the top plate and sheathing. The overhang,
Find the Length of the Valley Rafter
taken from the blueprints, is measured perpendicu-
Enter: 11 ft. 115 ⁄8 in.
lar to the heel cut.
Press: Run
Enter: 12 in.
Press: Pitch
Find the Length of the Common Rafter Press: Diag
Enter: 11 ft. 115 ⁄8 in. Result: 16 ft. 111 ⁄8 in.
Press: Run (length of common rafter)
Enter: 12 in. Press: Hip/V
Press: Pitch Result: 20 ft. 83 ⁄4 in.
Press: Diag (length of valley rafter)
Result: 16 ft. 111 ⁄8 in.
(length of common rafter)
2. Lay out the valley rafter
The plumb cut on the valley rafter, also called
the ridge cut, is marked for the 12-in-17 pitch of the
valley rafter and cut with a double bevel to fit into
the intersection of two ridge boards (see above).
Starting with the length of the common rafters,
find the length of the valley rafter on the
construction calculator (see above).

30 Stick Framing
 A Quick Way to Make the
Double-Bevel Plumb Cut
Mark two plumb lines the
same distance apart as the
thickness of the valley raf-
ter. Set the saw to 45° and
make the first cut so that
the outside line becomes
the long point. Cut the inside line in the
other direction but with the same bevel.

3. Lay Out Bird’s Mouth and Rafter Tail

The valley rafter is measured and marked with a plumb line for the heel cut. The seat
cut is located along the heel-cut line so that the height above plate is consistent with
the common rafter. The heel cut is moved half the thickness of the valley rafter (7⁄8 in.)
so that it fits into the intersection of the top plates. The end of the rafter gets a beveled
plumb cut for the fascia and a level cut for the soffit. The overhang of the valley rafter is
calculated as the diagonal of the common-rafter overhang.
va
ll
ey
Ra Find the Length of the Valley Overhang
ft Enter: 101 ⁄2 in. (length of the common overhang)
er
Press: Run
Enter: 45
Press: Pitch (diagonal angle of the valley rafter,
not the pitch of the roof)
Press: Diag
Result: 147⁄8 in. (overhang measurement
Height above for valley rafter)
plate (HAP)
Height above
Seat cut The seat cut and plate (HAP) from
the heel cut are known common rafter
collectively as the bird’s mouth.
Top plate
Seat cut Beveled fascia cut
Heel cut

Overhang

Heel cut moved

7⁄ 8 in. to clear
Plumb cut
for fascia wall intersection
Soffit cut
Level cut for soffit
Overhang

Bevel the Valley Rafter’s Tail

Fascia Cutting a 45° bevel on the tail of the
valley rafter creates a place to nail
the intersecting fascia boards.
Top plate

Framing a Roof Valley 31

 Jack Rafters are Cutting the
Beveled to Meet Jack Rafters
the Valley Rafter
The tops of the jack rafters are marked and
cut identical to the common rafters, but the
bottoms have a 45° beveled, or cheek, cut
that fits against the diagonal valley rafter.
For each length of the jack rafters, I cut two
rafters with opposing bevels on the cheek
cut (see the drawing on the facing page). I
use the first jack rafter as a pattern to mark
another one the same length (see the photo
at right). But when I cut the cheek on the
second rafter, I cut in the opposite direction,
reversing the bevel.

Keep the Valley

Rafter Straight
During Installation 4. Cut Jack
Rafters in Pairs
With the ridges in place, the valley rafter is Both cuts on the jack rafters
nailed into position. It is important to double- are marked plumb for the
12-in-12 pitch of the roof,
check the HAP with the valley rafter in posi- but the cheek cut, where the
tion. If the HAP is short, it may be possible jack rafter meets the valley raf-
ter, is beveled 45°. The length
to adjust it with a shim between the top plate
of the jack rafters given by the
and seat cut. If it is long, the seat cut will calculator is the theoretical
have to be adjusted. The valley rafter then is length measured to the center
of the valley rafter, so the jacks
nailed into the ridge intersection and into the need to be shortened. To calcu-
top plate. To straighten out the valley rafter late the theoretical lengths of
the jack rafters from shortest
and keep it straight, I first install a pair of
to longest, use the on-center
jack rafters about halfway down the valley spacing (16 in., 32 in., etc.) as
(see the photo on p. 34). If there is more the run. Then subtract half the
diagonal thickness of the valley
than one valley, I install jack rafters at the rafter to get the actual length.
midpoint of all the valleys to avoid creating
uneven pressure that could throw the ridge
boards and valley rafters out of alignment.
I nail the tops of the jack rafters to the
ridge board first, holding the bottoms in
position along the valley rafter. When I
nail the bottoms, I hold the top edge of the
cheek cut above the top edge of the valley
rafter (see the photo on p. 35). The tops
of the jack rafters must be higher than the
top of the valley rafter so that the plywood
sheathing meets in the middle of the valley,
preventing a flat spot in the valley.

32 Stick Framing
 Square plumb cut for ridge

Beveled cheek cut

Ja
Ck
ra
ft
er
s

find the Length of the Jack rafters

THEORETICAL LENGTH ACTUAL LENGTH

enter: 12 in. Step 1: Use half the valley-rafter thickness as the run to figure out how
Press: Pitch much the jack rafters need to be shortened. Step 2: Adjust for roof pitch.
enter: 16 in.
(32, 48, etc., for step 1 step 2
subsequent rafters) enter: 7⁄8 in. enter: 11 ⁄4 in.
Press: Run Press: Run Press: Run
Press: Diag enter: 45 enter: 12 in.
result: 225 ⁄8 in. Press: Pitch Press: Pitch
Press: Feet Press: Diag Press: Diag
result: 1 ft. 105 ⁄8 in. result: 11 ⁄4 in. result: 13 ⁄4 in. (length to subtract from theoretical
(theoretical length) Press: Clear length of each jack rafter to get actual length)
actual length: 1 ft. 105 ⁄8 in. – 13 ⁄4 in. = 1 ft. 87⁄8 in.

Framing a Roof Valley 33

 Installing the Jack Rafters

34 Stick Framing
 Why Use a Construction Calculator?

5. Lay out jack-rafter spacing

A construction calculator
simplifies the math
associated with building
The key to laying out the jack rafters
along the ridge boards is to begin the and carpentry projects.
layout at the center of their intersection. It allows users to work in
On the valley rafter, the on-center spacing
needs to be adjusted for pitch. Use 16-in. feet and inches, and has
o.c. spacing as the run to do the keys labeled with
calculations (see below). common building terms
such as rise and run,
and the names of
Find Jack-Rafter Spacing
Enter: 16 in. framing members, such
Press: Run as valley rafter and jack
Enter: 12 in.
Press: Pitch rafter, rather than mathematical terms. Follow
Press: Hip/V the examples throughout this chapter to see
Result: 2711 ⁄16 in. how a calculator is used to frame a valley roof.
(This measurement is
the location of the first Construction calculators are available at most
jack rafter, measured hardware stores, or from Calculated Industries
from the intersection of
the ridges, and it’s the (800-854-8075; www.calculated.com).
on-center spacing for
subsequent jacks.)

To figure out how high to hold the jack

rafter, I put a straightedge on the top of the
jack rafter and adjust it until the straight-
edge hits in the center of the valley rafter.
Then I nail the jack in place and measure its
height above the valley rafter. Once the first
jack rafter is installed, I make a gauge the
same thickness as the height difference and
use it for the rest of the jacks. I install the
rest of the jack rafters from the bottom of
the valley. Working from the bottom allows
me to create a ladder with the jacks, which
I can climb as I install consecutively higher
rafters. The work’s not over yet, though.
Shingling a valley also can be a brainteaser.

Rick Arnold is a veteran contractor and contributing

editor to Fine Homebuilding magazine. He is the
Install the jacks high. Raise the jack author of numerous articles and books on home
rafters above the edge of the valley rafter construction and remodeling. He is a well-known
so that the roof sheathing will meet in and sought-after speaker and presenter at home
the middle. A scrap of wood makes an shows and building seminars around the country.
ideal gauge to make sure each jack is
installed the same.

Framing a Roof Valley 35

1
stick framing

Using a
Rafter Square
Greg Ziomek

A fter a coworker of mine bought and

inspected a new rafter square, he be-
came upset that not all the scales were in
back as well. (Note that not all rafter squares
have the tenth and twelfth scales.)
The twelfth scales, stamped on squares
⁄ -in. or 1 ⁄8-in. increments. He insisted that
1 16 since the late 1800s, were intended as a
the tenth and twelfth scales on the back of means to calculate carpentry equations in
his square were useless and that he would feet and inches, thereby skipping the con-
always have to fumble for the front of the version of fractions to linear units. Because
square to use it. each inch is divided into 12 parts, it is
His assumptions were not completely cor- possible to reduce layout work to 1 ⁄12 of its
rect. The twelfth scales, located on the back original scale and still maintain the original
of most rafter squares, have many uses on proportions. With these scales, an inch mark
framing jobs. They’re especially handy for can represent 12 ft., 1 ft., or 1 in.
solving basic right-triangle problems and theo-
retical roof calculations, as well as for per-
forming simple division and multiplication.
The Key to Accurate
Calculations Is a
A Rafter Square Has Sharp, Straight Line
Two Different Sides To perform calculations with a rafter square,
you’ll need a square, a sharp pencil, and a
A rafter square is composed of two arms of
straight piece of 1x or 2x stock with crisp,
different lengths that meet at a right angle.
sharp edges, the wider the better. A flat piece
The smaller arm, the tongue, measures 11⁄2 in.
of plywood will also work; snap a chalkline
wide by 16 in. long. The larger arm, the
down its center and use the line as you
blade, is 2 in. wide by 24 in. long. (Notice
would the edge of a board. On the facing
that all these dimensions are convenient
page, you will find examples of rafter-square
sizes of layout work.) The two arms meet at
math. Grab a square and follow along.
a 90° angle and form the heel of the square.
The front side of the square is stamped with Greg Ziomek is an architect and owns and operates
the rafter table and octagon table; the lum- an architecture firm in Chicago, Illinois.
ber table and brace table are located on the
back. The tenth and twelfth scales are on the

36
Functions of a Rafter Square
1. Dividing feet and inches 3. A quick way to estimate
without conversions the length of roof rafters
If I want to divide a wall that’s Let’s say your roof has a total run of 8 ft. 6 in. and a pitch of
9 ft. 2 in. long into five equal bays, 6-in-12. Position the square so that the 6 on the tongue and
I position the square so that 92 ⁄12 on the 12 on the blade are touching the board edge (12 in.
the blade and 5 in. on the tongue inter- equals the run; 6 in.
sect the edge of the board. I then draw represents the rise).
a line along the tongue and slide the 12 in. Draw a line along
square along this line until the the blade and slide
6 in. the square along this
1-in. mark on the tongue intersects
the edge of the board. The answer, line until 86 ⁄12 inter-
110⁄12, or 22 in., is read on the blade. sects the edge of the
Thus, 9 ft. 2 in. ÷ 5 = 22 in. board. The total rise is
read at the intersec-
tion of the tongue and
5 in. 92 ⁄12 board, 43 ⁄12, or 4 ft.
8 ⁄12
6
3 in.
43 ⁄12 Now, mark the
intersecting points of
the square and board,
then measure the dis-
1 in. 110⁄12 tance between these
marks with the twelfth
scale. The distance is
96 ⁄12, or 9 ft. 6 in., the
9 ⁄12
6 theoretical length of
the rafter.
Board

2. Multiplication for
solving simple building
problems
Here, we’ll use the example of
2 ft. 6 in. multiplied by 3. Position 4. Figuring the run and the length
the square so that 26 ⁄12 (2 ft. 6 in.) on of hip and valley rafters
the blade and the 1-in. mark on the
tongue intersect the edge of the board. To determine the run of a hip or valley rafter, position
Draw a line along the tongue, and the square on a board with the run of the common rafter
move along this line until the 3-in. (86 ⁄12) on the blade and the tongue. Mark these two points
mark intersects the edge of the board. and measure between them with the twelfth scale. The distance
The answer, 76 ⁄12, or 7 ft. 6 in., is read is 120.25 ⁄12 in.,
on the blade. Thus, 2 ft. 6 in. x 3 = or a total run of
7 ft. 6 in. 12 ft. 1 ⁄4 in.
To find the theoreti-
cal length of the hip
86 ⁄12 86 ⁄12 or valley rafter, posi-
1 in. 26 ⁄12
tion the square with
the total run on the
blade and the total
Total run rise on the tongue.
The distance between
these points is the
Total run theoretical length
3 in. 76 ⁄12 Total of the hip.
rise

Length of
hip or valley

Using a Raf ter Square 37

1
stick framing

A Different
Approach to
Rafter Layout
John Carroll

I helped my friend Steve build a 12-ft. by

16-ft. addition to his house. A few days
before we got to the roof frame, I arrived
secured the easiest six bottles of Bass Ale® in
my life. With this layout in hand, we framed
the roof in 51 ⁄2 hours.
at his place with a rafter jig that I’d made
on a previous job. I’m a real believer in the
efficiency of this jig, so I told Steve that it
Why Should It Take
would enable me to lay out the rafters for an Hour to Do
his addition in 10 minutes.
His look suggested that I had already
a Ten-Minute Job?
fallen off one too many roofs. “Come on, That evening, as we enjoyed my beer, Steve’s

John,” he said. “Ten minutes?” I bet him a wife asked him how long he would have

six pack of imported beer, winner’s choice, taken to do the same layout. “An hour,” he

that I could do it. said, “at least.” Steve is a seasoned carpen-

Like most builders, I have a long and ter who now earns a living as a designer

painful history of underestimating the time and construction manager. So why does a

different jobs require. In this case, however, 10-minute job require 60, or possibly 90,

I was so certain that I agreed to all Steve’s minutes of his time? The answer is that

conditions. In the allotted time, I would Steve, like many builders, is confused by the

measure the span of the addition; calculate process.

the exact height that the ridge should be set; The first framing crew I worked with sim-

measure and mark the plumb cut and the ply scaled the elevation of the ridge from

bird’s mouth on the first rafter; and lay out

the tail of the rafter to shape the eaves.
Laying out rafters doesn’t need to be
When the moment of reckoning arrived,
complicated or time-consuming. Using a jig
we set a watch, and I went to work. Eight makes the process quick and easy.
minutes later, I was done and in the process

38
Rafter jig doubles as a cutting guide. Scaled to the 12-in-12 roof pitch, and with a 1x3 fence nailed to both sides of one edge, this
plywood jig is used to lay out plumb and level cuts on the rafters. Notice that the fence is cut short to make room for the circular saw
to pass by when the jig is used as a cutting guide. The jig will be used later to lay out plywood for the gable-end sheathing.

the blueprint and then installed the ridge this method typically leaves the layout and
at that height. Once the ridge was set, they cutting of the rafter tail for later, after the
held the rafter board so that it ran past both rafters are installed.
the ridge and the top plate of the wall, then My technique is also different from the
scribed the top and bottom cuts. Then they traditional approach espoused in most car-
used this first rafter as a pattern for the rest. pentry textbooks, which I’ve always found
This technique worked. And because it’s so to be obscure and confusing. In rafter-length
simple and graphic, I’m convinced that it manuals and in booklets that come with raf-
still is a widespread practice. ter squares, dimensions are generally given
in feet, inches, and fractions of inches. I use

A Nontraditional inches only and convert to decimals for my

calculations. To convert a fraction to a deci-
Technique mal, divide the numerator (the top number)
There are several reasons why I retired by the denominator (the bottom number).
this method decades ago. To begin with, I To convert a decimal to sixteenths, multiply
haven’t always had a drawing with an eleva- the decimal by 16 and round to the nearest
tion of the roof system, which means that whole number.
I couldn’t always scale the height of the Another difference in my approach is
ridge. Second, it’s just about impossible to the measuring line I use. As the drawing on
scale the ridge with any degree of precision. the facing page shows, the measuring line I
Because of this fact, these roofs usually end employ runs along the bottom edge of the
up merely close to the desired pitch. Third, rafter. In contrast, most rafter-length manu-
als use a theoretical measuring line that runs

40 Stick Framing
from the top outside corner of the bearing
wall to a point above the center of the ridge.
Run and Roof
A final thing that I do differently is use a Pitch Determine the
site-built jig instead of a square to lay out
the cuts on the rafter (see the photos on the
Measuring Triangle
Framing a roof can be a little intimidating.
facing page).
Not only are you leaving behind the simple
There are lots of ways to lay out rafters,
and familiar rectangle of the building, but
and if you already have a method that works
you’re starting a job where there is a discon-
well, your way might be faster than mine.
certing lack of tangible surfaces to measure
But if you’ve always been vexed by roof
from and mark on. Most of this job is done
framing, I think you’ll find my way easier to
in midair. So where do you start?
understand than most.

Use the Measuring Triangle to Find the Rafter Length

If you’ve always
1. Find the base of the measuring triangle (the run of the roof). Measure between been vexed by
bearing walls and subtract width of ridge, then divide by 2 (271 – 1.75 = 269.25; roof framing,
269.25 ÷ 2 = 134.63).
you may find
2. Find the altitude of the measuring triangle (ridge height). Divide the base
of the measuring triangle by 12 and multiply the result by the rise of the roof pitch. my way easier
For a 12-in-12 pitch, the base and the altitude are the same. (134.63 in. ÷ 12 = 11.22;
11.22 × 12 = 134.63). (Editor’s note: To present a set of consistent figures, we rounded
to understand
to 134.63.) than most.
3. Find the hypotenuse (rafter length). Divide the base of the triangle by 12 and multiply
the result by the hypotenuse of the roof pitch, which is listed as length of common rafter
on the rafter square (photo p. 43). (134.63 in. ÷ 12 = 11.22; 11.22 × 16.97 = 190.40).

1.75 in. Laminated ridge beam

Measuring length
(or hypotenuse)

190.40 in. Altitude

Measuring 134.63 in.

triangle

Base

134.63 in.

Distance between bearing walls (271 in.)

A Dif ferent Approach to Raf ter Layout 41

 There are only two things you need to lay preferably with a factory-cut corner. Next, I
out a gable roof. One is a choice of pitch, measured and marked 24 in. out and 24 in.
There are only two and the other is a measurement. Usually the up from the corner to form a triangle. After
things you need choice of pitch was made before the founda- connecting these marks with a straight line,
to lay out a gable tion was poured. The measurement is the I made a second line, parallel to and about
roof—a choice distance between the bearing walls (see the 21 ⁄2 in. above the first—the 1x3 fence goes
drawing on p. 41). between the lines—then cut the triangular-
of pitch and a
After taking this measurement, deducting shaped piece along this second line. To fin-
measurement. the thickness of the ridge, and dividing the ish the jig, I attached a 1x3 fence on both
remainder in half, you have the key dimen- sides of the plywood between these two
sion for laying out the rafters. This dimen- lines. I cut the fence short so that it didn’t
sion could be called the “run” of the rafter; run all the way to the top on one side. That
but because it is slightly different from what allowed me also to use the plywood as a cut-
is called the run in traditional rafter layout, I ting jig running my circular saw along one
use a different term: the base of the measur- edge without the motor hitting the fence
ing triangle. The measuring triangle is a con- and offsetting the cut (see the right photo
cept that I use to calculate both the correct on p. 40).
height of the ridge and the proper distance Here I should pause and note an impor-
between the top and bottom cuts of the raf- tant principle. The jig was based on a
ter, which I call the measuring length. 12-in-12 pitch, but because I wanted a larger
Working with this measuring triangle jig, I simply multiplied both the rise and
takes a little getting used to. The biggest run figures by the same number—two—to
problem is that when you start the roof get the 24-in. measurement. This way, I
layout, only one-third of the measuring tri- enlarged the jig without changing the pitch.
angle exists. As we’ve just seen, you find the This principle holds true for all triangles.
base of the measuring triangle by measuring Multiply all three sides by the same number
existing conditions. Then you create the alti- to enlarge any triangle without changing its
tude and the hypotenuse (same as the mea- proportions, its shape, or its angles.
suring length) by using that base and some To use this jig, I hold the fence against
simple arithmetic. the top edge of the rafter and scribe along
To see how this works, let’s look at the the vertical edge of the plywood jig to mark
steps I followed to frame the roof of a 12-ft. plumb lines and along the horizontal edge
by 24-ft. addition I recently finished. to mark level lines.
There are at least four reasons why I go

Build the to the trouble to make this jig. First, I find it

easier to visualize the cuts with the jig than
Rafter Jig First with any of the manufactured squares made
While the rest of the crew finished nailing for this purpose. Second, identical layouts
down the second-floor decking, I began for both the top (ridge) and bottom (eave)
fabricating a rafter jig based on the pitch of cuts can be made in rapid succession. Third,
the roof (see the left photo on p. 40). The I use the plumb edge as a cutting guide for
desired pitch was 12-in-12 (the roof rises my circular saw. Finally, I use the jig again
12 in. vertically for every 12 in. of run hori- when I’m framing and sheathing the gable
zontally). The basic design of this jig was end, finishing the eaves and rake, and in-
simple, and the cost was reasonable: three stalling siding on the gable. I also save the
scraps of wood and 10 minutes of time. jig for future projects.
The first step in making this jig was find-
ing a scrap of plywood about 30 in. wide,

42 Stick Framing
Step One: Step Three:
Determining the Determining the The base of
the measuring
Base of the Hypotenuse of the
triangle is the key
Measuring Triangle Measuring Triangle dimension for
The base of the measuring triangle is the key Now let’s return to our 12-in-12 roof. The
roof layout.
dimension for roof layout. In my system, the base and the altitude of the measuring tri-
base of the triangle extends from the inside angle are both 134.63 in. But what’s the
edge of the bearing wall to a point directly hypotenuse? One way to solve the problem
below the face of the ridge. In this addition, of finding the hypotenuse is to use the Py-
the distance between the bearing walls was thagorean theorem: A2 + B2 = C2 (where A
271 in. So to get the base of the measuring and B are the legs of the triangle and C is
triangle, I subtracted the thickness of the the hypotenuse).
ridge from 271 in. and divided the remain- There are other ways to solve this prob-
der by 2. Because the ridge was 1 ⁄ -in.-thick
34 lem—with a construction calculator, with
laminated beam, the base of the measuring rafter manuals, with trigonometry—but I
triangle turned out to be 134.63 in. (271 – usually use the principle mentioned in step
1.75 = 269.25; 269.25 ÷ 2 = 134.63). one. According to this principle, you can ex-
pand a triangle without changing the angles

Step Two: by multiplying all three sides by the same

number.
Determining the
Altitude of the Rafter Square Gives You the Hypotenuse
Measuring Triangle
With the base of the measuring triangle in Find the number for your roof pitch on the inch scale (8 in. for an 8-in-12
pitch). The first number under that is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with
hand, it was easy to determine both the a 12-in. base (or run) and an 8-in. altitude (or rise).
altitude and the hypotenuse. The altitude
of this measuring triangle was, in fact, too
easy to be useful as an example. Because we
wanted to build a roof with a 12-in-12 pitch,
the altitude had to be the same number as
Inch Read roof Read rafter length Rafter
the base, or 134.63 in. scale pitch here. (or hypotenuse) here. square
Let’s pretend for a moment that I wanted
a slightly steeper roof, one that had a 14-in-
12 pitch. In a 14-in-12 roof, there are 14 in.
of altitude for every 12 in. of base. To get the
altitude of the measuring triangle, then, I
would find out how many 12-in. increments
there are in the base, then multiply that
number by 14. In other words, divide 134.63
by 12, then multiply the result by 14. Here’s
what the math would look like: 134.63 in. ÷
12 = 11.22; 11.22 x 14 = 157.08 in. Wouldn’t This line lists Tables
it be nice if finding the hypotenuse of the “length of common
rafter per foot of run.”
measuring triangle was so simple? It is.

A Dif ferent Approach to Raf ter Layout 43

 For over a century, carpenters have used the wall rather than aligning with the wall’s
the rafter tables stamped on rafter squares. inside edge. Then I determine how far the
The common table shows the basic propor- rafter will sit out from the inside edge of the
tions of triangles for 17 different pitches (see bearing wall and use that inside point as the
the photo on p. 43). start of my measuring triangle.
The base of all these triangles is 12; the
altitude is represented by the number in the
inch scale above the table. And the hypot-
Step Four:
enuse is the entry in the table. Under the Setting the Ridge
number 12, for example, the entry is 16.97. I determined that the altitude of the measur-
This is the hypotenuse of a right triangle ing triangle was 134.63 in. This meant that
with a base and an altitude of 12. the correct height to the bottom of the ridge
To use this information to create the was 1345⁄8 in. above the top plate of the wall.
larger measuring triangle I needed for this (Note: I usually hold the ridge board flush to
roof, I simply multiplied the altitude and the the bottom of the rafter’s plumb cut rather
hypotenuse by 11.22. This, you may recall, than the top.) To set the ridge at this height,
was the number I obtained in step two when we cut two posts, centered them between the
I divided the base, 134.63 in., by 12. Now bearing walls, and braced them plumb. Be-
multiply the altitude and the hypotenuse of fore we installed the posts, we fastened scraps
the small triangle by 11.22: 11.22 x 12 gives of wood to them that ran about 10 in. above
us an altitude of 134.63 in.; and 11.22 x their tops. Then, when we set the ridge on
16.97 gives us a hypotenuse of 190.40 in. top of the posts (see the photo on the facing
So here is the technique I use for any page), we nailed through the scrap into the
gable roof. I find the base of the measur- ridge. We placed one post against the existing
ing triangle, divide it by 12, and multiply house and the other about 10 in. inside the
the result by the rise of the pitch to get the gable end of the addition. This kept it out of
altitude of the measuring triangle (which the way later when I framed the gable wall.
determines the height to the bottom of the Perfectly centering the ridge is not as im-
ridge). To get the hypotenuse, I divide the portant as getting it the right height. If op-
base of the triangle by 12 and multiply that posing rafters are cut the same length and
by the hypotenuse of the pitch, which is installed identically, they will center the ridge.
found in the common rafter table.
Say the roof has an 8-in-12 pitch with
a base of 134.63. I divide that number by Step Five:
12 to get 11.22, then multiply that by 8 to Laying Out the Main
get the ridge height of 89.76 in. To get the
length of the rafter, I multiply 11.22 by Part of the Rafter
14.42 (the number found under the 8-in. I calculated a measuring length (or hypot-
notation on the rafter table), for a length be- enuse) for the rafter of 190.40 in., then used
tween ridge and bearing wall of 161.79 in. the jig as a cutting guide and made the plumb
The only time I waver from this routine cut. I measured 1903 ⁄8 in. (converted from
is when a bird’s mouth cut the full depth 190.40 in.) from the heel of the plumb cut
of the wall leaves too little wood to support and marked along the bottom of the rafter.
the eaves. How little is too little depends on Rather than have another carpenter hold the
the width of the rafter and the depth of the end of the tape, I clamp a square across the
eave overhang, but I generally like to have heel of the plumb cut, then pull the tape from
at least 3 in. of uncut rafter running over the the edge of the square (see the photo on
bird’s mouth. If I have too little wood, I let p. 46) to determine where the bird’s mouth
the bottom edge of the rafter land on top of will be.

44 Stick Framing
Setting the ridge. Temporary posts are set up to hold the ridge at the right height. The posts are braced 2x4s with a 2x4 scrap nailed
to the top that rises 10 in. above the top of the post. The ridge is set on top of the post and nailed to the scrap of wood.

A Dif ferent Approach to Raf ter Layout 45

A clamped square serves as an extra pair of hands. It’s easy to measure along the bottom of the rafter if you clamp a square to the
bottom of the plumb cut and run your tape from there.

46 Stick Framing
Visualizing the bird’s mouth and rafter tail. Red lines on this marked-up rafter show where cuts will be made for the bird’s mouth, at
right, and rafter tail, at left. To determine the correct cut for the tail, the author marked out the subfascia, soffit, and fascia board.

Once I marked where the bird’s mouth in this position, I measured and marked
would be, I used the jig to mark a level line 16 in. in from the corner along the level
out from the mark. This would be the heel edge. Then I slid the jig down to this mark
cut, or the portion of the rafter that sits on and scribed a vertical line. This line repre-
top of the bearing wall. sented the outside of the fascia. Next I drew
After scribing a level line, I measured in in a 1x6 fascia and a 2x subfascia. I also drew
the thickness of the wall, which was 5 ⁄ in.,
12 in the 3 ⁄8-in. soffit I would use. This showed
and marked. I slid the jig into place and me where to make the level line on the bot-
scribed along the plumb edge from the mark tom of the rafter tail.
to the bottom edge of the rafter. This com-
pleted the bird’s mouth and, thus, the layout
for the main portion of the rafter.
Step Seven:
Preserving the Layout
Step Six: The only dimension for this layout that I
had to remember was 1903 ⁄8 in., the hypot-
Laying Out enuse of the triangle and the measuring
the Rafter Tail length of the rafter. I wrote the number
where I could see it as I worked. To preserve
The eaves on the existing house measure
the other three critical dimensions—one for
16 in. out from the exterior wall, which
the plumb cut of the bird’s mouth and the
meant I would make the eaves on the addi-
other two for the rafter tail—I used the rafter
tion 16 in. wide. To lay out the rafter tail,
jig to extend reference points to the bottom
I started with the finished dimension of
edge of the rafter; then I transferred these
16 in. and then drew in the parts of the
marks to a strip of wood, or measuring stick
structure as I envisioned it (see the photo
(see the photo on p. 48). I was ready to be-
above). In this way, I worked my way back
gin cutting the rafters.
to the correct rafter-tail layout.
I began by holding the jig even with the
plumb line of the bird’s mouth. With the jig

A Dif ferent Approach to Raf ter Layout 47

Marking the bird’s mouth and tail. Once the start of the heel cut was determined by measuring from the bottom of the plumb cut,
this measuring stick was used to transfer the dimensions of the bird’s mouth and rafter tail. The cutting lines were marked using the
rafter jig.

Step Eight: used my jig, my tape measure, and the mea-

suring stick.
Marking and Cutting Moving to the end of the 2x12, I clamped

the Rafters the jig in place and made the plumb cut.
(The steep pitch of this roof made clamping
Some carpenters lay out and cut one rafter,
the jig a good idea. Usually, I just hold it to
then use it as a pattern for the rest, and I’ll
the rafter’s edge the way you would when
often do that on a smaller roof. On this roof,
using a framing square as a cutting guide.)
where the rafters were made of 20-ft.-long
Then I clamped my square across the heel
2x10s and where I was laying them out by
of that cut, pulled a 1903 ⁄8-in. measurement
myself, this method would have meant a lot
from that point, and marked along the bot-
of heavy, awkward, unnecessary work. In-
tom edge of the board. Next I aligned the
stead of using a 100-lb. rafter as a template, I
first mark on the measuring stick with the

48 Stick Framing
 A rafter jig does the hard
work. Once the location of the
bird’s mouth is determined,
the rafter jig is used to mark
the level and plumb cuts of the
bird’s mouth and rafter tail.

1903 ⁄8 -in. mark and transferred the other The two cuts that formed the rafter tail
three marks on the measuring stick to the were simple, straight cuts that I made with
bottom edge of the rafter (see the photo on my circular saw. To cut the bird’s mouth,
the facing page). I cut as far as I could with my circular saw
To finish the layout, I used the jig to without overcutting, then finished the cut
mark the level and plumb lines of the bird’s with my jigsaw.
mouth and the rafter tail (see the photo
above). For all four of these lines, I kept the John Carroll is a mason and builder in Durham,
North Carolina. He is the author of two books
jig in the same position and simply slid it
published by The Taunton Press: Measuring,
up or down the rafter until either the plumb Marking & Layout (1998) and Working Alone (2001).
or level edge engaged the reference mark. It
was quick and easy. It was fun.

A Dif ferent Approach to Raf ter Layout 49

1
stick framing

Framing
a Hip Roof
Larry Haun

I built my first hip roof in 1951 while in

the Navy being trained as a carpenter.
I dutifully laid out my rafters by stepping
changing the roof style from gable to hip
can transform the appearance of a house,
offering a nice variation from the gable roof.
them off with a framing square. When I was
finished, the commons were fine, but the
hips came out short. Ever since then, I’ve
A Hip Roof Begins
relied on a book of rafter tables to determine with Common Rafters
rafter lengths rather than trust my ability to Hip rafters extend from the corners of the
count steps with a square. Having framed building up to the ridge. On both sides of
hip roofs for so many years, I’m surprised the hips, common rafters, called king
that so many carpenters seem reluctant to commons, meet the ridge at the same point
build hip roofs. Maybe they’re afraid that as the hips (see the drawing on p. 52). The
the framing is too complicated or beyond side and end king commons and the hip
their abilities. I think that once you’ve rafters are the main framing components of
learned to frame a gable (see pp. 14–25), the hip roof.
cutting and building a hip roof requires few The end king common runs from the
additional skills. middle of the end wall to the ridge. This
A hip roof has the advantage of being in- rafter is the same pitch as the rest of the
herently stronger than a gable roof. The hip roof, and it is the key to the hip roof’s end-
rafters act as braces in the roof to resist the ing with a pitched plane instead of the more
destructive forces of earthquakes, and the common vertical gable. The hip rafters form
roof sloping up from all four sides of a hip the line of intersection between the side-
roof offers no flat ends to catch high winds. roof and end-roof planes. The first step in
Another advantage to hip roofs is that framing a hip roof is determining the span

Fitting together pieces of the hip-roof puzzle. If all of the rafters have been cut properly, assem-
bling a hip roof should be a painless process. Here, the author lines up a jack rafter for nailing.

50
 Framing a Hip Roof 51
of the roof, which establishes the location
Anatomy of a Hip Roof

The hip rafters run at a 45° angle from the corners of the building to the ridge. These rafters are flanked with the side and end
king commons, and the triangular spaces left are filled with jack rafters. Common rafters complete the framing down the length
of the building. The total width of the building is the rafter span, and the distance from the outside of the building to the ridge is
the run of the common rafters. The run also determines the position of the king commons.

Run 9 ft. 3 in. Common rafters Side king common Jack rafters

Hip
rafter
Side king common
Run
9 ft. 3 in.

End king common Ridge

Span End king
18 ft. 6 in. common

Side king common

Hip
rafter

Side king common

of the king commons. The garage featured

in the photos in this article is 18 ft. 6 in.
Rafter Templates
A hip roof has wide. The end king common, which is at the Streamline
the advantage of exact center of the span, is 9 ft. 3 in. from
Measurement
being inherently the outside of the garage. This number also
stronger than represents the run of the rafters. After mark- and Layout
ing the location of the end king commons, I The roof of our garage has a 4-in-12 pitch,
a gable roof.
measure down the sides of the building the which means that the common rafters rise
same distance, and then I mark the position 4 in. vertically for every 12 in. they run
of the side king commons (see the drawing horizontally. Because hip rafters run at a
above). Next I lay out the rafter locations on 45° angle to their neighboring commons in
the double-wall plates. plan view, hip rafters must run 17 in. for

52 Stick Framing
every 4 in. of rise. (By the way, 17 in. is
the hypotenuse of a right triangle with Templates Facilitate Rafter Layout
12-in. legs.)

m
When cutting rafters for any type of roof, aking templates is easy with a triangle square. Line up
especially a hip roof, rafter templates are a the correct pitch number with the edge of the template
great way to speed the layout process. These stock to mark the ridge plumb cut and the heel cut of the bird’s
neat little site-built aids have the rafter mouth. The seat cut is just wide enough to bear fully on the
plumb cut on one end and the bird’s mouth 2x4 top wall plate. The shaded area is waste (top). After the
layout on the other. For this project I will template is cut, a narrow fence is mounted on top for align-
need templates with pitches of 4-in-12 for ment with the rafter stock.
the common rafters and 4-in-17 for the hips. Two templates are necessary for hip-roof layout, the hip
For the common-rafter template, I use a based on a 4-in-17 pitch (middle) and the common template
2-ft. long piece of 1x6, which is the same set up on a 4-in-12 pitch (bottom). Each has a plumb cut on
width as my rafter stock (see the photos at the ridge end and a bird’s mouth on the other. A line squared
right). I place my rafter square, or triangle across the top of the template is used as a reference to posi-
square, on the template stock, pivot it to the tion the template on the rafters.
correct pitch number (4) on the row of num-
bers marked “common,” and mark the ridge
plumb cut along the pivot side. I then slide
the square down the template about 1 ft.
Height
and make a second plumb mark for the heel above plate
Heel cut
cut of the bird’s mouth. I square this line
Seat cut
across the top edge of the template so that I
can use the line as a reference when marking
the rafters. Hip template Ridge cut
A level seat cut combines with the plumb
heel cut to make up the bird’s mouth of the
rafter. The seat cut of the bird’s mouth lands
directly on the 2x4 top plate, so I make the
seat cuts about 31 ⁄2 in. long, squared off to
the heel-cut line. The plumb distance from
the seat cut of the bird’s mouth to the top
edge of the rafter is the height above plate
and must be the same for both hip-rafter
and common-rafter templates in order to
maintain the plane of the roof sheathing.
Hip rafters are cut out of stock that is 2 in.
Common template
wider than the commons so that the jack
rafters will have full bearing on the hip. The
hip template is also cut out of wider stock,
in this case 1x8. The ridge cut is laid out top. Next, I mark off the height above plate
the same as for the common-rafter template on the heel plumb line of the hip template
except that the square is pivoted to 4 and 17 and scribe the level seat-cut line at a right
if you’re using a framing square or 4 on the angle from this point.
hip-valley index of a triangle square. Again,
I move the square down the template about
1 ft. and scribe a second plumb mark for the
heel cut, with the line squared across the

Framing a Hip Roof 53

 Hip Rafters Need I subtract that 1 ⁄4 in. from the height
above plate on my hip-rafter template and
to be Lowered at make a new level seat-cut line at this point.

the Seat Cut When my layouts are complete, I cut out the
templates carefully to ensure their accuracy.
The height above plate for the hip rafters is
After cutting the bird’s mouth in the hip-
measured from the centerline of the rafter.
rafter template, I rip the tail section to the
Because the two roof planes intersect at an
same width as the common rafters, which
angle, the top edge of the hip rafter needs
allows the soffit material to be properly
to be beveled slightly from the centerline to
aligned. I finish the templates by nailing a
maintain the roof planes (see the drawing
1x2 fence to the upper edge of the template.
below). This process of beveling a hip rafter
(or a valley rafter) is known as backing.
A more efficient solution to this problem The Quickest Way
is lowering the hip rafter slightly (called
“dropping the hip”) by simply cutting the
to Get Rafter Lengths
seat deeper. The size of the drop depends Is from Tables
on the thickness of the rafter stock and the All of the information needed to calculate
pitch of the roof. I determine this distance rafter lengths is right there on any framing
by using a framing square (see the drawing square. But out here in southern California, I
at right on the facing page). For this don’t know of any framers who still use one
4-in-12 pitch roof, I need to drop the hip for this purpose. Some framers determine
about ⁄ in.
14
rafter length using a feet-inch calculator

Two Ways of Dealing with Hip Rafters

The problem. Without modification, Dropping the hip. The entire rafter Backing the hip. The top edge of the
the top edges of the hip rafter would can be lowered by deepening the seat hip rafter can be beveled slightly from
be higher than the king commons. cut. See the drawing at right on the the centerline to the outer edge.
facing page.

Edge
of hip is Ridge
higher
than
common.

Bevel
End king
common

Side king
common
Seat cut
Hip rafter

54 Stick Framing
 The Hip-Rafter Ridge Cut Finding the Hip-Rafter Drop
A double side cut on the ridge end of the Hip rafters can be lowered slightly to put their edges
hip rafter lets it fit nicely between the side in the same plane as the common rafters.
and end king commons. To make this cut,
scribe two parallel plumb-cut lines from
the ridge end of the hip template 11 ⁄2 in. Step 1. Using a framing square, lay out a 4-in-17 pitch
apart. With the sawblade set at 45°, saw along the edge of any piece of rafter stock.
along both lines in opposite directions.
Framing square
11 ⁄2 in. Plumb-cut lines 17 4

First cut
Level line

Plumb line

Waste from
first cut Rafter stock

Waste from
second cut

New level line

Second cut Amount of

New plumb line
hip drop
⁄ in.
34

Resulting cut
Step 2. Keeping the square set at the same pitch,
draw a second set of lines with the new plumb line 3 ⁄4 in.,
or half of the thickness of the rafter stock, from the first.
like the Construction Master (Calculated The resulting distance between the two level lines is the
amount the hip rafters will need to be lowered.
Industries Inc., www.calculated.com; 800-
854-8075). However, I prefer to get my fig-
ures from a book of rafter tables, such as
Full Length Rafter Framer by A. F. Riechers. 2x ridge, common rafters must be shortened
First, I find the page in the book that lists ⁄ in., and because hip rafters meet the ridge
34

the rafter lengths for a 4-in-12 pitch roof. at a 45° angle, they have to be shortened
The length of a common rafter for a span of 11 ⁄16 in. These amounts are subtracted from
18 ft. 6 in. is listed as 9 ft. 9 in. The length the rafter by measuring out at 90° to the
of the hip rafter for the same span is 13 ft. ridge plumb cut.
51 ⁄4 in. These distances are from the plumb
cut at the center of the ridge to the plumb
heel cut of the bird’s mouth at the outside of
the wall. If the calculation method is based
on run instead of span, don’t forget to split
the span figure in half.
Because these lengths are figured to the
center of the ridge, the actual rafter length
has to be shortened by half the thickness of
the ridge (see the drawing on p. 56). For a

Framing a Hip Roof 55

 edge. Next, I align the bird’s mouth reg-
Detail at Ridge, Hip Intersection istration mark on the template with the
chalkline on the rafters and mark my bird’s
Because rafter length is measured from the center of the
mouth cutlines on each rafter. When all of
ridge, half of the thickness of the ridge must be subtracted.
Our ridge is a 2x, so the commons have to be shortened by the rafters are marked, I cut the ridges, mov-
3 ⁄4 in. But the hips intersect the ridge at a 45° angle, so they
ing the rafters over one at a time. Next, I flip
must be shortened by 11 ⁄16 in.
the rafters onto their sides and cut the bird’s
mouths, overcutting my lines just enough
Side king
to remove the wedge without weakening the
common 21 ⁄8 in.
tail section (see the photo below). I leave the
rafter tails long and cut them to length after
⁄ in.
34
all of the rafters are in place.
11 ⁄16 in.

A Double Cut Brings

Ridge
45° the End of the Hip
Side king
End king
common
Rafter to a Point
common I try to pick out long, straight stock for the
Hip hips. The hip rafters need to be long enough
to include the overhanging tail, which is
longer than the tails on the commons. Most
carpenters like to give hip rafters a double-
Lay Out Rafters side (or bevel) cut at the ridge so that they
Because pairs in Stacks of will fit nicely into the corner formed by the
of jacks land on end and side king commons (see the drawing
Similar Lengths above). I do this by laying the hip-rafter
opposite sides of
Once all of the rafter lengths have been template on the rafter stock and marking
the hip, the 45° determined, it’s time to lay out my stock the ridge cut (see the drawing at left on
plumb cuts have for cutting. I usually use the house plans to p. 55). I then slide the pattern down 11 ⁄2
to be laid out on get a count of the rafters, keeping in mind in. and make a second mark parallel to the
opposite sides that a hip roof has an extra common rafter first. With my saw set at 45°, I cut along the
on each end. Using a pair of low site-built
of each pair of
horses, I rack up all of the commons on edge
rafters. with the crowns up. Next, I flush the ridge
ends by holding the face of a 2x4 against the
end of the rafters and pulling the rafters up
to it one at a time with my hammer claw.
From the flushed end, I measure down my
length on the two outside rafters, shorten-
ing my rafter measurement for the ridge. I
snap a chalkline across the tops of the rafters
as a registration mark for aligning the bird’s
mouth on the rafter template.
I then place my common-rafter template
against the first rafter flush with the ridge
end and scribe the ridge plumb-cut line. I Bird’s mouths are overcut. A wedge shape is
cut out of each rafter to give it a place to land
slide this rafter to one side and continue
on the plate. These bird’s mouths can be overcut
down the line, leaving all of the rafters on just enough to remove the wedge.

56 Stick Framing
first line in one direction and the second in
the opposite direction, which leaves me a
pointed end that will fit in between the king
common rafters.
I set the hip stock on edge and flush up
the pointed ridge ends (see the top photo
at right). Then I measure down from these
points and make my plumb-heel-cut refer-
ence marks, shortening the rafters 11 ⁄16 in.
for the 2x ridge. Now the registration mark
on my hip template can be aligned with the
marks on my rafters, and I can scribe the
bird’s mouths.
To scribe the hip-rafter tails to the proper
width, I hold a pencil against the tail part
of the hip template and slide the template
along the length of the tail. The bird’s
All four hip rafters are laid out and cut at the same time. Short site-built saw-
mouth of the hip rafters is cut just like the horses hold the rafter stock for layout and cutting. With all of the boards stacked
common rafters, and the tails are ripped to together, only one set of measurements needs to be taken. Templates (see the
complete the cutting. photos on p. 53) do the rest.

Jack Rafters
Are Cut in Pairs
Jack rafters run parallel to the king com-
mons and frame in the triangular roof sec-
tions between the king commons and the
hip rafters. They are nailed in pairs into both
sides of the hip rafter with each pair cut
successively shorter as they come down the
hip. The difference in length between each
pair of jack rafters is constant (it’s called the
common difference), and it can be found in
the rafter tables. For jack rafters spaced at
16 in. o.c. at a 4-in-12 pitch, the difference
in length is 1 ft. 47⁄8 in. For 24-in. spacing,
the difference is 2 ft. 11 ⁄4 in.
I lay out the jacks by racking together
eight pieces of rafter stock the same width
but slightly shorter than the common raf-
ter (see the bottom photo at right). (I rack
eight pieces because there is a pair of jacks of
equal length for each of the four hips.) Next
to these I rack eight more pieces a foot or
so shorter than the first eight and so on for
Jack rafters are laid out four pairs at a time. Jacks oppose each other in pairs
each set of jack rafters. When the jack-rafter
along both sides of the hip rafter. Each successive pair is shorter by a specified
stock is laid out, I flush up the tail ends this length than the pair above it. Diagonal marks remind the author to make his
time. The tails of the jack rafters are the 45° cuts in opposite directions.

Framing a Hip Roof 57

The hips and king commons
come together at the ridge.
The end of the ridge is the
meeting point for all of the
major framing members of
the hip roof. After the end king
common is nailed in, the hip
rafters are installed, and the
ends of the side king commons
are nailed in next to the hips.

same length as the tails of the commons, so have to be laid out on opposite sides of each
I snap a line at that distance across all of the pair of rafters.
If the roof is long, edges for my plumb heel cuts.
additional ridge
sections may be
Next, I lay an unshortened common raf-
ter alongside my rack, lining up its heel-cut
Assemble Common
installed using line with the heel-cut line on the jack stock. Rafters First
From the ridge cut of this common, I mea- If everything is cut accurately, the roof
other pairs of
sure down the common difference. I shorten members should fit together like a puzzle
common rafters this first set of eight jacks by 11 ⁄16 in. just like (see the photo on p. 51). I always tack down
for support. the hip rafter and make diagonal marks in plywood sheets on top of the ceiling joists
opposite directions on each pair of jacks to for a safe place to work. The ridge length
remind me which way my cuts will go (see and rafter layout can be taken directly from
the bottom photo on p. 57). For each succes- layout on the wall plate, but I prefer to bring
sive set of jacks, I measure down the com- up a ridge section and begin my rafter layout
mon difference in length from the previous about 6 in. from one end. I like having this
set. These measurements do not need to extra length to compensate for any discrep-
be shortened by the width of the hip rafter ancies in my layout.
because I subtracted 11 ⁄16 in. from my first With a partner, I set up my first pair of
measurement. side king commons and nail them to the
Using the common-rafter template, I plate and into the ceiling joist. (In high-
mark the plumb side cut and the bird’s wind areas, rafters may need to be tied to
mouth cut. Because pairs of jacks land on the plates with metal framing anchors.)
opposite sides of the hip, the 45° plumb cuts

58 Stick Framing
Next, I go to the other end of the ridge and for ventilation and are a good way to use
nail in another set of commons. scrap lumber. I cut a bunch of blocks ahead
The ridge board then gets pulled up be- of time to either 141 ⁄2 in. or 221 ⁄2 in., depend-
tween the two sets of commons and nailed ing on my rafter spacing.
in place. I just tack the side king commons Frieze blocks can be installed flush with
to the ridge until the end common has been the wall, where they serve as backing for the
installed. At this point I make sure the ridge exterior siding. However, with this method
is level by measuring from the tops of the the blocks need to be ripped to fit below the
ceiling joists at each end. I support the end roofline. Another method is installing the
of the ridge with a 2x4 leg down to a ceiling blocks perpendicular to the rafter just out-
joist or to an interior wall and run a diago- side the plate line. I like this second method
nal sway brace to keep everything in place because it requires no ripping and provides a
temporarily. Next, I slide one of my side stop for the top of siding.
king commons out of the way, hold the end I nail in the frieze blocks as I install the
king common next to the ridge, and mark remaining pairs of jack rafters. Each jack is
the end of the ridge. After the ridge is cut to nailed securely to the hip rafter; I take care
length, I nail my end king common in place. not to create a bow. Once all of the pairs of
Next, a hip rafter is toenailed to the wall jacks are installed, the hip will be perma-
plate directly over the outside corner. The nently held in place.
side cut on the ridge end gets nailed to the The corner frieze blocks get an angled
end common next to the ridge. I nail the side cut to fit tight against the hips. Once
opposing hip in place, and the two side king all of the jacks and commons are nailed in,
commons can be slid back against the hips the rafter tails can be measured, marked, and
and nailed in permanently. trimmed to length. Remember to measure
If the roof is long, additional ridge sec- the overhang out from the wall and not
tions may be installed using other pairs of down along the rafter. For this building the
common rafters for support. Again, I make overhang is 20 in., and the fascia stock is
sure additional ridge sections are level. At 2x (11 ⁄2 in. thick). I mark a point on the top
the other end of the building, I mark and edge of the rafters 181 ⁄2 in. straight out from
cut the ridge and assemble the hips and side the walls at both ends of the building and
king commons as at the first end. snap a line across the rafters between my
marks. I extend my chalklines out over the

Frieze Blocks tails of the hip rafters to mark the overhang

at the corners. When marking the plumb cut
Stabilize the Rafters on the rafter tails, use the common-rafter
Before nailing in the jack rafters, I sight template on the commons and the hip tem-
down the hip rafter and make sure it is plate on the hips.
straight from the ridge to the plate. If it’s
Larry Haun, author of The Very Efficient Carpenter
bowed, I brace it straight temporarily until and Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House (The
the jacks are in. I start with the longest pair Taunton Press), lives and works in Coos Bay, Oregon.
of jacks and nail them to the plate along
with frieze blocks, which are nailed in be-
tween the rafters at the plate (see the photo
on p. 51).
Local codes don’t always call for frieze
blocks, but I use them to stabilize rafters and
provide perimeter nailing for roof sheathing.
If necessary, they can be drilled and screened

Framing a Hip Roof 59

1
stick framing

Hip-Roof
Framing Made
Easier
John Carroll

F raming a hip roof is a head-scratcher

for most carpenters, but it doesn’t have
to be. The process became a whole lot easier
tops of the jacks 1 ⁄4 in. above the hip, which
allows the sheathing to clear the hip and
allows air to flow over the hip and up to the
for me when I realized that the primary ridge vent. If I had wanted to have both the
challenge in building a hip roof is one of bottom and top edges in plane, I could have
layout, not math. And the key to layout is to ripped down a 2x8 to a width of 53⁄4 in.
know exactly where to begin and end mea- I also don’t have to make adjustments for
surements. measuring from the center of the board be-
In my approach, all the measurements are cause I take all my measurements from the
along the bottom edge of the rafter, short edge of the board.
point to short point. This is not the way The other thing I do that’s a little differ-
I learned how to do it, but once I started ent is that I put down my English measuring
thinking about the bottom plane of the raf- tape when I finish framing the walls and
ters instead of the top (or instead of some pick up a metric tape to frame the roof. In
theoretical middle line), everything fell into my approach, the metric system is easier to
place. Because I measure and mark along use when math is involved because there
the bottom of the rafters, where I measure are no fractions to deal with. The math itself
to is where I cut from; and because there is simple to calculate because every rafter
are fewer steps, there are fewer chances for position and measurement can be explained
mistakes. with right triangles and dimensions that are
Another advantage of my approach is based on the Pythagorean theorem (see the
that I don’t have to deal with dropping the center drawing on p. 63).
hip because I use the same dimensional lum- Before I consider any of this, though,
ber for all the rafters and I align the bottom the first thing I do on a new job site is get
edges. On this roof, I used 2x6 lumber for acquainted with the details and visualize
the hips, jacks, and commons. This left the how the parts fit together. The project

60
 Parts of a Hip Roof

Hip rafter Jack rafter Ridge Common rafters

The hip is always at a These shorter rafters meet In this building, These rafters run
shallower pitch than the the hip rafter rather than the ridge is the same uninterrupted from the
commons. For this 6-in-12 the ridge and have the same dimensional lumber top plate to the ridge.
roof, the hip rafter has a pitch as common rafters. as the rafters.
6-in-17 pitch. On this building, King-common rafters
2x6 stock was used for all Three common rafters meet
rafters, including the hips. at each end of the ridgeboard.
They are called the king
commons.

shown here is a simple storage shed. Because The second tool is a table of multipliers
the roof is small and all the framing is that give the ratio of hypotenuse to run for
2x6 dimensional lumber, I don’t have to given roof pitches (see the table on p. 63).
make adjustments for a larger ridge beam or One column is for common rafters, and one
hip rafters. is for hip rafters. In other words, the table
serves as my cheat sheet for figuring rafter

Two Tools Make lengths. The multiplier times the run is the
rafter length. I write this table in my job-site
the Job Easier notebook, but you also can find these values
First, I make a story stick out of a 2-in.-wide in any good roof-framing book.
rip of plywood. I lay it on the top plate of If you’re on a roof that falls in between
the end wall and mark out the common- two values on the table, say, a 61 ⁄2-in-12
rafter run, the wall thickness (for the seat roof pitch, you can resort to the equation

cut), and the eave overhang (see the center a2+b2=c2 (see p. 63). Tip: If math is really

drawing on p. 62). The beauty of the story not your thing, try thinking of the equation

stick is that I can have all the initial mea- in plain language; i.e., the run times itself

surements I need to frame the roof in one plus the rise times itself is the rafter length

place. Then I can take the story stick down squared.

to the cut station and use it to make all the

cuts without having to waste time running
back and forth.

Hip-Roof Framing Made Easier 61

Locate the Six King-Common Rafters
Finding the run of the common rafters allows you to locate the six king commons and
establishes the length of the ridge. When viewed in plan, two king-common rafters and
two exterior walls define a square (shown in pink) at each corner of the building. Ulti-
mately, a hip rafter will bisect each square diagonally, creating two right triangles.

Ridge length
4
Top plate

Use a story stick

34 ⁄ in. rather than a tape to
minimize errors
Layout mark 1 1. On the end-wall
top plate, mark the
Run of centerline. Then
common measure back half
rafter the thickness of the
Centerline ridge (in this case,
3 ⁄4 in.), and mark
3
the first king-common-
rafter layout line.
Eave End wall
overhang
2 2. Align the end of
the story stick with the
king-common layout
line you just made.
At the other end of the
story stick, mark the
inside of the sidewall.
This is the common-
rafter run. Also mark
Sidewall the outside of the wall
and the eave overhang.
You’ll use this later to
Ridge figure the tail length.

3. Flip the story stick

over onto the sidewall,
and mark the rafter
run from the inside
corner of the top plate.
This is the second
king-common
layout line.
King
commons
4. Repeat these steps
in the three remaining
corners. This will locate
the end of the ridge
and the king-common
rafters.

62 Stick Framing
Use a Multiplier to Find the Common-Rafter Length

There are many ways to find a rafter

length, but basically, you need to
take the rafter run and convert it to
the rafter length. You can use the
Pythagorean theorem (explained
below), or you can use the shortcut in
the multiplier table. To use the mul-
tiplier, you need to know the run and
the roof pitch.

1. Measure the common-rafter run on your story stick

(see the facing page). Find the multiplier on the table below
that corresponds to the roof pitch. Multiply the run times
the multiplier to get the rafter length.

Roof Common-rafter Hip-rafter

pitch mulitplier multiplier
If the roof pitch is between the values in the table, 3-in-12 1.031 1.016
say a 6.5-in-12, you can use the Pythagorean theo-
rem. Get the run from the story stick. Get the rise by 4-in-12 1.054 1.027
multiplying the run times the roof pitch expressed 5-in-12 1.083 1.043
as a fraction (e.g., 6.5 ÷ 12 = 0.54; 0.54 x run =
rise). Then solve for length with the Pythagorean 6-in-12 1.118 1.061
theorem. 7-in-12 1.158 1.082
a +b =c
2 2 2 8-in-12 1.202 1.106
9-in-12 1.25 1.131
a (rise) c (length) 10-in-12 1.302 1.161
11-in-12 1.357 1.192
12-in-12 1.414 1.225
b (run)

2. Measure the rafter length along the bottom edge of the rafter (see the sidebar on pp. 66–67 for the cut sequence). In my
approach, the rafter length is the distance from the short point of the ridge cut to the short point of the seat cut.

Short point of ridge cut

Roof pitch 3. Multiply the tail run by the multiplier

Rafter length to get the tail length.
12

6
Tail length

Short point
of seat cut

Tail run
Run
Elevation view

Hip-Roof Framing Made Easier 63

Figure Hip-Rafter Run, then Length

The hip rafter is a little different from a common rafter:

It has a shallower pitch, a double-bevel ridge cut, a longer run,
and typically a longer seat cut. Find the run first (see plan view
below), then use the hip-rafter multiplier (see the table on p. 63)
to get the rafter length and the tail length.

1. Mark the hip-rafter layout on the top plate (see the photo
below). Establish Point A where the hip-rafter layout line inter-
sects the inside of the top plate. Measure back to the nearest
king common (this is the layout line you already made with the
story stick). Multiply this distance by the square root of 2 (1.414)
to get the hip-rafter run.

Double-bevel short point

Ridge

King-common
rafter
Top plate

Hi
p-
ra
fte
rr
un
Point A King-common
rafter

Hip-rafter length

Plan view King-common

layout Point A

The hip rafter, king-common

rafter, and top plate make an
equal-sided right triangle in
plan view.

Elevation view Hip-rafter run

2. Multiply the hip-rafter run

Because the hip times the multiplier (see the Short point of seat cut
rafter joins the ridge table on p. 63) to get the hip-
at the intersection of rafter length.
two king commons,
the ridge cut is made 3. To lay out the hip-rafter tail,
with double bevel. multiply the common-rafter
tail run you already calculated
times the square root of 2
(1.414). Then use the multi-
Short point of plier to get the hip-rafter tail
double bevel length, measured from the
Notch the outside
short point of the seat cut to
corner of the building
the short point of the double-
with a circular saw.
bevel tail cut.

64 Stick Framing
 Find the Jack-Rafter Run, then Get the Length
with the Common-Rafter Multiplier
Jack-rafter plan
King-common
rafter

Short point
of bevel cut Story stick
Ridge

Jack-rafter Hip rafter

run

Equal
distance

1. Lay out the jack rafters on the top plate. I like to stack
them over the studs of the sidewall, then transfer that
same layout to the end wall with my story stick. Find the
jack-rafter run by measuring from Point A to the jack-rafter
layout mark. As seen in the plan view, this measurement
is equal to the run of the jack rafter.
Short point of 45° bevel cut Layout mark Point A

Jack rafters get the same

angled plumb cut as a
common rafter, but are Jack-rafter length
beveled at 45°. 2. Multiply the jack-rafter
Short point run by the common-rafter
of seat cut multiplier to get the jack-
rafter length (the short
Short point point of the bevel to the
of beveled short point of the seat cut).
plumb cut Cut the tail exactly like the
Run
common-rafter tails.
Elevation view

Look at the Roof run and then the length of the hip rafter as
explained on the facing page.
in Plan View Once you’ve got the hip rafter’s length,
Laying out hip rafters is one of those situa- go back to thinking in 3-D. The rafter length
tions where a 3-D image is not as clear as a just calculated represents a line along the
two-dimensional drawing. If you look at the bottom edge of the board from the short
roof from a plan view, you can see that the point of the double-bevel cut to the short
hip-rafter run is the hypotenuse of a simple point of the seat cut. For this roof, I worked
90° triangle with equal sides (see the draw- through the seat cut and the tail in the same
ing, center right on the facing page). way as the common rafters except that in-
Use a Speed Square to lay out both sides stead of extending the seat cut far enough to
of the hip rafter on the plate. Establish Point clear the top plate, I notched the corner of
A where the layout line meets the inside the double top plate to get a clean fit and to
edge of the top plate (see the photo on the strengthen the hip rafter’s tail.
facing page). Measure from Point A to the
layout of the nearest king-common rafter.
Use this measurement to calculate first the

Hip-Roof Framing Made Easier 65

 metric vs. english system Use a Jig to mark and cut

l umber is sized and

sold based on the
English system, so it
makes sense to build
with an English tape
measure—most of the
time. However, when I’m
doing a framing project
that involves complicated
math, I like to use the metric
system because it’s
easier to add, sub-
tract, and multiply.
When I first started
tip: clamp the speed square to the rafter
using a metric tape so that you can hook the tape at the short
measure, I thought point of the plumb cut.
there would be an
adjustment period.
But there wasn’t: Metric decimal tape
Most of us are used
to looking at units
divided into 10 equal increments, like the
degree scale on a miter saw. Metric tapes are
sold at most hardware stores or online.

Jack Rafters Have the Plumb ridge cut

Common-Rafter Pitch
To keep the layout simple and 16 in. on
center, I retain the layout from the sidewalls
and use the story stick to create a mirror im-
age on the end walls. This method will add
some redundancy, but the important thing
is to have each pair of jack rafters meeting at
the same spot on the hip rafter. way as you figured out the common rafters.
A plan view shows that the distance from The plumb cut then is made with your saw
the short point of the hip rafter’s seat cut set at a 45° bevel, creating the jack rafter’s
(Point A) to the jack-rafter layout mark is bevel cut.
also the run of the jack rafter to the short
John Carroll is a mason and builder in Durham,
point of the bevel cut.
North Carolina. He is the author of two books
Use the common-rafter multiplier to cal- published by The Taunton Press: Measuring,
culate the lengths of the jack rafters, and lay Marking & Layout (1998) and Working Alone (2001).
out the seat cuts and tails exactly the same

66 Stick Framing
the Rafters

Once you’ve taken all the measurements and

written them on the story stick, you’re ready
to cut common rafters, hip rafters, and jack
rafters. Make this layout jig and cutting guide
from a piece of plywood that has a square fac-
tory corner. For the common-rafter jig (shown
here), just double the roof pitch in inches. For
a 6-in-12 roof, mark 12 in. on one side for the
rise and 24 in. on the other edge for the run.
Connect the marks to complete the triangle.
After cutting the plywood, affix a 1x2 fence
to the long side. When you finish the jig, write
the multiplier on it in red. For the hip-rafter jig,
the rise is 6 in., but the run is 17 in. Instead
of doubling the rise and run for the hip-rafter
jig, multiply them by 1.5, which makes the jig
easier to handle.

tip: stop the fence short of the jig’s plywood edge. this way, the saw can clear
when you use the jig as a saw guide for plumb cuts.

12-in.
rise
24-in. run

Rafter length
Seat cut
Heel cut

Tail length

Fence

Plumb
tail cut

Hip-Roof Framing Made Easier 67

1
stick framing

Framing a
Gambrel Roof
Joe Stanton

G ambrel roofs can be a challenge. Deal-

ing with two roof pitches instead of
one seems to complicate matters dispropor-
Lay Out Trusses
Full Size on the Floor
tionately. Also, most gambrel roofs require a With the upper floor sheathed, I snapped
kneewall to support the knuckle, or the joint chalklines for the 2x6 plates on which the
between the upper and lower roof slopes. trusses would stand. This step is no different
You have to build the kneewall first, then than if I were framing walls. Next, however,
brace it straight and work around the wall I laid out the gambrel trusses full scale on
and its braces while installing two sets of the floor, taking the dimensions directly
rafters. The work is cumbersome, and when from the architect’s plans (see the bottom
you’re done, this kneewall takes away from left photo on p. 71).
the available floor space below the gambrel. To facilitate the layout, I snapped a base-
However, I recently framed a gambrel line square to the sidewalls and added a cen-
designed by Michael McKinley (see the terline perpendicular to the baseline (see the
sidebar on p. 75) using site-built trusses (see drawing on p. 70). From these lines, I mea-
the drawing on p. 70) and found that this sured to locate the knuckle and peak. With
method offers several benefits over conven- these points set, I snapped chalklines that
tional framing. Site-built gambrel trusses go represent the trusses’ framing members (see
together quickly and negate the need for the top photo on p. 71), then measured the
a supporting kneewall under the knuckle. length and miter angles of the rafters that
(A short kneewall, added after the roof was would be assembled into trusses.
framed, maintained some gambrel roofline
as the ceiling while providing a plumb wall
for hanging pictures.) Be aware that gambrel
trusses may require an architect’s or struc- Precision is key for trusses. The author uses
tural engineer’s stamp of approval. full-scale layout to make templates for gussets
and rafters. After cutting these members, he
builds the trusses, guided by stop blocks nailed
on the layout.

68
Framing a Gambrel Roof 69
Anatomy of a Gambrel Roof
Unlike most roofs, gambrels have an upper and a lower slope.
The intersection of these slopes means a joint in the rafters that
must be supported. A kneewall commonly provides this support.
In this case, however, to gain more floor space, a simple truss was
engineered with plywood gussets and a collar tie providing all
the necessary reinforcement.
Plywood gusset

Upper slope

Knuckle

Plywood
Collar tie
gusset

Lower
slope

Plate
Accurate Trusses Start
with Full-Scale Layout
On the subfloor, snap a base- D
line (AB). From this base,
project a perpendicular
centerline (CD) and mark
on it the roof height. Taking E E
dimensions from the blue-
prints and measuring from
these centerlines and base-
lines, mark the outside point
of the knuckle (E). Then snap
lines representing the upper
and lower slopes of the truss
from which you take the
angles for gusset and rafter
templates (see the photos on A B
the facing page). C

70 Stick Framing
 Full-Scale Layout Gets the Angles Right

L aying out the multiple angles

of a gambrel roof using a fram-
ing square is a frustrating task.
Full-scale layout on the floor
ensures precision.

1. Start by taking the roof

dimensions from the blueprints.
Such dimensions as wall and
ceiling height and room width are
critical. Transfer them correctly
from the plans, and the roof
angles will necessarily follow.

2. Lay out the points of the peak,

knuckle, and truss seat on the
floor. From these points, the author
snaps lines representing the truss 2
tops and bottoms.

3. Guided by the snapped lines,

the author creates templates for
the truss members and gussets.

1 3

I also used the full-scale layout to make a double-check these templates, I placed them
cardboard pattern for the ⁄ -in. plywood gus-
34 on the layout lines and verified the fit. Then
sets that reinforce the knuckle and the peak I cut a pile of rafters. The seat cut where the
joints (see the bottom right photo above). rafter meets the plate is critical. To stop
The pattern is then copied onto more- lateral motion, the 2x8 rafters are notched
durable Masonite. These gussets are 32 in. to fit the inside of the 2x6 plates (see the
long, a size that’s structurally adequate and bottom photo on p. 73).
that minimizes plywood waste.
I selected some straight stock and made
a pair of pattern rafters, or templates. To

Framing a Gambrel Roof 71

 Gambrel Trusses are Raised Like Regular Trusses

1. Plumb and brace

the gable truss first.
Strapping made
of 1x3s is used to
space and brace
succeeding trusses.

2. Joist hangers tie

the ridge for a con-
ventionally framed
dormer to trusses.
The dormer roof is
simply an extension
of the upper gambrel.

3. The seat-cut detail

keeps trusses from
spreading outward.
The inner tail of the
truss is cut short so
that it won’t touch
the deck, ensuring
that the roof load
is borne by the 2x6
plate and not by the
plywood deck. 1

72 Stick Framing
 Turning the
Second Floor into
a Truss Factory
To make sure the assembled trusses were uni-
form, I nailed stop blocks next to the layout
lines and assembled the trusses on the floor.
Each gusset was glued with PL 400 construc-
tion adhesive (OSI Sealants Inc.; 800-624-
7767; www.osipro.com). Additionally, each
gusset was nailed to the rafters with 6d nails.
After nailing the gussets to one side of each
truss, my crew flipped it over and affixed
additional gussets and the collar tie to the
other side.
We built the gable truss first (this truss
needed no collar tie or gussets on the out-
side because the wall sheathing made the
truss rigid). With the gable truss raised and
braced plumb, we began assembling and set-
ting trusses one by one (see the top photo at
left). The remaining trusses were connected
to the gable truss and to each other with 1x3
strapping at the ridge and at each knuckle.
We removed the strapping after the roof had
been sheathed.
This roof included several shed dormers.
These dormers, which we framed convention-
ally, tie together the gambrel trusses on each
side of the dormers with the ridge (see the
bottom photo on the facing page). Extend-
ing the gambrel’s upper slope to the front
wall of the dormer creates the dormer roof.

Framing a Gambrel Roof 73

 This Roof is Vented left photo below). This particular roof was to
be covered with cedar shingles, so the skip
above the Sheathing sheathing for the shingles was nailed over
To leave the maximum space for insulating the sleepers (see the right photo below). In
between the 2x8 rafters, this roof is vented this way, the sleepers provided a vent chan-
above the sheathing. Here’s how. nel from soffit to ridge. By quickly covering
After completing the sheathing, my crew the roof sheathing with tar paper, we could
flashed and covered the roof with #30 tar conveniently manage the slow work of cedar
paper. Then we ran sleepers on 16-in. cen- roofing without slowing the interior work.
ters above the trusses and rafters (see the top

Detailing the Roof

2 3

E ave details for this cedar-

shingle gambrel are added
after sheathing, tar paper, and
nailed to the sleepers provides
nailing for the cedar shingles.
3. Treated bottom skip sheathing
ensures durability. Following the
curve of the plywood forms, skip
2. A flared roof overhang softens
sleepers. sheathing provides a nail base for
the angles of the gambrel. Curved
cedar shingles.
1. Sleepers atop the deck vent the plywood forms are sandwiched
roof. These sleepers are continuous and nailed to the sleepers, tying
from soffit to ridge. Skip sheathing the overhang to the roof.

74 Stick Framing
 Thoughts about Gambrel-Roof Design

I ’ve designed houses with gam-

brel roofs for a variety of rea-
sons. One use for a gambrel roof is
blending a new house into an older
neighborhood. Historic examples
of gambrels are found in periods
ranging from the colonial to the
Arts and Crafts.
Roof-height restrictions, often
imposed by local zoning, may
pre-empt the use of a conven-
tional gable roof over a second
floor. The gambrel roof is the most
efficient way to create a usable
second-floor area when building From agrarian to elegant. Gambrel roofs are used in barns to provide cheap
height is limited. The geometry of space and to reduce rafter spans. In houses, gambrels add interest and allow a
a gambrel enables adjustment of two-story home to have a relatively low roofline.
the angle of the lower-roof pitch to
maximize interior headroom and efficiently for built-ins and closets, Gambrel roofs are highly visible,
to flatten the upper roof’s pitch to and also for running mechanicals. so the roofing material assumes a
minimize the overall height of the While the endwalls for gambrel special importance. Wood shingles
house. Generally, the upper pitch roofs offer lots of space for win- are my material of choice, and they
of the roof should not be less than dows that can admit an enormous create a unified look when the
a 3-in-12 to maintain the shingle amount of natural light, you’ll house is sided with wood clap-
warranties. probably need dormers for light in boards.
The headroom below the lower the center. Dormers also provide Finally, many homeowners
roof will be low. Also, the kneewall an opportunity to create scale, are attracted to the gambrel roof
required to support most gambrels rhythm, and balance (see the because of its dramatic interior
does take away some floor space. photo above). look. If ceiling lines follow the
The truss I designed for the house To some, the gambrel may gambrel and dormer shapes, then
in this chapter minimizes this prob- appear too angular. As I did in the the interior spaces can take on a
lem because it eliminates the need house in this chapter, the lower sculptural quality.
for a kneewall. But even the space slope of the roof can be flared to
behind a kneewall can be used form deep overhangs and to soften Michael McKinley is an architect
in Stonington, Connecticut.
the angles.

One thing that these trusses did not assemblies of 2x material and plywood that
provide was a roof overhang. To provide an sandwiched around the lower sleepers (see
overhang and to soften the angles of the the bottom left photo on the facing page)
roof, the architect had designed a curved, and provided a form for the skip sheathing.
flared overhang. I played with several
curves, holding mock-ups in place for the Joe Stanton is a member of the National Association
of Home Builders.
approval of the owner and the architect.
Once they were both happy, we built

Framing a Gambrel Roof 75

1
stick framing

Roof Framing
with Engineered
Lumber
John Spier

M y crew uses engineered-floor systems

for most of the custom homes we
build. These systems, framed with I-joists
24-ft. Douglas-fir 2x12s up to a ridge 35 ft.
in the air.
We chose simple structures for our first
and other types of engineered lumber, have engineered roofs (see the photo below). One
many advantages—including uniformity, was a small cottage with skylights and shed
straight, long lengths of lumber, and no dormers, and another was a simple gable
shrinkage—which reduce labor costs and structure. More complex roofs are possible
improve customer satisfaction. These same with engineered lumber, but we figured we’d
advantages could apply to roof construction save those challenges for a later project.
as well, especially on jobs where we’ve
had to wrestle truckloads of wet or frozen
Planning Works
Most of the Time
For a dimensional-lumber roof, I usually just
figure the pitch and spans to determine the
stock size and lengths. With an engineered
roof (as with an engineered floor), the first
step is to send the plans to the supplier for
engineering and specification (see the draw-
ing on the facing page). In some cases, it
also turns out to be the second, third, and
fourth steps, as the plans go back and forth
for revisions. When all the bugs are worked
out, we can order the roof-framing material.
One of the big disadvantages of engineered-
roof systems is that if you or the suppliers get
the order wrong, a trip to the local lumber-

76
Holding Up a Roof with Engineered Lumber
Engineered lumber makes for flat, straight roofs. Because of its strength, single pieces of engineered lumber often can do
a job that would require multiple pieces of dimensional lumber. Plus, lightweight I-joist rafters are easier to handle than 2xs.
Metal connectors (not shown in drawing) join all framing members. Although different types of engineered lumber may be
specified for some areas, here is where they are typically used.

LVL ridge
Multiple members join together
to form the ridge. Single LSLs are also
commonly used for ridges (see photo 4
on p. 80).

I-joist common rafters LVL bearing rafters and headers

Their light weight, strength, Where common rafters have to carry the extra
and straightness make I-joists weight of a dormer or a skylight, single LVL rafters
perfect for common rafters. can take the place of multiple 2xs. Similarly,
single LVL headers bridge roof openings.

Roof Framing with Engineered Lumber 77

 Cutting Time with Production Methods

G ang-cutting I-joist common

rafters saves a lot of time.
To index the rafters, a saw kerf is
made square across the I-joists at
the bottom of the plumb cut
(photo 1). Next, the rafters’ length
is measured (photo 2). A second
index mark is made at the seat
cut (photo 3). One crew member
uses a template indexed on a saw
kerf to mark the bird’s mouth while
another cuts the previously marked
plumb cut (photo 4). 1

2 3

yard usually won’t fix it. All the components One of the roofs that we built has a single
are special-order, so you just can’t go out LSL (laminated strand lumber) for the ridge
back and pull 26-ft. LVLs (laminated (see photo 4 on p. 80). The other roof has
veneer lumber) out of the rack. In our case, three 26-ft.-long LVLs for the ridge, which
the local yard is a boat trip away. were set in place one piece at a time and
then spiked together. The engineering specs

The Ridge and provide a fastening schedule for assembling

multiple structural members (such as an LVL
Bearing Rafters ridge or header), and at least some hand-
Before the roof load arrives, we frame and nailing usually is required to get them tight
stand the gable ends, ridge posts, kneewalls, and to eliminate gaps.
and dormer walls (see “Cutting and Setting As with any other roof, we transfer the
Common Rafters,” on pp. 4–13). Framing rafter layout from the walls to the ridge,
the roof is then simply a matter of assem- with one crew member taking the measure-
bling the lumber and hardware. ments along the wall and another marking
them on the side of the ridge. For one of

78 Stick Framing
 i-joist RaftER tEmPLatE sPEEds cUtting
With index marks cut into the I-joists, a two-piece plywood template
is used to mark the bird’s mouth and plumb cut. The top portion
of the template is the same overall width as the I-joist. The bottom
portion, cut from web-stiffener stock, fits between the I-joist
flanges to align the template and is nailed to the top piece.
Top part
Bird’s-mouth of template
pattern rides on
Plumb-cut I-joist
pattern flanges.

Lower
part of
template
slides
between
the flanges.

the engineered roofs, LVLs were specified The bearing rafters that carry the headers
for the rafters that have to carry headers, are cut the same as the I-joist commons, so
including those on each side of the dormer we make a pattern rafter, test it, and then
and skylight openings. In a convention- cut all the LVL rafters. When these rafters
ally framed roof, these rafters would be are cut and hung in place, we cut and install
doubled or tripled 2xs, but because of their LVL headers for the dormer roofs and the
added strength, only single LVLs are needed skylights. Again, single LVLs can take the
to carry these headers. Some engineers place of the multiple 2x members that usu-
specify doubled or tripled I-joists for these ally make up a header. I’ve learned that
rafters because they are lighter and less engineers often miss the extra depth re-
expensive, but I’ve found the advantages quired for a plumb header in a sloped roof,
are outweighed by increased labor costs for another revision that should be made when
assembly. By the way, you can’t just switch reviewing the plan.
materials in the field; you need to ask the
engineers to make these changes before you
order the roof package.

Roof Framing with Engineered Lumber 79

 I-Joists for the Rest dimensional lumber. However, I-joists are
a bit different. Because they are perfectly
of the Rafters straight, they lend themselves to gang-
For the remaining rafters in the roof, we cutting (see the photos on pp. 78–79), so we
use I-joists of the same depth as the LVLs. make a job-site template for marking and
These rafters include the gable rafters, cutting the plumb cuts and bird’s mouths.
commons between the dormers, rafters for We usually leave the I-joist web as the skel-
the shed-dormer roofs, and jack rafters that eton for the eaves’ detail. After tacking the
fill between the headers and the ridge. In 2x subfascia to the end of the upper flanges,
addition to being straight and strong, the we attach blocking to the webs to give the
I-joists’ light weight is a big advantage in subfascia solid nailing and to carry the sof-
roof framing. fits and exterior trim.
Cutting the bird’s mouths on the LVLs is
as straightforward as cutting those in regular

Web stiffeners Let i-joists do their Work

W eb stiffeners are blocks

of plywood or oriented
strand board cut to fit between the
flanges of an I-joist. They help to
transfer loads and give a nailing
base for metal hangers. Blocks 2 3
for I-joist rafters can be fabricated
quickly and easily in the shop
(photo 1). The blocks then are
nailed onto both ends of the rafter
(photo 2), and the hanger is at-
tached, (photo 3) before the rafter
is lifted into place (photo 4). The
blocks provide extra nailing for
the lower ends of the
rafters, and additional
blocking provides at-
tachment for a structur-
al subfascia (photo 5). 4 5

80 Stick Framing
Every I-Joist sheet stock ahead of time for the required
thickness. For 1-in. flanges, we glue together
Gets Web Stiffeners two sheets of 7⁄16-in. OSB. As with hangers,
The plan also specifies web stiffeners in we’ve found that nailing the stiffeners on
many locations, typically where an I-joist is before installing the rafters is more efficient.
carried by a sloped hanger or where a bird’s Web-stiffener stock also can be used in
mouth is cut into it. Web stiffeners are small longer lengths to splice or reinforce I-joists,
pieces of plywood or oriented strand board for example, over a bearing wall or for wide
(OSB) that fill the web of the I-joist to the overhangs. In one case, we spliced together
flanges’ thickness. Web stiffeners can be two short joists to make a longer one for a
cut on site from scrap plywood or OSB, but nonstructural filler over a dormer cheek wall.
mass-producing them in the shop with a
tablesaw and chopsaw is more efficient (see
photo 1 on the facing page). We glue up

metal Hangers make the critical connections

m etal hangers or framing

connectors are used every
place where engineered-framing
members meet. To lay out and
attach hangers for headers, it’s
easiest to line up the rafters top to
top on sawhorses. Metal-connector
nailers, specially designed to shoot
nails into the holes in framing
connectors, make quick work of
attaching hardware (photo 1).
Although engineers sometimes
specify the minimum number of
nails needed to attach a metal
connector, putting a nail in every
hole is the safest bet (photo 2). 1 2

Framing connectors such as twist

straps strengthen the
rafter-to-plate connec-
tion (photo 3). Hanger
flanges on gable rafters
can be bent flat and
attached to the ridge
end (photo 4).

3 4

Roof Framing with Engineered Lumber 81

 Lessons Learned about Engineered Lumber

Safety Environmental Concerns feet, divide by 12 ft. or 16 ft., and

Some engineered lumber can be One of the best things about engi- give you what they think is enough
slick and dangerous to walk on. neered lumber is the environmental pieces. They also specify an exact
Other components, LVLs in particu- benefits: Because of its strength, number of joists or rafters, including
lar, have razor-sharp edges; cutting fewer members are needed, and short pieces, all listed as approxi-
a bevel on an LVL can be an invita- much of the lumber comes from mate lengths that are then cut and
tion for job-site injury. Also, some second-growth, scrap, or recycled shipped by the supplier. I suggest
engineered materials have a protec- wood. But beware: Some of the combining the short pieces into lon-
tive wax coating. This stuff gets on chemicals used to hold together ger lengths and then ordering one
your hammer head, which makes it and treat engineered lumber can extra of the longest length to allow
slip, and it gets on your boots, which be toxic when the scrap is cut or yourself at least one mistake.
makes you slip. Last, the sawdust burned, and when the ash is
is finer, more irritating, and more allowed to leach into groundwater. Hardware
noxious than that of most woods, so The big hangers are expensive and
if you’re cutting engineered lumber Product Lists often are special-order items, so
in areas without good ventilation, and Ordering check your list and delivery carefully.
use lung protection. Engineers’ material takeoffs are The smaller hangers are cheap,
always optimistic and sometimes so order extra. Keep a big box of
wrong. For example, they often mea- extras on hand so that you have the
sure rim stock on the plan in linear right hanger if you need to change
something.

Metal Hangers Header hangers also can be attached this

way, or they can be attached to the bear-
Unite the System ing rafters. For example, when laying out
As important as the engineered-lumber the rafters that flank the skylight opening,
schedule is the hanger-and-fastener sched- I place the two LVLs edge to edge on saw-
ule. Just about every framing connection on horses. After laying out the positions for the
an engineered roof involves special hangers headers, it’s easiest to nail on the header
and other fasteners. Each hanger as well as hangers while the rafters are lying flat. I use
its location is keyed on the plan, so we sim- a short cutoff of the header material to keep
ply sort the fasteners ahead of time and use the hanger legs spaced properly (see photo 1
them where they are called for. Engineers on p. 81).
even include a schedule for how many nails Another thing we’ve learned is that
are required in each location to meet the many of the hardware components used in
load criteria, but it seems that our building engineered-roof systems have flanges that
official is happiest if every hole is nailed (see fit between the framing member and its sup-
the photos on p. 81). port. The thickness of these flanges needs to
We’ve learned that it’s almost always be allowed for when determining lengths of
easier to mount hangers on members before rafters. If a framing member is to be hung
placing them. Common rafters and jack with one of these hangers, we subtract 1⁄ 8 in.
rafters get a hanger on one or both ends; from the overall length (1⁄4 in. if hangers are
then they are lifted into position and nailed. at both ends). Because these systems are de-

82 Stick Framing
Fastening Modular Sizing engineers whose sole job is to
A metal-connector nail gun is a Over the years, many products such recalculate engineered systems and
necessity unless you have a lot of as fans, ductwork, skylights, and to help you out of your exact framing
cheap labor (see photo 3 on attic stairs have been designed to predicament. Email or fax them a
p. 81). We have had good luck fit into standard rafter or joist bays. plan (even send a digital photo of
with Paslode Positive Placement The flanges of engineered lumber your problem), and they’ll get right
Strip Nailers (800-682-3428; www. are wider than dimensional lumber back to you with a fix that works in
paslode.com). Even though these and can make a mess for you later if the field. It’s a fantastic service.
nailers work well, they break down you don’t plan for those items care-
occasionally, so we keep a spare in fully during framing.
the shop.
If You Make a Mistake
Layout Of course, we’ve never, ever made a
The better engineers won’t put raf- mistake ourselves, but our plumber
ters in the way of a plumbing vent. did once with his big drill. That’s how
However, figuring out where the pipe we found out about the technical
goes is not their job. Because you support offered by engineered-
can’t just cut in another header, fig- lumber manufacturers. Most have
ure out where the systems are going a toll-free number that puts you
beforehand. in touch with a team of qualified

signed to be held together by hardware, a bit these guides home and reading through it
shorter is better than longer. carefully before starting. Most manufacturers
A rafter cut to the exact length and then specify Simpson Strong-Tie fastening prod-
placed in one of these hangers can push ucts (800-999-5099; www.strongtie.com),
a wall out of plumb or bow the ridge or and the Simpson master catalog also offers a
header. I-joist hangers typically require sub- wealth of possibilities and information.
tracting about 1⁄ 8 in. per hanger, but some
specialized hangers have thicker flanges and John Spier builds and renovates custom homes
and is a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding
may require subtracting more. When all the
magazine. He and his wife, Kerri, own and operate
rafters and headers are installed, we double- Spier Construction, a general-contracting company
check that the hangers were nailed properly. on Block Island, Rhode Island.

When in Doubt,
Read the Instructions
For engineered floors, and now roofs, we’ve
used engineered-framing systems from sev-
eral companies over the years. They all pro-
vide a pocket reference guide to help with
installation details, covering just about any
framing situation. It’s worth taking one of

Roof Framing with Engineered Lumber 83

1
stick framing

Cordless
Framing Nailers
John Spier

What They’re
Good for, and What
They’re Not
By the end of our testing, I was convinced
that one of these tools easily would pay for
itself on those little projects where I don’t
want to set up an air compressor and a hose.
With a cordless nailer and some battery-
powered saws, I can go into a house and
build a soffit, change a door or window
opening, or frame a closet in less time than
it normally would take me to set up power
and air for my pneumatic tools. Gas-
powered guns are also great for small jobs
where I don’t want to carry a compressor up

A
three flights of stairs, or listen to it run con-
dozen or so years ago, I tried out a
stantly as I work in a small, cramped room.
gas-powered, cordless framing nailer.
If you’re an electrician or plumber who only
I wasn’t too impressed at the time; the gun
occasionally needs a framing nailer, say to
was a lot slower than I was. But I thought
put up some blocking, these guns definitely
the idea of unplugging from the compressor
make sense. As long as you remove the bat-
had merit, so I’ve been watching these tools
tery and gas cartridge between uses, half-
ever since, figuring that the technology had
charged batteries and half-used fuel cells stay
to be improving. When Fine Homebuilding
fine over several weeks of inactivity.
offered my crew the chance to put a few
To say that these guns are ready for full-
of the newest nailers through their paces, I
time framing would be a stretch, however.
jumped at it. The five of us used them for
Trust me, we tried. To put the guns to the
a couple of months, doing miscellaneous
test, my crew and I left our compressor and
framing and two gut rehabs, and most re-
hoses in the truck and framed an entire
cently building a new two-car garage.

84
 The Ins and Outs of a Gas-Powered Nailer

h ow it works: Gas-powered
nail guns work on the
same principle as a combus-
What it shoots: Paslode
nailers use proprietary offset-
head nails, called Roun-
tion engine; gas from a fuel Drives® (see the photo above
cylinder fills a combustion right). Max, Hitachi, and Pow-
chamber and is ers offer two nailers each:
ignited to create a one for round-head nails and
clipped head
contained explosion, one for clipped-head nails. (37 nails)
which then drives a The shallow angle (roughly
piston forward to 20°) and widely spaced colla-
shoot the nail. tion of round-head nails are
necessary to fit the fasten-
ers side by side but result in round head
(25 nails)
fewer nails per rack. Clipped-
CUTAWAY head nails are collated more
closely together and at a
steeper angle (roughly 35°),
Spark
plug
making them more compact.
If nail sizes are equal, a
Incoming
fuel clipped-head rack will have
about 10% to 20% more
Fan nails than a round-head rack. clipped-
Combustion Some building codes require head nailer
chamber the use of full round-head for its extra ca-
Drive nails (Paslode’s offset round pacity, even though
piston heads are acceptable), but the tools can be more
otherwise, I would choose a expensive.

24-ft. by 32-ft. Cape-style garage with three exterior walls, and roofs. They also struggled
dormers. I really liked climbing around on with 8d ring-shank nails, which our local
staging with no hose dragging behind me, code requires for exterior sheathing and
but the guns slowed us down by misfiring, shear walls. Having to drive home half of
by not sinking nails consistently, and by the protruding nails with a hammer sort of
running out of gas or low on battery power defeats the purpose of using a nail gun.
in the middle of use. The nosepiece of all these guns needs
to be depressed fully before the trigger is

Still Some Kinks pulled; they can’t be bump-fired by hold-

ing the trigger and pressing the nosepiece
to Work Out against the work. This safety feature is good,
Not one of these guns had the power to but it definitely slows down the work. To
drive 12d or 16d (31⁄4 in. or 31⁄ 2 in.) nails make things worse, all the guns have the
consistently all the way into framing lum- same two-stage nosepiece action: The first
ber. They all did OK with 3-in. nails, which step turns on the fan, and the second releases
is fine for interior framing but not for floors, the safety. The pressure required to press the

Cordless Framing Nailers 85

 Paslode www.paslode-cordless.com

t he Paslode nailers are

slightly smaller and
lighter than the others,
and their plastic bodies seem fairly
tough. They have a well-protected
battery slot, and the reversible
combination belt-and-rafter-hook is
by far the best. The pinch-and-pull
depth of drive works well despite the
nailers’ being unable to drive some
nails all the way. Paslode’s nailers
are the only ones to require that
the nail-feeder slide be pulled back
before the gun is loaded; this is hard
to get used to only when switching
between guns. The Paslode nailer Clever
never jammed in two months of pinch-
and-pull
hard use, so I never had to follow depth offset round
the manual’s disassembly adjust- head (35 nails)
ment
instructions.
Paslode offers two framing nail-
ers, the original model 900420,
and the newer CF-325. The CF-325 the nosepiece and activate
and the 900420 both shoot full the gun, reducing the fatigue
round-head nails collated at an factor common to cordless nailers. Specifications
angle of 30°, commonly seen only The paper collation on the PASLODE CF-325
with clipped-head nails. Paslode RounDrive nails is an improvement Weight: 7.5 lb. with battery
achieves this feat by offsetting the over other round-head racks; it Nail type: Paslode RounDrive
nail shanks to the edge of the round produces less flying plastic. Initially, Offset Full Head
heads. The offset heads on these I was concerned about the durability (Brite or GalvGuard)
RounDrive nails still meet building of paper collation. The racks of nails Nail sizes: 2 in. to 31 ⁄4 in.
codes in areas where full round needed for my old pneumatic Collation: 30°, paper tape
heads are required, and Paslode Paslode guns used to soften and Capacity: 48 nails
claims that the offset heads test not feed properly when exposed to
comparably with conventional moisture. But I’ve tried soaking PASLODE 900420
Weight: 7.4 lb.
centered heads in terms of pullout these new nails in water, and they
Nail type: proprietary RounDrive,
strength. Paslode’s RounDrive nails seem to be unaffected.
or clipped head
also fit into the clipped-head guns Paslode pioneered the technol-
Nail sizes: 2 in. to 31 ⁄4 in.
made by other manufacturers. The ogy that makes gas-powered nailers Collation: 30°, paper tape
major difference in models with this possible, and the company’s 20-year Capacity: 48 nails
function is that CF-325’s redesigned head start is evident. I’d keep these
nosepiece is sturdier and digs in guns in the truck, based on their
more aggressively for toenailing. It design, their features, and their
also takes less pressure to depress trouble-free operation.

86 Stick Framing
 Hitachi www.hitachipowertools.com

L ike many other Hitachi

tools, the round-head
nailer has a comfortable
grip, especially for smaller
hands. The fuel-cell loading door hitachi
hitachi
nr90gr
is designed nicely, with a simple nr90gc
sliding latch that doesn’t require
finesse to open or close. Hitachi is
also the only manufacturer to sup-
ply a one-piece, one-hour battery
charger (charge time is 2 hours for Easy-open
fuel-cell
the Paslode, 21⁄ 2 hours for the Max door
and the Powers nailers).
After these few positive points,
both of the Hitachi nailers go
downhill fast. They have the least
power of all the guns, so we had to Specifications
use a hammer to set a lot of nails. Troublesome HITACHI NR90GR
The depth-of-drive setting—which hook Full round head
requires an Allen wrench—worked Weight: 7.9 lb.
but was often pointless because Although the clipped-head Nail sizes: up to 31 ⁄2 in.
the nails weren’t set to begin with. model is slightly lighter and more Collation: 20°, plastic
Capacity: 42 nails
The nonreversible belt/rafter hook compact than its round-head sib-
is on the right-hand side of the ling, I found it much less comfort-
HITACHI NR90GC
nailer. That’s fine for a left-handed able to use. Hours of repetitive
Clipped head
carpenter, but for a righty like me, plywood nailing opened a sore Weight: 7.7 lb.
this placement falls firmly into the on my thumb from pressing the Nail sizes: up to 31 ⁄2 in.
“What were they thinking?” depart- clipped-head nailer against the Collation: 33°, paper
ment. And to top it all off, the sheathing. This gun was the one Capacity: 47 nails
Hitachi nailers misfired more often that finally drove me to switch
than all the other guns combined. back to my pneumatic nailers.

nosepiece fully can be awkward, especially —pneumatics included—tend to misfire a

when reaching at arm’s length. lot more than coil nailers, and they blow
All the cordless nailers use straight col- plastic shrapnel all over the place. The occa-
lated nails, presumably because the fuel-cell sional misfire is no big deal, but when you’re
technology needed to advance coil nails straining every muscle to hold something on
hasn’t been developed yet. I gave up my layout with one hand, it’s not something
pneumatic stick nailers long ago in favor of you want to worry about.
coil nailers because coil nailers hold five These nailers all are lightweight plastic-
times as many nails (200 8ds in a coil vs. bodied tools. You can’t use them to thump
about 40 in a stick). When I’m nailing off things into place the way I’ve been doing
plywood, stick guns need to be reloaded two with my alloy-bodied pneumatic nailers all
or three times per sheet. Also, all stick nailers these years. Also, I suspect they won’t do as

Cordless Framing Nailers 87

 MAX www.maxusacorp.com

t he Max nailers have some

redeeming features. The
depth-of-drive adjustment
was fast and easy and required maX
no tools; it worked well within gs683rh

each model’s power limitations.

The reversible rafter/belt hook is
effective. The spurred nosepiece
is heavier duty than that on the
Hitachi and Paslode models; after maX
a few months of use, it was still gs683ch
sharp, where the others were
rounded over and dull. The Max
round-head gun was the only one
that jammed during testing, and
it wasn’t much fun to fix. I had to Thumbwheel
depth Specifications
remove the three hex-head screws adjustment
holding the magazine in place and MAX GS683RH
juggle several small parts that can Full round head
fall off in the process before ac- Weight: 7.8 lb.
cessing the jammed nails that still Nail sizes: up to 31 ⁄4 in.
had to be pried out. This happened the Max clipped-head nailer was Collation: 21°, plastic or paper
Capacity: 32 nails
twice, and I couldn’t figure out why. comfortable to use. The differ-
I checked the nails carefully to ences in the handling configura-
MAX GS683CH
make sure I hadn’t misloaded the tion were subtle but significant.
Clipped head
gun, and I hadn’t hit anything very Also, I initially had trouble getting Weight: 7.8 lb.
hard. the round-head nailer to fire. I Nail sizes: up to 31 ⁄4 in.
Like Hitachi and Powers, Max finally figured out that the battery Collation: 34°, paper
makes one gun for round-head was defective and would not take Capacity: 40 nails
nails and one gun for clipped-head a charge. Fortunately, I was able to
nails. Unlike the Hitachi, though, test both nailers using one battery.

well when they inevitably fall from a high doesn’t have a backup battery to use while
place, especially because they don’t have a the first recharges. Manufacturers say that
hose to break their fall. you can drive approximately 4,000 nails on
one battery charge. We didn’t count, but I

Battery Power can say that a fully charged battery lasted all
day most of the time, no matter how hard
and Cost of Use the gun was working. The only time that I
All these guns came supplied with only one had trouble was when I forgot to put a bat-
battery. I initially thought that this was a tery in the charger overnight.
liability because any other cordless tool is Battery cycle life shouldn’t be a problem,
just about worthless for professional use if it either. These batteries are low voltage
(6v for the Max, Powers, and Paslode mod-

88 Stick Framing
 POWERS www.powers.com

c lose inspection of the Powers

round-head nailer
didn’t reveal any differ-
poWers
ences from the Max models.
W3-21frh
Even the carrying cases came
out of the same mold; the only
differences in appearance that I
could find were the color scheme
and stickers. But several of my
crew members thought that the
poWers
Powers gun had more power, so to W3-34cDh
speak.
Because Powers makes a few Fuel-cell choices
different gas-powered fastening
tools, they have a few different Specifications
sizes of fuel cells. The wood- POWERS TRAK-IT W3-21FRH
framing nailers shown here typi- Full round head
cally are powered by red-capped Weight: 7.8 lb.
fuel cells, but if you run out, you Nail sizes: up to 31 ⁄4 in.
can use blue-capped (concrete you don’t use the manufacturer’s Collation: 20° to 22°, plastic
Capacity: 32 nails
nailer) cells and keep working. own proprietary accessories.
Company reps claim there is no The Powers round-head nailer
POWERS TRAK-IT W3-34CDH
difference in performance between was the only one that got an
Clipped head
the two cells. We also discovered inadvertent drop test, from the top Weight: 7.8 lb.
that the Powers nailer could use of an 8-ft.-tall stepladder. Noth- Nail sizes: up to 31 ⁄4 in.
Paslode fuel cells and Hitachi nails. ing broke, and it still worked fine Collation: 34°, paper tape
A Powers sales rep confirmed this, afterward. Powers also makes a Capacity: 40 nails
a refreshing change from all those clipped-head nailer, but it was not
tool manuals that threaten you if available for this review.

els; 7.2v for the Hitachi models). My expe- a long day; in an area where labor costs are
rience with other tools has been that this between $20 and $50 per hour, this is not
type of battery recharges many hundreds of a significant part of the financial picture.
times, as opposed to higher-voltage batter- Manufacturers claim that fuel cells fire about
ies, which need more frequent replacement. 1,200 nails before needing replacement.
Every nailer except the Hitachi came with We tried to quantify the actual number of
a battery charger consisting of a transformer nails driven, but decided that there were
connected to a battery holder with a length too many variables to control and that the
of 22-ga. wire. They use this type of charger results wouldn’t be that crucial.
because they can offer a 12v vehicle plug-
in option. I didn’t get to try that out, but it John Spier builds and renovates custom homes
and is a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding
sounds like it might be a handy option.
magazine. He and his wife, Kerri, own and operate
Fuel-cell life wasn’t a big issue. A carpen- Spier Construction, a general-contracting company
ter might use two or three $10 fuel cells in on Block Island, Rhode Island.

Cordless Framing Nailers 89

2
Dormers and bays

Doghouse
Dormers
Rick Arnold
 Assembling components on
the ground and cutting the roof

O ne of the most popular ways to open

the dark, cramped upper level of a
house is to build one or more dormers. From
at the last minute provide a
low-stress route to a high-value
remodeling project.

a homeowner’s point of view, these small

additions can increase curb appeal and cre-
ate more-hospitable living space in the top
level of a house. From a builder’s point of
view, dormers concentrate almost all aspects
of residential framing into one small pack-
age (see the drawing on p. 92). If the dormer
is too big, it will look out of scale with the
rest of the house. The front wall of the dor-
mer should be just large enough to fit the
window (ideally, smaller than the windows
on the lower levels of the house) and should
leave just enough room for proper flashing
where it joins the main roof. Also, a well-
proportioned dormer sits beneath the line of
the main-roof ridge and is set back from the
facade of the house.
Like any building project, the success of
constructing dormers depends on precise
calculations, careful planning, and some
smart assembly work. Trust me, the last
thing you want is to be on the roof trying to
figure out why the wing wall won’t fit while
a rain cloud hovers overhead, waiting to
take advantage of that big hole in the roof.
Over the years, I’ve built a number of dor-
mers, improving the process each time. I’ve
finally settled on a system that enables me
to figure all the dormer measurements pre-
cisely, cut and assemble most of the pieces
on the ground (or in the attic), and put off

Doghouse Dormers 91
It’s Like Building a Small House with Angled Walls

A doghouse dormer
Main-roof ridge New LVL trimmers concentrates almost all
California valley aspects of residential
framing into one small
Existing rafters package. The founda-
Dormer rafters tion for this rooftop
addition consists of
Dormer ridge LVL trimmer rafters
that extend from the
main-roof ridge to the
top of the house’s wall
Header and headers that span
between trimmers.
The window’s rough
opening is centered in
the dormer’s front wall.

Double top plate

Wing wall
Rafter plate

Front wall

Header

a2

b2
c 2

A CONSTRUCTION CALCULATOR
HELPS TO MINIMIZE THE MATH
To make things easier, construction
Dormers look difficult to frame calculators allow you to work with
because of the angled sidewalls quantities and components that you
and all the beveled cuts they re- encounter on the job site. Measure-
quire. But you’re actually dealing ments are entered in feet and inches;
with a series of triangles, so most labeled keys enable you to input and
of the calculations can be made calculate rise, run, pitch, and other
by getting measurements for two useful dimensions. It’s much faster
sides of a triangle and solving for than relying on longhand equations.
the third (the Pythagorean theo- Construction calculators are available
rem: a2 + b2 = c2 ). at most hardware stores and lumber-
yards, or through online sources like
www.calculated.com.

92 Dormers and Bays

 Measure the Biggest Triangle to Find the Precise Pitch
You can use a Speed Square or framing square to find the roof pitch, but measurements from
such a small area can be misleading. To get the most accurate pitch, I measure the largest pos-
sible rise and run. On this project, I measured from the top of the roof ridge to the attic subfloor,
and from the outside edge of the rafter plate to a plumb line down from the roof ridge. Subtract-
Subfloor
ing the height above plate (HAP), as shown at right, gives me the correct rise.
HAP = 5 in.
Rafter
plate
First, find the total rise and run:
Run = 16 ft. 111 ⁄2 in.
Total rise = 10 ft. 1 ⁄2 in.

Overall height
10 ft. 7 in. minus
plate thickness 11 ⁄2 in.
minus HAP 5 in.
(see detail)
= Total rise 10 ft. 1 ⁄2 in.

Overall run
16 ft. 111 ⁄2 in.
Subfloor

ON THE CALCULATOR
Enter 10 ft. 1 ⁄2 in.; Press RISE . Enter 16 ft. 111 ⁄2 in.; Press RUN . Press PITCH , and get 71 ⁄8 pitch, or 71 ⁄8 in. of rise
for every 12 in. of run.

cutting a hole in the roof until the last series of triangles, and then calculating the
minute—no blue tarp needed. missing dimensions.
This system is safer because it reduces the
amount of time I’m measuring and build-
ing on the roof, and it also minimizes the
Check the Existing
number of trips to the ground to make cuts. Pitch On Site
My system also lowers the level of stress that I always start a dormer project by verifying
comes with having a roof that’s open to the the pitch of the existing roof. I don’t want
elements for an extended period of time. to assume that I know the pitch, then cut
The trade-off is that all the measurements and build all the dormer components only
have to be as accurate as possible. Many of to discover that the dormer doesn’t fit cor-
the calculations build off one another, and rectly. Trusting the plans is tempting, but
a sloppy measurement in one step throws you might end up missing an abnormality
off the math in the many steps that follow. like the 71 ⁄8-in-12-pitch roof on this project.
It sounds daunting, but most of the compo- The most accurate process is to measure
nents of a doghouse dormer can be found the total rise and total run from inside the
by dividing the framing components into a attic. This project took place in an attic that

Doghouse Dormers 93
Decide on Window Size, Then Calculate Wing-Wall Details
On this project, the homeowner wanted the dormer
window to be about 3 ft. 6 in. tall, which required 4 ft. 71 ⁄2 in. 3 ft. 71 ⁄2 in.
a rough opening of 3 ft. 71 ⁄2 in. to allow room for a (front-wall height) (rough-opening
window. I always keep the window opening height)
at least 6 in. up from the roof to leave room
for flashing, and in this case, about 6 in. 215⁄16 in. 21 ⁄2 in.
down from the top plate of the front
wall so that the top of the window
lines up near the bottom of the
dormer’s soffit. I ended up with
a front-wall height of 4 ft. 71 ⁄2 in.
As shown below, once you know 21 ⁄2 in. 6 in.
the front-wall height and the roof min.
pitch, it’s not difficult to calculate
exact dimensions for all wing-wall 60° level cut Double
framing members. plate

ON THE CALCULATOR Top plate

7 ft. 91⁄2 in.
Top and bottom plates Front-wall studs
Knowing the height of the From the finished
front wall, I also have the height of the front
height of the adjoining wing wall (4 ft. 71 ⁄2 in.),
wall. This height, combined subtract 3 in. for
with the roof pitch, gives me the double plate
the length of the wing-wall top and the top plate,
plates and bottom plate. and 13⁄4 in. for the

4 ft. 71 ⁄2 in.
Bottom thickness of the
Enter 4 ft. 71 ⁄2 in. front-wall plate
9

angled bottom
f t.

height; Press RISE .

3 4

plate (detail below).

⁄
in

This yields a front-

.

Enter 71 ⁄8 in. pitch;

Press RUN , and get 7-ft. Infill studs wall stud length of
91 ⁄2-in. wing-wall length
length. Each of these will 4 ft. 23⁄4 in.
have a bevel cut on
Press DIAG , and you get the bottom, 60° in this
9-ft. 3⁄4-in. bottom-plate case. I use the calculator’s
length. R/Wall (rake wall) function
Press DIAG , and you get to determine the different stud lengths.*
a 30.7° plumb cut. Enter 4-ft. 23⁄4-in.
Round this to an even 30°. front-wall stud length;; Press RISE
.
30°
Press again, and get
DIAG
Enter 7 ⁄ in. pitch; Press
18 PITCH
. plumb cut
a 59.3° level cut. Round this
to an even 60°. Press R/WALL . (Screen displays selected stud spac-
ing, 16 in. on center in this case.)
Refer to the detail drawing
to see how the wing-wall top Press R/WALL repeatedly to display descending stud 13⁄4 in.
plate and the wing-wall double lengths.
plate need to be shortened 11 ⁄2 in.
*You might have to Press CONV first to use the R/WALL
because of corner overlaps function.
and bevel cuts.

94 Dormers and Bays

Base Size of Dormer Roof on Available Space
3 ft. 11 ⁄16 in.
To find the size of the dormer roof, I have to consider
10 ft. 109⁄16 in. how much room I have between the top of the
dormer walls and the top of the existing roof
ridge. For example, on this project, I had col-
lar ties that were going to remain in place,
which set the attic-ceiling height at 7 ft.
6 in. above the subfloor. I also make
sure that the dormer ridge inter-
sects the existing roof at least Existing
8 in. below the existing main collar ties
ridge to avoid the flashing Dormer
and aesthetic problems ceiling
of trying to intersect
two shingled
ridges.
60° cut
Dormer ridge

.
7 ft. 91⁄2 in. t. 4 in
3f

6 ft. 1 in. (with sheathing)

Plumb cut

41⁄8 in. HAP

Seat cut
Heel cut

ON THE CALCULATOR 3. Lay out the dormer rafter

I start by making a plumb cut that
1. Find the location of the dormer ridge reflects the 6-in-12 pitch of the dormer roof.
Before I can lay out the dormer rafters, Next, I measure 3 ft. 4 in. from the long point of
I need to find the distance between the sheathed that cut and mark a line plumb with the wing wall
wing walls. The easiest way to do this is to take the to indicate the heel cut of the rafter bird’s mouth.
length of the front-wall top plate (6 ft.) and add The seat cut is perpendicular to the heel cut and
in the thickness of the wing-wall sheathing is equal to the width of the top plate and sheath-
(1⁄2 in. on each side). This gives a finished ing—in this case, 4 in. (31⁄2-in. top plate + 1⁄2-in.
width of 6 ft. 1 in. sheathing).
Enter 6 ft. 1 in. ÷ 2, Press = , and you get With the bird’s mouth marked, I find the HAP
3 ft. 1⁄2 in.; this is the total run of dormer rafters,
rafters of 41⁄8 in. I add this number to the rise I found in
but this number needs to be adjusted by subtract- the calculations above (1 ft. 57⁄8 in.) and get a
ing half the thickness of the dormer-roof ridge: top-of-ridge height of 1 ft. 10 in. above the dormer
3 ft. 1⁄2 in. - 3⁄4 in. = 2 ft. 113⁄4 in. walls—still falling well below the main ridge.
2. Calculate dormer-ridge height 4. Find dormer-ridge length
I wanted a 6-in-12 roof pitch on the dormers, I already know that the wing walls are 7 ft. 91⁄2 in.
so I used that combined with the run I found above long, so I just need to find the length that the ridge
to determine the adjusted length of the dormer extends past the wing walls before meeting the ex-
rafters and the height of the dormer ridge: isting roof. I do this by using another small triangle:
Enter 2 ft. 113⁄4 in.; Press RUN . Enter 1 ft. 10 in.; Press RISE .
Enter 6 in.; Press PITCH . Enter 71⁄8 in.; Press PITCH .
Press DIAG , and get 3 ft. 4 in. Press RUN , and get 3 ft. 11⁄ 16 in.
(length of the dormer rafter)
rafter).
Add 7 ft. 91⁄2 in.; Press = ; you get 10 ft. 109⁄ 16 in.,
Press RISE , and get 1 ft. 57⁄8 in. which is the total length of dormer ridge,
ridge straight
(unadjusted dormer-ridge height).
height) cut to long point, with a 60° cut.

Doghouse Dormers 95
 Install Trimmers and Headers, and Then Cut the Hole

1 2 3

I can perform all the work up to this point, including cutting all
the components for the dormer and assembling the walls, with-
out opening the existing roof. This way, unless I have to strip off the
entire roof to be reshingled, the rest of the procedure, including
dry-in, takes only about four hours from start to finish. This proce-
dure minimizes risk of exposure to the elements.
Measure for the new dormer headers. I first draw a level line
across the rafter at the desired height (photo 1). In this case, I’m
matching the underside of the collar ties. Then, starting from the
inside end of that mark, I square up to the underside of the sheath-
ing. Then I move the square toward the ridge, marking the 11 ⁄2-in.
thickness of each header piece (photo 2). The last line I draw is the
inside edge of the first top header, which is also the cutline. To
mark for the bottom header, I first put a nail into the sheathing
at the last line I just drew, hook my tape to the nail, and measure
along the underside of the sheathing the length of the wing-wall
bottom plate. Next, I plumb down that line along the face of the
rafter (photo 3). The inside edge of the dormer wall is 31 ⁄2 in. in
Install the trimmers. We removed or bent
(toward the ridge) from this plumb line. Then I measure back back any protruding nails that might get in the
(toward the eave) the thickness of the doubled-up 3-in. header way before sliding the LVL trimmer into place
and draw a plumb line to indicate the cutline for the lower header. through the exposed eaves. Slightly beveling the
leading edge of the trimmer made it easier to
I transfer these cutlines to all the rafters to be cut.
rotate into place.

was being remodeled, so the rafters, the sub- longer the two sides of the triangle (rise and
floor, and the main ridge all were exposed. run) that you are measuring, the more accu-
This made it easy to get precise rise and run rate the numbers will be.
measurements. If the framing had not been
exposed, I would have cut back the drywall
at the proposed dormer opening and mea-
sured the roof pitch there. That said, I prefer
to have the rafters exposed so that I can take
the largest set of measurements possible. The

96 Dormers and Bays

 The safest way. Standing inside on the
subfloor and cutting through the roof is
easier and safer than standing on the roof
and cutting down into the attic.

True up the opening. I run a stringline

along the inside edge of the trimmers
and make any necessary adjustments to
Double 2x headers complete the rough framing. Once the rafters are removed,
get them straight and plumb. Then I nail
I install two-piece headers at the top and bottom of the opening. A couple of tem-
through the existing roof sheathing and
porary cleats support the newly cut rafters and keep the LVL trimmers spaced
into the new framing to keep everything
evenly until the double headers are put in place.
lined up.

Roof Pitch and I begin with the height of the front wall,
which often is driven by the window height.
Window Height On this project, the homeowner wanted

Determine the Wing- the dormer window to be about 3 ft. 6 in.

tall. That would require a rough opening of
Wall Dimensions 3 ft. 71 ⁄2 in. to allow for window installation.
Once I know the pitch of the existing roof, As a rule, I keep dormer-window openings
I need to calculate one of the two sides that at least 6 in. above the main roof, leaving
make up the dormer’s triangular wing wall.

Doghouse Dormers 97
 The Payoff: Parts Go Together Quickly

I f the calculations were accurate, the front wall and the two wing walls should fit each other and the existing roof
without any major hitches. The dormer rafters and ridge should be carried up in pieces and assembled in place.
The wing walls go up first. It takes two workers to lift the assembled walls into place (photo 1). Make sure to
keep the inside face of the wing wall flush with the edge of the new trimmers (photo 2). Drop the front wall between
the wing walls (photo 3).

room for proper flashing, and about 6 in.

below the top plate of the front wall so that
Dormer Roof Is Based
the top of the window lines up near the bot- on the Available Space
tom of the dormer’s soffit (see the photos on To figure the size of the dormer roof, I have
p. 97). Adding the numbers, I end up with to determine how much room I have
a front-wall height of 4 ft. 71 ⁄2 in. Now I can between the top of the dormer walls and the
combine the height of the wing wall with top of the existing roof ridge. A dormer-roof
the pitch of the roof and simply solve for ridge that comes too close to the existing
the missing pieces. main-roof ridge not only will look out of

98 Dormers and Bays

 2 3

Flash the top corners. I apply a large square of roofing mem-

brane (approximately 18 in. sq.) to a difficult area that is
almost impossible to flash after the dormer roof has been
assembled. I leave the lower and outer edges of the release
sheet intact so that later I can tuck the rest of the flashing Four rafters hold the ridge. Nail opposing rafters to the plates
and felt paper under this flap to seal the dormer-flashing at the front and back of the dormer, then install the ridge board
system together. and the remaining rafters.

proportion but also will be much harder to taught me that it’s unusual to find old collar
flash and shingle properly. ties that are perfectly level and in line with
For this project, the ceiling height was each other.
limited in the attic by a series of collar ties, Knowing that the distance from the top
which were 7 ft. 6 in. off the subfloor; so I of the main-roof ridge to the surface of the
installed the dormer wing walls so that the subfloor was 10 ft. 7 in., I subtracted the
top of the top plate would be level with existing ceiling height of 7 ft. 6 in. and was
the bottom of the existing collar ties. I also left with just over 3 ft. from the wing-wall
added about an inch of wiggle room to the top plates to the existing main-roof ridge.
height of the dormer ceiling; experience has

Doghouse Dormers 99
Measuring, Cutting, and Installing the California Valley

A California valley is calculated Press RUN , and get 81 ⁄4 in. 6-in-12 pitch
and cut to sit on top of the sheath- Dormer
ing of a roof rather than connecting Add 2 ft. 113⁄4 in. + 81 ⁄4 in.; ridge
directly to the underlying framing. Press = , and get 3 ft. 8 in.
The length of the California valley is • Side C: I still need to find one
the hypotenuse (A) of an imaginary of the legs of this triangle, so I
triangle that lies flat on the existing c
have to create a second triangle
roof (shown in blue). Just like in the (shown in orange) in which side C d
previous parts of the dormer, my is a shared dimension. I know the
goal is to find this missing hypot- height of the dormer ridge (D) is
enuse by plugging in the lengths of 1 ft. 10 in., and I know the pitch of
the other two sides (B and C) that the existing roof is 71 ⁄8-in-12, so I
make up the completed triangle. use my calculator to find (C). A
b
• Side B: Based on the measure- Enter 1 ft. 10 in.; Press RISE
.
ments I used to find the adjusted Unadjusted
run of the dormer rafters, I know Enter 71 ⁄8 in.; Press PITCH . hypotenuse
that the distance from the outer Press DIAG , and you get 3 ft. 71 ⁄16 in.
edge of the sheathed wing wall
Known HAP
to a line that’s plumb with the Adjust for a flush fit. I now have
of 41 ⁄8 in.
near face of the dormer ridge is the two legs of the triangle (B and
2 ft. 113⁄4 in. I also have to add in C) that I need to solve for the miss- Edge of roof
the distance to the point that the ing hypotenuse (A), but first I have plane
rafter intersects the roof plane to adjust their lengths so that when
(shown in green). the California valley is installed, the
edge of the 2x stock won’t stick up
Enter 41 ⁄4 in.; Press RISE . past the top edges of the dormer
Enter 6 in.; Press PITCH . ridge and the rafter tail.

The plans for this project called for a

dormer-roof pitch of 6-in-12. I always make
sure that the dormer ridge intersects the
existing roof at least 8 in. below the exist-
ing main ridge to avoid the flashing and
aesthetic problems of trying to intersect two
shingled ridges.
I knew from previous calculations that
the overall width of the dormer (including
the 1 ⁄2-in. sheathing on each side) would be
6 ft. 1 in. I divided that number in half, then
used it to find the dimensions of the dormer
rafters and the dormer-ridge height.

Rick Arnold is a veteran contractor and contributing

editor to Fine Homebuilding magazine. He is the
author of numerous articles and books on home
construction and remodeling. He is a well-known
and sought-after speaker and presenter at home
shows and building seminars around the country.

100 Dormers and Bays

Reduce top (ridge) end of valley Side B = Enter 3 ft. 41 ⁄2 in.;
Enter 11 ⁄2 in.; Press RISE . Press RUN .
Enter 71 ⁄8 in.; Press PITCH . Side C = Enter 3 ft. 49⁄16 in.;
Press RISE .
Press RUN
, and get 21 ⁄2 in.
Side A = Press DIAG :
Reduce lower (rafter tail) 4 ft. 95⁄16 in.
end of valley
Press DIAG 45.04 plumb cut
Enter 11 ⁄2 in.; Press RUN .
Press DIAG 44.96 level cut
Enter 71 ⁄8 in.; Press PITCH .
A quick bevel for a snug fit.
Press DIAG , and get 13⁄4 in. Last, the bottom of the valley needs
Enter 13⁄4 in.; Press RISE . to be beveled to sit snug against
the dormer rafter. To find this plumb
Enter 6 in.; Press PITCH . bevel angle, use the known main
Press RUN , and get 31 ⁄2 in. roof pitch:

Adjusted length of side B: Enter 71 ⁄8 in.; press PITCH .

3 ft. 8 in. – 31 ⁄2 in.; Press = , Then Press PITCH again,
and get 3 ft. 41 ⁄2 in. angle
and get a 30° bevel angle.
Adjusted length of side C:
3 ft. 71 ⁄16 in. – 21 ⁄2 in.;
Press = , and get 3 ft. 49⁄16 in.

Doghouse Dormers 101

2
dormers and bays

Framing a Classic
Shed Dormer
John Spier

O f all the ways to bump out a roof,

I think shed dormers offer the most
bang for the buck. They’re easy to build, are
dormers of all kinds, new construction or
remodel.
Whenever possible, I take details from the
simple to finish, and provide lots of usable framing plans and recreate them full size on
interior space. So why aren’t all dormers the subfloor. I start by snapping chalklines
sheds? Compared to doghouse, eyebrow, or on the subfloor to represent the gable end.
A-frame dormers, shed dormers aren’t always After building and standing these walls, I
the prettiest option. On the back side of a snap more chalklines to complete the full-
house, though, beauty sometimes needs to scale section drawing of the rest of the roof.
take a backseat to utility. Besides, with some Next, I draw the ridge, and if there will be
attention to size, shape, and proportion, a a header for the dormer, I draw that, too. At
shed dormer can actually look pretty good. this point, I can lay out the dormer rafters
Unfortunately, many builders don’t take and then snap the lines for them. This part
the time to think about the details before of the drawing can be worked in either di-
they get started working on a shed-dormer rection: If I have a specified or desired pitch,
project. Many years of building have taught I get out my calculator and then figure out
me that if I spend a little extra time plan- where to draw the rafter. Otherwise, I follow
ning a shed dormer, then I spend a lot less some rules of thumb for shed-dormer rafters
time trying to make a bunch of mistakes and then use the calculator to figure out
look good later. what the roof pitch really is (see “Dormer
Design,”on pp. 104–105). Either way, this

The Subfloor method allows me to tweak the dormer

design before any of the nails are driven.
Becomes a Big Set At this point, I also go as far as to sketch

of Blueprints in the thicknesses of the sheathing, the roof-

ing, and the flashing. I draw all the trim
There are as many ways to frame shed dor- details full scale so that I know they will fit
mers as there are ways to design them. The and look right. Sometimes I play around
dormer featured here doesn’t peak at the with the drawing until I’m satisfied, then
ridge the way that many shed dormers do, draw a clean version on the other end of the
but the lessons here can be applied to shed

102
 Although John feels comfortable working on the scaffolding
shown above, in this situation OSHA guidelines call for the use
of guardrails, a safety net, or a personal fall-arrest system.

floor for reference. The process might sound wrap, and stand it like any other wall. When
time-consuming, but it pays off later. the front wall is stood, I brace the ends, run
If you start with
a stringline, and straighten it with some a full-scale layout
on the subfloor
Building Is intermediate braces. Next, I build the short
roof in front of the dormer, though this step and plan for the
the Easy Part can just as easily be done later if you prefer.
finished details,
Once all the thinking and figuring are done, The layout for the dormer rafters can be
taken from the drawing on the subfloor, but the framing is
building a shed dormer is easy. I start with
the front wall of the dormer. I build it flat I often cheat by making the plumb cut at relatively painless.
on the subfloor, sheathe it, apply house- the top and holding the rafter in place to

Framing a Classic Shed Dormer 103

 Dormer Design

i t’s hard to make a poorly

planned dormer look good,
so it’s crucial to consider the
Ridge

Shed
header
relationship between design
and construction at every step
of the project. Beginning with
chalklines that represent the
gable ends, I like to create a
full-size section of the dormer
right on the subfloor so that I Ceiling
can work out all the important joist
details before I begin framing.

Double
common rafter

1. ROOF PITCH
First and foremost, it’s important—both functionally and
visually—to maintain adequate roof pitch on a shed dormer.
Steeper almost always looks better, and the steeper the
main roof, the steeper the dormer should be. I regard a
pitch of 4-in-12 as a minimum, not least because this is
the practical minimum for installing conventional roofing
materials such as asphalt or cedar shingles. Keep in mind,
though, that a 4-in-12 dormer might look good on an
8-in-12 roof, but a 10-in-12 or 12-in-12 roof needs a
steeper shed to look right.
When it comes time to build, you can meet a specific
pitch by using a calculator, or you can use the full-size sub-
floor drawing to decide on the appropriate pitch. Either way
you work it, the pitch could need some tweaking to look
right. The two most important things to consider are the
height of the front wall and the location where the tops of the rafters meet the main roof. Shed dormers that share the
ridge with the main roof (see the drawing below) are the easiest to build, but smaller dormers look better with their roofs
intersecting lower. Keep in mind that close to the ridge but not connected isn’t good. If the dormer doesn’t peak at the
ridge, you need to leave adequate room for roof vents and flashing.

Ridge Shed rafters need to be raised slightly to

make the ridge heights match.

Shed rafter

Alternative: Dormers that peak at the ridge

Shed dormers that peak at the ridge are easier to frame,
but be careful of the intersection of the two differing roof pitches.
If you align the tops of the dormer rafters with the tops of the
common rafters, the difference in roof pitches will lead to finished
Common ridge heights that don’t match. Raising the shed rafter slightly
rafter solves the problem.

104 Dormers and Bays

2. OVERHANGS AND HEADER HEIGHT Conventional approach Better approach
Dormer-roof trim and eave overhangs typically mimic
the main roof, though scaling down the sizes is usually Shallow bird’s- Single top plate
appropriate. Whatever the desired look, the details should mouth cut
2x blocking
be worked out at the framing stage. I draw in the window
nailed between
headers, figure the overhang, and draw out every layer from
rafters
subfascia to finished trim. In conventional 8-ft.-high walls,
window heads are typically between 80 in. and 84 in. from
the floor. This height provides comfortable viewing for most Bottom of
people in a standing position and also aligns window tops Double rafter is cut
with door tops. In a shed dormer, though, ceiling heights top plate flat to sit in
are often reduced, so it’s acceptable to lower the window joist hanger.
heights as well. Whenever possible, I raise the window head-
ers a bit (see the drawing at right). This gives me the option Window
of increasing the size of the windows if the design dictates. Window Joist hanger
header reinforces deep header
Window
height bird’s-mouth cut.

A better look: Raise the height of windows

Shed rafter This often-seen and, in my opinion, always ugly detail (see the drawing above left) has become
the conventional approach to building the front edge of the dormer roof. It’s easy to frame, but
Subfascia it forces you to lower the windows to accommodate the header. But by cutting a deep bird’s
mouth in the shed rafter and capping the wall with a single top plate, I can move up the header
and raise the window height (see the drawing above right).

Common Window
rafter
3. WINDOWS AND TRIM
Just as the proportions of the dormer should relate Windowsill
Window to the main roof, so should the proportions of the
header windows relate to the front wall of the dormer. It’s of-
ten helpful to use horizontally proportioned windows, Trim
which in many cases actually complement a well-
designed shed dormer. But take extra time planning
the trim details below the windows; this is a notorious Flashing
trouble spot and is difficult to correct without seeming
like an afterthought. The only sure way I’ve found to
get the spacing correct is to draw the trim components Roofing
on the full-size subfloor plans. Ideally, the windowsills
Window either should land just above the roofing or should be
rough raised up the height of one course of siding or trim.
opening Anywhere between leaves an awkward course of siding
or affects the trim proportions.
The beveled offcut
from the shed header
Ledger can be nailed to the 1⁄ 2-in.-thick
top of the ledger. sheathing
Stop the sheathing
at the roof ledger;
otherwise the space
Bottom under the short front
plate roof is impossible to
insulate properly.

Subfascia
Raise the wall but not quite plumb. Unless ceiling joists will
bear directly on the top plate of the front wall, lean the wall
in about 1 ⁄8 in. before bracing it; the rafter loads will push the
wall out as the building settles and the rafter crowns flatten.

Framing a Classic Shed Dormer 105

 Solid Planning Pays Off at the Building Stage

W ith a little extra planning, all

the dormer components fit
together nicely on the first try. For
easier to trace these oddly shaped
pieces than it is to measure and
fit them. Just remember to cut the
need to adjust the location of the
plumb cut. Don’t forget to subtract
the thickness of the beveled ledger
instance, the full-size drawing made wall sheathing 1 ⁄4 in. short. If scribed from the rafter length before making
it obvious that to ensure a smooth to the top and cut exactly, the wall the cuts. Toenail these rafters to
transition between the two different sheathing will push up on the roof the bottom plate running along the
planes of roof sheathing, the dormer sheathing as the rafters dry and outside edge of the subfloor, then
rafters (see the inset photo above) shrink (photo 2). nail them to the ledger on the face
should be cut so that they sit just The short rafters that make up of the wall (photo 3).
below the beveled dormer header the small piece of roof in front of If the ceiling will flatten at the
(photo 1). the shed dormer can be traced peak, it’s crucial to keep the joists
Always sheathe the cheek walls from the same template used to in plane with each other so that the
before you sheathe the roof; it’s a lot make the common rafters; you just joint between the ceiling and the

mark the bird’s mouth and tail cuts. Which- the ceiling and crippled in above, or framed
ever way you do it, make a pattern rafter, only from the common rafter to the dormer
and test it at both ends of the front wall roof for an open plan. Always sheathe these
and in the middle before you cut and hang walls before the roof, though; it’s easier to
the rafters. trace these oddly shaped pieces than it is to
Cheek walls on each end of the shed dor- measure and fit them. Just remember to cut
mer can be done three ways: framed in place the sheathing 1⁄4 in. shy to allow for rafter
and extending all the way up, framed flat to shrinkage. I finish by building the rake over-

106 Dormers and Bays

 Cheek Walls Are Framed in Place

S tart the cheek

walls by nailing
a top plate along the
underside of the outer-
most shed rafter. Next,
cut the bottom plate
to the desired length,
2 slide it against a
previously framed
wall to lay out the
stud spacing quickly
(photo 1), and nail the 1

plate to the subfloor.

Use a level to plumb up
from each stud mark
on the bottom plate,
3 then measure the
length, cut the studs
with the appropriate
top angle, and toenail
in place (photo 2).
Finish the cheek walls
by nailing angled block-
ing to the doubled raf- 2

ters at each stud bay

(photo 3). The blocking
4 should extend past
the top of the rafter to
dormer roof is straight, and so that the provide solid nailing
ceiling remains flat. I start by mea- for the cheek-wall
suring the ceiling height up from the sheathing.
subfloor at all four corners of the room;
then I snap a chalkline between the
points and install the joists with their
bottom edge on the chalkline (photo 4). 3

hangs and adding the subfascia, the block-

ing, the hardware, and the sheathing.

John Spier builds and renovates custom homes

and is a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding
magazine. He and his wife, Kerri, own and operate
Spier Construction, a general-contracting company
on Block Island, Rhode Island.

Framing a Classic Shed Dormer 107

2
dormers and bays

Framing
a Dramatic
Dormer
John Spier

A lot of houses built on New England’s

coast use dormers to tuck light, airy
living spaces under their roofs. Steep-roofed
such as cheeks, corner boards, or siding-to-
roof flashings, is an issue. Absence of these
details makes A-dormers easy to finish and
A-dormers are an attractive approach to this weatherproof.
style. A house my crew and I recently built
on Block Island, Rhode Island, incorporated
three A-dormers on the front of a conven-
First Building Steps
tional colonial-style roof. Are the Same as for
a Doghouse Dormer
What is an A-Dormer? As is the case with most other dormers, the
An A-dormer differs from most other dor- main roof of the house is framed first: The
mers in that its gable wall is built in the gables are raised, the ridge beam is set, and
same plane as the exterior wall of the house the common rafters are installed with dou-
below it (see the photo on the facing page). ble or triple rafters framing the openings left
It’s just about the only dormer that looks for the dormers (“Cutting and Setting Com-
good when not recessed into the roof. With mon Rafters,” on pp. 4–13). The dormers
steeply pitched roofs (these were 24-in-12), for this project were supported by 5-ft.-high
A-dormers provide minimal floor area, but kneewalls that extend inward from the out-
they can accommodate tall windows and side wall; in turn, beams in the ceiling below
interesting cathedral-ceiling details. The ex- carry the kneewalls. We framed these knee-
terior trim is usually simple with a uniform walls first and set all the common rafters for
soffit width and long rakes connected by the main roof outside of them.
minimal lengths of horizontal fascia. Because A-dormer gable walls are flush
Because the entire A-dormer roof extends with the wall below, the adjacent common
down to form a valley with the main roof of rafters must have their tails cut off flush
the house, none of the usual dormer details, with the exterior-wall plate (see the photos

108
 If doghouse dormers or shed
dormers aren’t dressy enough,
on p. 111). A triangulation using the dor- a reciprocating saw to finish the cuts also A-dormers can add an exciting
mer pitch and the kneewall height showed would work. design note, and they’re easier
which common rafters needed to be cut Next, we took the height of the dormer to seal against the elements.
flush and which needed full tails to carry the ridges from the plans and installed head-
fascia between the dormers. ers between the doubled common rafters
Next, we framed the gable faces of the on each side of the dormers. We nailed in
dormers. Lines snapped on the subfloor hangers to support the ends of the headers.
represent the top and bottom plates and the After the gables were made plumb, the ridge
king studs, and the walls are framed to the boards were cut, laid out, and nailed in place.
snapped lines and lifted into place in a min- Next, we made and tested a pattern rafter
iature version of raising the main gable. (without a tail), and we set a pair of rafters
The 24-in-12 pitch of these dormers re- on each dormer gable. We cut and installed
quired bevel cuts of 64° for the tops of the short studs under these gable rafters outside
studs, which is beyond the reach of any saw the kneewalls as nailers for the sheath-
I own. Because each of these narrow dormers ing and as a way to tie the common-rafter
had about only eight of these cuts, I mass- ends to the gable rafter of the dormer. After
produced the cuts by stacking the studs the rafters were in place, we extended the
on edge and gang-cutting them. An 8 ⁄ -in.
14 sheathing from the main house onto the
circular saw helped, but a regular saw with dormer gable.

Framing a Dramatic Dormer 109

 Not Your Basic Doghouse

A lthough
dramati-
cally different Ridge
when finished, an
Gable rafter
A-dormer’s initial
framing looks Header

much the same

as a doghouse
dormer (photo 1) Kneewall
with kneewalls and
a small gable wall.
But then the gable
rafters extend down
to meet the main
roof of the house
(photo 2), and the
unique A-dormer
character begins to
emerge. The wall
sheathing of the
main house contin-
ues onto the face
of the A-dormer
(photo 3).

Gable wall Common

rafter

Double
rafters

Sheathing

110 Dormers and Bays

 Two Types of Valleys
in Each Dormer
Roof valleys can be framed two ways, and
each dormer valley in this project is a hybrid
of both. The first method uses a valley rafter,
which carries jack rafters on each side. This
approach was used for the valleys above
and inside the plane of the kneewalls where
the interior was to be finished as cathedral
space.
The second approach, sometimes known
as a California valley, was used for the val-
leys below and outside the plane of the
kneewalls where the interior space was un-
1 important. A California valley is made by
framing (and in this case, sheathing) the
roof on one side of the valley, then building
the roof for the other side of the valley on
top of it.

Valley Rafters for

Tops of Dormers
Any regular valley between roofs of equal
pitch is fairly straightforward; the com-
pound cuts are all beveled at 45º, and stan-
dard tool settings and references are used
to calculate the valley-rafter angles. An
irregular valley, which joins roofs of differ-
ent pitch, introduces several complications.
These A-dormers with their 24-in-12 pitch
2
intersected a roof with a 10-in-12 pitch, cre-
ating an extremely irregular valley.
The first step is finding the angles and
location for the valley rafter (see the photos
and drawing on pp. 112–113), which is pos-
sible through advanced mathematics. But
every carpenter I know does it by snapping
lines and taking measurements. I start by
transferring the location of the valley/ridge
intersection to the floor with a plumb bob
or a tall level. With a straightedge, I draw
a line from that point to the corner of the
kneewall, which supports the lower end
of the valley rafter. Using a rafter square, I
3 then measure the bevel angle directly from
the floor.

Framing a Dramatic Dormer 111

 Gathering Valley-Rafter Information

T o find the bevel angle for

the valley rafters, the author
plumbs down from the ridge (1).
Lines drawn from the corner of the
Ridge
kneewall represent the valley, and
a rafter square finds the angle (2). 4. Length
That angle then is transferred to of seat cut is
measured.
the top of the kneewall (3), and the
5. String from
length of the seat cut is measured kneewall gives
for the valley-rafter layout (4). plumb-cut
A string from the kneewall to the angle.
ridge is used to find the plumb
cut (5).

3. Angle is
1. Line from transferred
valley/ridge to top of
intersection kneewall.
is plumbed
down and
transferred
to the floor.

Ridge line

Valley line Kneewall

2. Angle is found between ridge

and valley lines.
1

Next, I stretch a string from the corner of the seat cut to complete the valley-rafter
of the kneewall to the ridge and record layout.
the angle of the plumb cut with a rafter Another complication when dealing with
square. The length of the valley rafter then irregular valleys is the different depths of the
is measured between those points (along rafters for the different roof pitches. In some
the bottom edge of the rafter). I transfer the cases, the width of the stock can be adjusted.
bevel angle of the valley to the top of the In this more extreme case, I framed every-
kneewall, and then I can measure the length thing to the planes of the interior ceiling,

112 Dormers and Bays

 2 3

4 5

then allowed the plane of the deeper dormer lines, I cut the complementary angle
roof to land beyond the valley rafter on the (90º minus 72º, or 18º) along the heel of the
roof sheathing of the main house. rafter. Then I stood the rafter on edge and
One of the greatest challenges to framing made a 90º cut, letting the saw ride along
these dormers is cutting the extreme com- the bevel cut I just made, and I finished the
pound bevels on the ends of the valley and cut with a reciprocating saw.
jack rafters (see the photos on pp. 114–115),
in this case at 72º. After laying out the cut-

Framing a Dramatic Dormer 113

 Cutting the Valley Rafter

A fter the ends of the valley rafters are laid out, the first step to cutting the steep bevel angle is making the heel
cut or plumb cut at the complementary angle, in this case 18° (1). With the board on edge, a saw set at 90°
rides on the first cut to create the bevel angle of 72° (2). A reciprocating saw finishes the cut (3).

1 2

Seat cut
is made
at 90°.
1. Complementary
angle of heel cut
(18°) is made.

California Valleys subfascia to join the fly rafters of adjacent

dormers.
Simplify Framing the As I mentioned, we sheathe the common

Lower Dormer Roof roof with plywood before installing the plate
for the California valley (see the photos on
After the valley rafters and jack rafters are
pp. 116–117). For strength and simplicity,
installed, we lay out and finish the rest of
the sheathing runs to the sides of the dor-
the roof. First, we make a set of fly rafters
mer kneewalls.
with blocks to establish the overhang. These
We locate the plate for each California
rafters are installed with the lower ends left
valley by snapping a chalkline from the val-
long, and they then are cut in place to the
ley rafter to the outside edge of the gable
level of the common-rafter tails from the
rafter. After measuring the length, we cut a
main roof. Next, we install short sections of
2x10 plate (wide enough to catch the tails of

114 Dormers and Bays

 3

Just as if it grew here. When the valley is in place, the 72° heel
2. Saw set at 90° rides cut lies flat against the doubled common rafters. The rafter
on first heel cut for bottoms are kept flush, and the dormer roof sheathing hides
a 72° angle the height difference in the rafters.

3. Finish the
heel cut with a
reciprocating
saw.

Flip the board

on edge.

the rafters) that forms the base for the Cali-

fornia valley. We bevel one edge of the plate
Top-Down
to the angle of the dormer roof and cut the Sheathing Removes
angles for the ends, which we figure using a
rafter square along our snapped line. We nail
the Guesswork
The last step is sheathing the dormer roof.
the plate to the snapped line. The rafters for
As with most dormers, and especially with
the California valley are identical from the
roofs this steep, I find it easiest to work from
bird’s mouth at the kneewall up, so it’s just a
the top to the bottom. Not only do I usually
matter of cutting the tails to length.
have safer, more comfortable footing with
this method, but measuring the remaining
angled pieces is also easier.
After snapping the course lines, I start
with a full sheet of plywood at the upper

Framing a Dramatic Dormer 115

 Building a California Valley

W ith a standard valley above

and the main roof sheathed
(photo 1), the crew snaps a chalkline
for the edge of the California valley
(photo 2) and measures the length.
A 2x plate with a beveled edge forms
the base of the valley (photo 3), and
the rafters cut to length land on the
plate (photo 4). Sheathing is installed
from the top down (photo 5).

Challenging but dramatic. The steep pitches

and sharp angles of A-dormers are an extra
challenge for the roofing, plastering, and paint-
ing subcontractors, but the dramatic results are 1
worth the extra effort.

and outermost corner of the dormer roof.

The trapezoidal shape of succeeding pieces
of plywood then can be given to the person
doing the cutting simply by measuring the
short and long points or by using overall
lengths and the common difference.

John Spier builds and renovates custom homes

and is a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding
magazine. He and his wife, Kerri, own and operate
Spier Construction, a general-contracting company
on Block Island, Rhode Island.

116 Dormers and Bays

2 3

4 5

Framing a Dramatic Dormer 117

2
dormers and bays

A Gable-Dormer
Retrofit
scott mcbride

C arol and Scott Little’s home draws

its inspiration from the cottages of
colonial Williamsburg and the one-and-a-
Full-height dormer sidewalls stood just
inside these trimmers, extending into the
house as far as the bedroom kneewalls. Addi-
half story homes of Cape Cod. Both styles tional in-fill framing completed the dormer
typically feature a pair of front-facing gable walls that were above the sloped bedroom
dormers. But for some reason, the builder of ceiling.
the Littles’s house put only one dormer on Fortunately, three rafter bays at the other
the front, leaving the facade looking unbal- end of the roof landed within a few inches
anced. I was hired to add a new dormer on of balancing with the location of the exist-
the front of the house to match the existing ing dormer. Consequently, I had only to sis-
one and, for more light, added a scaled- ter new rafters to the insides of the existing
down version of the same dormer on the ones to form the new trimmers, and I could
back of the single-story wing. match the framing of the existing front
As the crew set up the scaffolding and dormer, leaving a uniform roof placement,
rigged the tarps against the possibility of appearance, and size.
rain (see the sidebar on p. 120), I crawled
under the eaves to study the existing roof.
I soon realized that framing the sidewalls
Cut the Opening and
of the two dormers and directing their load Shore Up the Main-
paths would require different strategies, as
would the way the dormer ridges would be
Roof Framing First
tied to the main roof. After laying out the plan of the front dormer

The first consideration in a retrofit is the on the subfloor, I used a plumb bob to pro-

location of the dormers, and the second is ject its two front corners up to the underside

their framing. The existing front dormer of the roof sheathing. Drilling through the

fit neatly into three bays of the 16-in. o.c. roof at this location established the refer-

main-roof rafters. These main-roof rafters ence points for removing the shingles and

(or commons) were doubled up on each side cutting the openings.

of the dormer, creating the trimmer rafters The tricky part was establishing how far

that carry the roof load for the dormers. up the slope to cut the opening. To play it

118
A Gable-Dormer Retrofit 119
 Protecting the Roof

T o protect the exposed roof against rain, we rolled

up new poly tarps around 2x4s and mounted
them on the roof ridge above each dormer. The tarps
with some additional lumber laid on top as ballast.
The ballast boards were tacked together as a crude
framework so that they would not blow away individu-
were rolled down like window shades each evening, ally in high winds.

safe, I first opened just enough room to raise Inserting new rafters into an already-
the full-height portion of the sidewalls (see sheathed roof can be problematic because
the drawing on the facing page). With those of the shape of the rafters. They are much
walls up and later with some dormer rafters longer along the top edge than along the
in place, I could project back to the roof to bottom, so there’s no way to slip them up
define the valley and then enlarge the open- from below. A standard 16-in. bay doesn’t
ing accordingly. afford nearly enough room to angle them

120 Dormers and Bays

 Supporting the Dormer

A fter doubling the rafters flanking each dormer,

the author cut out the existing rafters where
they crossed through the dormer. He installed a
place. Because the floor joists ran parallel to the front
wall instead of sitting on it, the author transferred the
weight from the sidewalls to the trimmer rafters with
strongback across the collar ties to support the 6-in. spikes.
upper cripple rafters until the roof header was in

Main roof ridge

Collar tie
Upper cripple rafter

Third opening in roof Dormer ridge

Roof header The roof was

cut in three
Strongback Doubled-up stages as the
supports up- trimmer rafter exact locations
per cripple of the full-height
rafters until walls, the in-fill
header is Second opening in roof framing, and
installed. the dormer
roof planes
In-fill 2x4s became clear.

Each new rafter

was cut short
Barn spikes transfer
at the lower
roof load from walls
end to permit
to trimmer rafter.
installation,
then sistered
to an existing
First opening in roof
rafter.

Raising the walls. With the full-length

sidewalls up, the carpenter projected
back from the top plate to determine
where to enlarge the roof opening. Front
wall

Floor joists parallel to front wall

in, either. To form the new trimmer rafters, fact, I did follow this step with the smaller
we cut the new members about 6 in. short of rear dormer (see the sidebar on pp. 122–
the wall plate before we secured them to the 123), but that would not work in this case.
existing rafters. Here, the floor joists ran parallel to the front
When faced with this situation, I nor- wall, instead of perpendicular to it, and so
mally use posts to transfer the load from the could not transfer the load to the wall.
trimmer rafters to an above-floor header. In

A Gable-Dormer Retrofit 121

 Back Dormer Demands Different Strategies

U nfortunately, when it came to the smaller

dormer in back, the existing rafter layout did
not match where the dormer needed to be, as was
maximize floor space in this storage area, I built
the sidewalls on top of the rafters, which pushed
the kneewall back and allowed the ceiling slope to
the case in front. Here, I had to build new trimmer extend all the way to the dormer’s gable wall (see
rafters in the middle of the existing rafter bays. the drawing below).
The attic space differed, too. Whereas the front As in the front dormer, we cut the new trimmer
dormer served a bedroom, the back dormer was rafters short. This time, however, the floor joists ran
in a storage room. Because the owner wanted to perpendicular to the front and back walls, which

Above-floor header
distributes weight
Dormer ridge dies into main-roof ridge. of the dormer
There wasn’t enough room
in the existing roof structure
to install full-length trimmer
rafters that would bear on
the exterior wall. Instead,
the trimmers were cut short,
and an above-floor header
was used to transfer their
Trimmer rafters loads to the floor joists
and to the exterior wall.

Spreading the load. A doubled-up 2x6

sits on top of the attic floor and spreads Above-floor
the load of the new dormer over four header
floor joists.

Floor joists

I decided simply to let the existing single With the new trimmer rafters in, the ex-
rafter carry the load for the last 6 in. to the isting main-roof rafters falling between them
front wall plate. This situation is not the were cut and partially torn out to make
ideal solution, but the weight of the dormer room for the dormers. The portions above
is not great enough to overtax the rafters and below the dormer would remain as
over such a short span, and doubling up the cripple rafters. The lower cripple rafters were
new trimmer rafters would at least stiffen plumb-cut in line with the dormer front wall
the existing rafters considerably. where they would be spiked to cripple studs.

122 Dormers and Bays

In the doghouse. Narrow dormers are prone to racking. Finding the bottom of the valley. A straightedge is laid
To stiffen this one, the author sheathed the front wall across the dormer rafters to project the roof surface to
with a single sheet of plywood. the inside of the trimmer rafter.

meant that I could use posts to transfer the load the main-roof ridge, I tied the dormer ridge and the
from the trimmer rafters to an above-floor header main-roof ridge directly together instead of building a
(see the photo on the facing page). The header separate dormer header.
distributes the weight over several floor joists, and Measuring and cutting the valley rafters was the
the joists carry the weight back to the wall. The same for the back as for the front with the exception
additional strain imposed on the floor joists is mini- that at the bottom of the back dormer’s valley raf-
mal because the header is so close to the wall. ters, the compound miters did not need a level seat
The location of the back dormer’s roof ridge cut because the valley rafters would not sit on top
altered another aspect of the framing. Because this of 2x4 wall plates. Instead, the valley rafters were
dormer’s roof ridge was at the same elevation as simply nailed to the face of the trimmer rafters.

Rough cuts were then made at the top, leav- strongback across four collar ties, including
ing the upper cripple rafters long. These the collar ties connected to the recently
rafters would be trimmed back further only doubled trimmers. This strongback would
later, after we established the precise loca- support both the collar ties and the upper
tion of the dormer-roof header. cripple rafters until we could install the
To support the upper cripple rafters dormer-roof header.
temporarily, I climbed up into the little at-
tic above the bedroom. There I laid a 2x4

A Gable-Dormer Retrofit 123

 Dormer Sidewalls catch the top of the crown molding. The
eaves section drawing helped to establish
Can Be Framed the cuts for the rafter tails and trim details.

Two Ways Along the rakes, the crown molding was

picked up by the roof sheathing, which was
With trimmer rafters installed and cripple
beveled and extended out past the gable
rafters secured, I could proceed with the
wall. Using a short piece of molding as a
walls. I know two common ways to frame
template, I worked out the amount of the
dormer sidewalls: You can stand a full-height
overhang and the correct bevel for the edge
wall next to a trimmer rafter, or you can
of the sheathing in the rake-section drawing.
build a triangular sidewall on top of a trim-
Juxtaposing the drawings ensured that the
mer rafter, which is how I framed the rear
rake crown, the eave crown, and the level-
dormer. To match the new front dormer to
return crown would all converge crisply at a
the existing one, I used full-height studs
single point.
16 in. o.c. only as far in as the kneewall.
This type of dormer sidewall normally
delivers the weight of a dormer to the floor. Framing the Roof
In new construction, this weight is taken
up by doubling the floor joists under these
Defines the Valleys
Ready to proceed with the roof framing, we
walls. I didn’t want to tear out the finished
set up two pairs of common rafters with a
floor, however, so I joined the full-length
temporary ridge board between them. Then
sidewalls to the trimmer rafters by predrill-
we used a straightedge to project the outline
ing and pounding two 6-in. barn spikes
of the dormer roof planes onto the main
through each stud. This transferred the load
roof and cut back the main-roof sheathing
to the trimmer rafters rather than placing it
accordingly (see the drawing on p. 126).
on the floor framing. I’ve seen barn spikes
Having established the elevation of the
withstand tremendous shear loads in agri-
dormer ridge, we trimmed back the upper
cultural buildings, so I felt confident they
cripple rafters and then installed the roof
could carry this little dormer.
header to carry the permanent dormer ridge
board. The roof header spans between the
Plan the Cornice trimmer rafters, carrying the dormer ridge

Details before and the valley rafters. (On the rear dormer,
the ridge was level with the main-roof ridge,
Framing the Roof so no header was necessary there.)
With the walls up, the roof framing, which When the dormer common rafters and
is the most complicated, came next. Before ridge were installed permanently, we used
cutting any dormer rafters, though, I drew the straightedge again to find the intersec-
a full-scale cornice section, using the exist- tion of the dormer roof planes and the
ing dormer as a model. Worrying about trim inside face of each trimmer rafter (see the
before there is even a roof may seem like photo on p. 123). This point is where the
the tail wagging the dog; but it makes sense, centers of the valley rafters would meet
especially in a retrofit. The existing dormer the trimmer rafters. At their tops, the val-
featured a pediment above the window. The ley rafters would nuzzle into the right angle
eaves had neither soffit nor fascia, just a formed between the dormer ridge and the
crown molding making the transition from main-roof header.
the frieze board to the roof (see the photo I like to “back” my valley rafters, a pro-
on the facing page). That detail reduced the cess of beveling them so that they accept
dormer rafter tail to a mere horn that would the sheathing of each adjoining roof on its

124 Dormers and Bays

 A crowning moment.
Three pieces of crown
converge at the bottom
corners of the pediment.
Trim, casings, and sills,
primed on every side,
resist rot.

A Gable-Dormer Retrofit 125

Dormer Rafters Help to Locate Valleys

Once the in-fill 2x4s were added to

complete the sidewalls, four dormer
Upper cripple rafters and a temporary ridge were raised.
Doubled rafters This established the dormer-roof planes,
valley which could then be projected onto the
rafters main roof to locate the roof header and
Roof header the valleys. The roof was then cut back
farther and the permanent framing
installed.

Last section
of roof to be
opened up
Dormer ridge

In-fill 2x4s

Dormer roof
planes establish
the valley.

Full-height
sidewall

126 Dormers and Bays

respective plane. Because a cathedral ceiling
was to wrap under the valley, I backed the
lower edge of the valley as well, giving a nice
surface for attaching drywall. In addition
to backing, I double valleys, even when not
structurally necessary, because it gives ample
bearing for plywood above and drywall be-
low. Doubling valley rafters also simplifies
the cheek-cut layout at the top and bottom
of the valley because a single compound mi-
ter is made on each piece instead of a double
compound miter on a single piece.
Because of the dormer’s diminutive size,
valley jack rafters weren’t required. Conse-
quently, with the valleys in place, the fram-
ing was complete, and we could dry it in.

Careful Sheathing
and Flashing Combat
Wind and Water
We sheathed the front of each dormer with
a single piece of plywood for maximum
shear strength (see the left photo on p. 123).
With so little wall area next to the windows,
I was concerned that the dormer might rack
in high winds. The small back dormer was
especially worrisome because it had no full-
length sidewalls to combat racking, but the
single piece of plywood on its front stiffened
the whole structure. We extended the roof
sheathing past the gable wall and beveled it
to receive the rake crown molding.
Flashing work began with an aluminum
apron flashing at the bottom of the dormer
front wall (see the top photo at right). The
downhill fin of this flashing extends a few
inches beyond both sides of the dormer, and
its vertical fin was notched and folded back
along the sidewall. Then the first piece of
step flashing had its vertical fin folded back
along the front wall to protect the corners
where the apron flashing had been notched Keep the water moving down. An apron flashing seals the front wall with its ends
bent around the corners (top photo). Then the lowest step flashings have their ver-
(see the bottom photo at right). Step flash-
tical fins bent over to cover the notches in the apron (bottom photo).
ings march up along both sides of the dor-
mer, with the uppermost pieces trimmed to
fit tightly beneath the dormer roof sheath-
ing. It was tough work weaving step flash-

A Gable-Dormer Retrofit 127

Water-table flashing protects window and trim. The crown that forms the bottom of the pediment will go below the flashed water
table and miter with an eave crown (seen poking out past the corner).

128 Dormers and Bays

ings into the existing cedar-shake roof. Hid- the ticket. To my great relief, we hit upon a
den nails had to be extracted with a shingle more savory alternative. We brushed on an
ripper, a tool with a flat, hooked blade. If I undercoat of Minwax Jacobean, followed
To promote air
had it to do over, I would sever these nails by a top coat of oil-based exterior stain in a circulation,
with a reciprocating saw before the dormer driftwood-type shade. The undercoat added the ends of the
sidewalls were framed. a nice depth to the gray top coat. corner boards
The valley flashing was trimmed flush
Scott McBride has been a carpenter for more and rake boards
with the dormer ridge on one side of the
roof, and the opposing valley flashing was
than 34 years and is a contributing editor to Fine were elevated an
Homebuilding magazine. He lives in Sperryville,
notched so that it could be bent over the Virginia. inch or so above
ridge. We protected the point where the nearby flashings.
valleys converge at the dormer ridge with a
small flap of aluminum with its corners bent
into the valley. This approach is more reli-
able than caulk.
The last piece of flashing to go on was the
gable water-table flashing (see the photo on
the facing page). Its front edge turns down
over the return crown molding, and its rear
corners fold up under the extended roof
sheathing to repel wind-driven rain.

Finish Trim
Improves on Weather
Performance of
Existing Dormer
The house is just a few years old, but the
existing front dormer had suffered extensive
decay. In the worst shape were the finger-
jointed casings and sill extensions that the
original builder had used. To avoid a repeat
of this calamity, I used only solid moldings
and bought cedar for the trim boards. Every-
thing was primed, especially the ends. To
promote air circulation, the ends of corner
boards and rake boards were elevated an
inch or so above nearby flashings.
We wanted the new cedar shakes on
the dormer to blend in with the existing
weathered roof. I asked around for a stain
recipe, but the only response I got was from
an old farmer standing at the lumberyard
counter. He insisted that horse manure was

A Gable-Dormer Retrofit 129

2
dormers and bays

Framing an
Elegant Dormer
John Spier

S ome years ago, my wife, Kerri, and I

built a small Cape-style house for our-
selves on Block Island, Rhode Island, where
As our dormer took shape, an old-timer
on the island told us that what we were
building was called a Nantucket dormer. The
we live and work. Most small Capes have name stuck, and we use it to describe the
essentially the same upstairs plan: a central several different variations that we’ve built
stairwell and a bathroom at the head of the since, including the project here. Ironically,
stairs with bedrooms on each side. Dormers the history experts on Nantucket island dis-
provide the headroom to make these up- avow any connection to the name, claiming
stairs spaces usable. that the design has no historical precedent.
The most common arrangement is prob-
ably a doghouse, or gable, dormer in each of
the bedrooms, with a larger dormer on the
Two Different
other side for the bathroom. Another alter- Strategies for Two
native is a shed dormer over all three spaces,
but we weren’t too keen on that look. Then
Different Interiors
at some point, one of us found a picture of Even though its design seems to be two dor-

a dormer that was essentially two doghouse mers connected by a third, the Nantucket

dormers connected by a shed dormer. dormer is actually built as a single structure.

This design would give us as much in- The front wall can be a single plane, or its

terior space as a shed dormer, and it was center section can be recessed. The project

a lot nicer-looking. Of course, we argued here has the center section stepped back, a

over the choice at great length. Kerri, the look that I’ve come to prefer. As with most

artist, insisted on the beauty and complica- dormers, I think Nantucket dormers look

tion of this hybrid dormer (see the photo better if the walls are set back from the ends

on p. 132), while I, the practical carpenter, and edges of the main roof and from the

thought about how much easier and faster plane of the walls below.

a basic shed dormer would be. I never had a

chance of winning that argument.
The doghouse-dormer wall is plumbed and
braced in place.

130
Framing An Elegant Dormer 131
Hybrid dormer. Doghouse dormers create more room and larger egress for the bedrooms at the ends of this house, while the shed
room in between creates a space for a full bath.

I frame Nantucket dormers two different The key element in supporting a Nantucket-
ways to produce two distinctively different dormer design is that it is point-loaded,
The key element interiors. The difference, roughly speaking, either at the bases of the valleys or at the
in supporting a is that one method uses structural rafters bottoms of the carrying rafters. Those loads
Nantucket-dormer and the other uses structural valleys. need to be carried by appropriate floor or
design is that it Framing the dormers with structural wall structures below. The same frame that
valleys allows the interior partitions to be supports the uniform load of a shed dormer
is point-loaded,
eliminated, creating one big open room with might not carry the point loads of a Nan-
either at the bases interesting angular ceiling planes. For the tucket dormer. If you have any doubts at all,
of the valleys or at project here, however, we used the structur- it’s a good idea to have a structural engineer
the bottoms of the al-rafter method to create the more common evaluate the support structure.
floor plan with two bedrooms and a bath.
carrying rafters.

132 Dormers and Bays

Doghouse Walls Next, we turn our attention to the main
ridge of the house. Temporary scaffolding
Go Up First or pipe staging is set up down the middle of
After the main gables of the house are raised the house to work from while the ridge is
and braced, we lay out the locations of the set. We place the ridge boards (in this case,
main roof rafters on the top of the main wall 2x12s) on top of the plates and transfer the
plates. We also locate and snap lines for the rafter layout directly from plate to ridge (see
outside walls of the doghouses and the shed the photo below).
on the second-floor deck. The ridge boards are set in their pockets
The first things that we build are the and held up with temporary posts and a few
two doghouse gables. The walls are framed, common rafters, which help to keep them
sheathed, housewrapped, and trimmed be- straight and level.
fore they are lifted and braced plumb (see
the photo on p. 131).

Laying out the ridge. To get the rafter layout to match precisely, the layout on the plates is transferred directly to the ridge stock.

Framing An Elegant Dormer 133

 Structural Rafters below the doubled rafters. If you’re building
larger dormers, a triple rafter or a double LVL
and Headers Form can be used.

the Backbone of The four sets of structural rafters split the

main roof into three bays. Our next step is
the Dormer Roof to hang doubled 2x12 headers in each of
With the ridge in place, the structural rafters these bays. The tops of the headers are bev-
adjacent to the doghouse walls are installed. eled to match the pitch of the rafters they
We doubled these rafters using ⁄ -in. ply-
12 hang from, and steel hangers hold the head-
wood spacers in between to create a total ers in place.
thickness of 3 ⁄ in., which matches the
12 The two outside headers carry the valley
width of wall plates for interior partitions rafters and the ridges of the doghouses. The

Backbone of an Elegant Dormer

The basic structural support of this dormer consists of
four sets of doubled rafters and three headers that span
Structural rafters with between them. The outer headers carry the doghouse
Ridge pocket
⁄ -in. plywood spacers
12
ridges and the valleys, while the center header carries
the rafters for the shed section. The tops of the headers
are beveled to match the slope of the roof.

Structural rafters with

1 ⁄ 2-in. plywood spacers
Doghouse
ridge
Main ridge

Headers beveled
to roof pitch
hung on metal
hangers
Doghouse
ridge

Outer walls
of dormer Sidewall
or cheek
Second floor plan

134 Dormers and Bays

 Doghouse ridge drops in.
The doghouse ridge connects
center header holds the rafters of the shed
section. Along with the structural rafters and
Lining Up the Roof the outer wall of the doghouse
dormer to the header.
the dormer walls, these headers form the Planes and Soffits
backbone support for the dormer-roof struc- Until this point, all the framing has been
ture (see the drawing on the facing page). fairly routine. But now we bump into the
While the headers are being built and chief complication in framing the Nantucket
installed, other crew members build and dormer, the fact that the shed roof in the
raise the front wall of the shed section. middle is at a different pitch from the gable
Next, we build and sheathe the triangular roofs of the doghouse dormers on each side.
sidewalls, or cheeks, on the doghouses that In this case, the pitch of the main house
support the common rafters for the two end roof and the doghouse roofs was 12-in-12,
sections. The doghouse ridges are dropped and the shed roof worked out to be 7-in-12.
in next (see the photo above), and their Different roof pitches mean that the
common rafters are cut and installed. valleys where the roof pitches intersect are
irregular (they don’t run at a 45° angle in
plan). It also means that the roof planes
have to align and that the rafter tails have to

Framing An Elegant Dormer 135

 Working out the Details of the Shed Rafters

The rafters on the doghouse sections are 12-in-12 pitch, and the shed rafters are 7-in-12 pitch.
A three-step drawing gets the fascias and soffits to line up, along with the roof and ceiling planes.

Shed rafter Doghouse rafter

Matching height
above plate

Height above
plate carried over Height above
plate

Line drawn
at 7-in-12 pitch Doghouse
common roof
Outer wall of Doghouse-dormer rafter 12-in-12 pitch
shed section sidewall (predetermined)

Aligning fascias and soffits

Subfascia

Fascia
Fascia size Soffit Soffit
carried over carried over

Determining rafter width 2x8 doghouse

rafters
2x10 shed rafters

Full 2x10 width

Amount
of rip

136 Dormers and Bays

 be adjusted to get consistent fascia heights
and soffit levels. So early on in the process, I
work out the rafter details (see the drawings
on the facing page). These elements can be
Finding the Exact Rip
worked out on the drawing board, but most
Once the stock size of the shed rafters
often, I make a full-scale drawing of the trim
has been determined (in this case,
details on either rafter stock or on a sheet of
2x10), a simple procedure determines
plywood. With this on-site drawing, I can
the final rafter width. First, the height-
design the rafter tails before I pick up a saw.
above-plate distance is measured for
Another complication caused by the dif-
the 2x8 doghouse-dormer rafters. Next,
fering roof pitches is getting the planes of
that distance is transferred to a plumb-
the cathedral ceiling inside to line up. Ob-
cut line at the shed-rafter pitch. That
viously, a 2x10 rafter meeting a valley at a
point marks the final width of the rafter.
12-in-12 pitch will do so at a much different
depth than one meeting it at a 7-in-12 pitch.
The simplest approach to this problem is to
increase the size of the framing material for
the shed-roof section. With dormer gables at
the same pitch as the main roof, the verti-
cal depth of the rafters at the plate can be
measured. The central shed portion of the
dormer has a shallower pitch, so it requires a
larger rafter size to achieve the same vertical
dimension. For this project, the doghouse
rafters were made of 2x8s, but the shed-roof
rafters had to be 2x10s. But for the roof
planes outside and the ceiling planes inside
to match up, the 2x10s had to be ripped
down to around 9 in. (see the drawing and
photo at left).

Valleys Are Strung

and Measured
Four years of architecture and engineering
Height above plate Height above school taught me that it is possible to work
for doghouse rafter plate at 7-in-12 out the framing details of an irregular valley
at 12-in-12 pitch pitch plumb cut
using math and geometry. They even gave
me the tools and education to do it. But
20 years as a carpenter have taught me that
figuring out irregular valleys is faster and
easier with a taut string.
After cutting and installing the common
rafters and subfascia for both the doghouses
and shed, I stretch a string from the corner
Full Remove Final Full where the subfascias meet up to the intersec-
width this rafter width
of 2x8 amount. width of 2x10 tion of the header and the doghouse ridge.
From this string, I measure the length of

Framing An Elegant Dormer 137

Measuring an irregular valley. The quickest way to figure out the irregular valley is to stretch a line from corner to corner.
Here, a measurement is taken along that line.

Finding the plumb cut. A rafter square held in the corner against Corner of the valley. Angles that are taken on each side of the
the string determines the angle of the valley plumb cuts. string determine the corner cuts that are needed for the ends of
the valley rafter.

138 Dormers and Bays

 Valley rafter slips into place.
After all the angles have been
the valley rafters (see the top photo on the If I have a lot of those cuts to make or cut into the valley rafters, in-
facing page) as well as the angles of the top if the framing is going to be left exposed, I cluding a bevel on the bottom
edge where the ceiling planes
and bottom plumb cuts (see the bottom left make my cuts with a jig using either a hand-
intersect, the valleys are nailed
photo on the facing page), the seat-cut angle, saw or a reciprocating saw to make a clean, in permanently.
and the bevel angles I need to cut into the accurate cut. However, the typical dormer
rafter ends (see the bottom right photo on has only three or four jack rafters per side,
the facing page). Armed with all this infor- so I mark the angles on the rafter stock and
mation, I cut a valley rafter and drop it into cut them with a circular saw as close as the
place. Then, using a straightedge from the saw allows. I carve out the remainder of the
commons on each side, I mark the bevel wood by slowly and carefully dragging the
cuts on the bottom edge. circular saw blade across the face of the cut.
After cutting the bevels, I install the This operation is potentially dangerous, so if
valley rafters permanently (see the photo you’re not comfortable with it, you can use
above) and then lay out and measure the one of the methods mentioned above.
jack rafters. The jack rafters in the center
section usually have a compound cut where
the miter is beyond the 45° or even 60° that
most saws can cut.

Framing An Elegant Dormer 139

Jack rafters complete the
framing. With the valleys in
place, jacks are cut and in-
stalled to finish the framing
The Rest Is Plywood here in New England, we nail 1x3 strapping
to the rafters, usually 12 in. or 16 in. o.c.
of the roof planes. While jacks are being cut and fit (see the Strapping the ceilings of the Nantucket
photo above), other crew members fill in the dormer not only simplifies board hanging,
cripple rafters that complete the main roof providing an extra measure of resistance
framing below the three dormer sections. to deflection and nail popping, but the
The subfascia is applied to the main eaves, strapping also helps to provide a smooth,
and we can start running the sheathing. easy transition between the various ceiling
Other than the fact that the various plywood planes. To this end, I usually supplement the
shapes are somewhat irregular, sheathing strapping by running 1x6 or 1x4 on the un-
proceeds in the usual fashion, working dersides of the valley rafters where the roof
from the eaves up (see the photo on the planes intersect.
facing page).
With the outside framed, sheathed, and John Spier builds and renovates custom homes
ready for roofing, we can turn our attention and is a frequent contributor to Fine Homebuilding
magazine. He and his wife, Kerri, own and operate
to the inside. The interior of a Nantucket
Spier Construction, a general-contracting company
dormer is usually finished with a cathedral on Block Island, Rhode Island.
ceiling, which helps the small second-story
spaces to feel more spacious and airy.
Instead of applying the cathedral-ceiling
finishes directly to the bottoms of the rafters,

140 Dormers and Bays

Skinning the dormer. When the framing is com-
plete, the sheathing is applied, bringing out the
final dramatic shape of the Nantucket dormer.

Framing An Elegant Dormer 141

2
dormers and bays

Framing a
Bay-Window
Roof
Scott McBride

F or as long as architects have been draw-

ing bay windows, carpenters have been
scratching their heads about framing the
Roofs on Site-Built or
Manufactured Bays
roofs. Victorian builders sometimes got
around the problem by letting two-story
are Much the Same
The skeleton of a bay roof breaks down into
bays die into a projection of the main roof
two parts (see the drawing on p. 144). The
above. Tract builders in the 1950s did like-
first part is the cornice, an assembly of hori-
wise by tucking bay windows under over-
zontal lookouts tied together by subfascias.
hanging second floors or wide eaves.
(A subfascia will receive a finished material,
When a bay bumps out on its own, how-
in this case aluminum coil stock. If you’re
ever, it needs a miniature hip roof to keep
planning to install a painted wood fascia,
out the elements. Because the corners of
you can substitute the finished fascia mate-
bay windows aren’t square, neither is the
rial for the subfascia.) A horizontal ledger
roof above, and figuring the rafter cuts isn’t
carries the lookouts where they attach to the
straightforward. I’ve built many of these
building.
roofs and have worked out a system that
The common rafters for the middle roof,
does the job without guesswork.
hip rafters, and jack rafters comprise the sec-
ond part of the skeleton. The side roofs also
require sloped ledgers to support the sheath-
ing where it meets the building.
Bays can be site-framed or manufactured
units. When the walls of a bay are framed
on site, the horizontal lookouts double as
ceiling joists. In that case, the lookouts bear
directly on the wall’s top plates.

142
A sturdy scaffold makes for efficient bay-roof construction. The walk-board height allows work to be done at waist level. The boards
behind serve as a workbench, saving a lot of climbing up and down.
Framing a Bay-Window Roof 143
 Two Distinct Assemblies Comprise a Bay Roof

The lower portion, or cornice, rests on the bay’s walls, or on 2x4 plates fastened to the
headboard if it’s a manufactured unit. The rafters that form the roof’s upper portion fasten
to the cornice members and to the house wall.

Plumb cuts Plumb line on

Rafters house wall

Side ledger

Seat cuts

Jack
rafter
Hip Hip
rafter rafter
Common rafters
Cornice
Horizontal ledger Hip lookouts Side lookout

Subfascia

Common lookouts
Bay
Headboard Hip centerlines Plates

When I’m installing a manufactured bay, lets in more light and provides room for
as I did for this project, the bay’s plywood insulation, which must usually be installed
headboard provides the ceiling. With the before the roof is sheathed. As a final plus,
bay installed, I screw through the headboard adding plates to the headboard provides a
to affix 2x4 plates above, parallel with the meatier surface for nailing the lookouts.
bay’s outside edges. I nail a second plate
atop the first. This step makes room for a
3-in. frieze above the windows, which I
think looks better than having the fascia di-
rectly above the glass. Raising the overhang

144 Dormers and Bays

 Lay out the Hips with a framing square

The hip’s centerlines bisect the bay’s 135° outside corners, so their angle is 67.5°.
A 5-in-12 pitch on a framing square also yields 67.5°.

67.5°
135°

12
45° bay
headboard
Hip centerlines 5

There Are No in this project work on 30° bays, or bays of

any angle for that matter, but you’ll have to
Rectangles in a adjust the angles accordingly.

Hipped Bay Roof To lay out the hip centerline accurately, I

use a framing square. Conveniently, a 5:12
A frequent mistake is framing the middle
angle on a framing square is equal to 67.5°,
roof as a rectangle, using common rafters as
the hip angle of a 45° bay. I place 5 on the
hips. This error makes the side roofs steeper
apex of the bay’s angle, 12 on either the
than the middle roof. The result looks
front or side edge of the bay, and mark on
clunky, and the disparity in pitch compli-
the 5 side. Doubling 5:12 to 10:24 provides
cates the cornice details.
even greater accuracy.
Bisecting the bay angle with the hip
I pencil plumb lines on the house wall
shapes the middle roof as a trapezoid and
where the hip centerlines intersect it. These
also ensures that the middle roof and the
plumb lines serve as references for locating
side roofs will be equally pitched.
the hip lookouts and hip rafters.
Before attaching the plates, I draw the
centerline of each hip on the headboard, ex-
tending the line all the way to the house. To Lookouts Form
find the centerlines, it helps to realize that
the angle encompassed by a bay window is
a Map for the
not its nominal angle, in this case 45°, but Rafters to Follow
rather its supplement. (An angle plus its sup- After plating, I install the 2x6 horizontal
plement equals 180°.) So the outer corners ledger. Its ends function as lookouts, sup-
of a 45° bay each encompass an angle of porting the subfascias where they die into
135° (see the drawing above). The hips bisect the building. I cut the ledger’s ends to match
these angles, so the hip centerline angle for the bay’s angle and its length to support the
a 45° bay is half of 135°, or 67.5°. The other subfascia at the proper overhang.
common bay angle is 30°. The techniques

Framing a Bay-Window Roof 145

 Next come the common lookouts. I usu- cinctly by one of my backwoods buddies:
ally start the layout in the bay’s middle and “We just cut on ’er till she fits.”
Drawing bay roofs work outward. By centering either a lookout I start the graphic development by draw-
out full scale is or the space between two lookouts, I can lay ing a half-plan that shows the outside of the
the key to fast and out the cornice so that a common lookout bay’s cornice (see the top drawing on the
ends up close to each hip. In this way, I can facing page). The first line to be added to the
accurate framing.
usually avoid having to place a jack lookout half-plan is the run of the hip, AB, drawn as
between the last common and the hip. Be- it was on the headboard. Next, I draw the
cause I position a rafter over each lookout, run of a common rafter, BC, perpendicular
this consideration also eliminates a jack rafter. to the house wall.
Common lookouts are cut square on both The next move is establishing the slope
ends, but I miter the side lookouts at 45° of the common rafters. Sometimes I know
where they hit the ledger. In both cases, I the pitch, such as the 8-in-12 pitch shown
find their length by measuring the distance on the facing page. In that case, I lay out the
from the ledger to the outside of the plate, common-rafter slope with a framing square
then adding the overhang less the subfascia. (see line CD in the center drawing on the
I nail the common and side lookouts to the facing page).
ledger before cutting the hip lookouts. Other times, I want the roof of the bay
To find the length of the hip lookouts, I to top out at a particular elevation, such as
cut a 221 ⁄2° miter on the inboard end of an the bottom of a window or the bottom of a
oversize piece of lookout stock. I tack this clapboard. To find the slope of the common
stock in position above the hip centerline rafters in these cases, I measure the rise from
and use a straightedge to project lines from the top of the lookouts to the desired eleva-
the ends of the common and side lookouts. tion. On the drawing, I place D this distance
These lines should cross the end of the hip from B.
to form a 221 ⁄2° miter. I trim and perma- To find the slope of the hip, I swing an
nently install the hip lookouts. Hanging the arc from D and centered on B until it crosses
subfascias completes the cornice frame. a line raised perpendicular to AB. The point
of intersection is E, and BE represents the
rise of the hip. The idea behind swinging an
Drawing the Roof arc is to transfer the rise of the common, BD,
First Takes the to the rise of the hip, BE, because the com-

Guesswork from mon and the hip rise the same distance.
The side ledger also rises the same dis-
the Rafter Angles tance as the common and the hip. To find
The rafters of a bay roof contain a surprising it, extend line BC until it intersects the arc
variety of angles. To understand these angles at F. BF is the rise of the ledger, and it cor-
and make a more accurate job, I sometimes responds to the plumb line drawn on the
draw them on a sheet of plywood. This house’s wall. FG is the ledger’s slope (see the
process is called graphic development. Bay bottom drawing on the facing page).
roofs are generally small enough to draw full Full-scale graphic development provides
scale, but the same process can be used to all the information you need to make the
develop angles for larger roofs by drawing at plumb and seat cuts as well as lengths of the
a reduced scale. rafters. Bird’s mouths aren’t required for any
Geometric drawings may seem beyond of the seat cuts; the rafters simply sit on top
the call of duty for the average carpenter, of the lookouts and are nailed in place.
but the alternative was described to me suc-

146 Dormers and Bays

Full-Scale Graphic Development Creates Templates for All the Rafter Cuts

Draw a half-plan of the

house wall and the cornice
House wall Hip centerline B perimeter. Next, the hip
centerline, AB, which
bisects the bay’s corner,
is drawn. The outside
Hip run AB corners of a 45° bay
Cornice Common run BC encompass 135°, so the
perimeter hip centerline angle is half
that, or 67.5°. Line BC,
which represents the
67.5°
common rafter run,
is drawn next.

A C

F The common rise, BD,

E Common rise BD is marked on the house-wall
B D Hip rise EB line. D can be found by
Hip run AE using a framing square to
plot a desired slope, such as
8-in-12, or by positioning D
Hip Common the desired rise of the roof
from B. An arc whose radius
is the rise of the roof is
centered on B and swung
from D to E. BE is the hip
rise and is perpendicular
to AB. CB is extended to
F, and BF represents the
plumb line drawn on the
A C actual house wall.

F
Hip run AB Connecting A and E
Hip rise BE develops the hip slope.
Hip slope AE FG is the ledger slope,
Ledger
B D Hip seat angle BAE and all the rafter angles
G Hip plumb angle AEB are now there for the taking.
E
To visualize the roof, try this
mental origami. Imagine
Hip Common folding the drawing along
Common run BC
Common rise BD the house-wall line so that
Ledger run GB BF, the ledger rise, is plumb.
Ledger rise BF Common slope CD
Common seat angle BCD Now imagine raising BD,
Ledger slope GF the common rise, and BE,
Ledger seat angle FGB Common plumb angle BDC
the hip rise, to plumb.
Ledger plumb angle GFB

A C

Framing a Bay-Window Roof 147

 Aligning the Hips and Ledgers with the Roof Plane

F ull-scale graphic development generates two-dimensional templates for all the rafters of a
bay roof. When cut, however, edges of the three-dimensional hips and ledgers will protrude
above the roof plane unless the rafters are dropped or beveled.

Beveling

Low edge of bevel

With the rafter stock held in place on the graphic development, the low edge of the bevel is easily
marked (inset). The high point of the hip’s bevel is the center of the rafter. The ledger’s high point is
the upper edge that contacts the house.

Dropping

Cutline

Cutting a bit extra from the seat of a hip or ledger will align it with the roof plane. A plumb line
raised where the held-in-place rafter intersects the bay’s perimeter (above left) shows how much to cut
off the rafter (above right). Unlike beveled rafters, sheathing contacts only the dropped rafters’ edge.

148 Dormers and Bays

Dropping or Raising the Roof
Beveling the Hip If a band or rim joist backs up the sheath-

and Side Ledgers ing where the commons top out, as is often
the case, the common rafters can be nailed
Graphic development outlines the entire directly to the sheathing. If not, it’s a good
top surface of the common rafters, but the idea to shorten the hips and commons by
hips and side ledgers are more complex. a horizontal distance of 11 ⁄2 in., and hang
The slope lines from the graphic develop- them on a 2x ledger. The ledger ends line up
ment are one-dimensional representations on the plumb lines I raised earlier from the
of the centerline at the top of the hip and hip centerlines drawn atop the bay. The led-
of the top edge of the side ledger that hits ger’s top will have to be dropped or beveled
the house. The actual rafters are, of course, so that it’s in plane with the rafters.
three-dimensional. The corners of a hip raf- If there is to be a horizontal ledger for
ter or side ledger will protrude above the ad- the common rafters, I install it and the side
joining roof planes unless some adjustment ledgers now. If there is no horizontal ledger,
is made (see the photos on the facing page). I install the hip first, centering it on the
One way to make the adjustment is to plumb line I raised earlier from the bay. In
drop the hip or ledger so that just the cor- either event, the hip’s plumb cut is com-
ners align with the roof plane. Cutting a pound, with a 221 ⁄2° bevel for a 45° bay.
little extra from the seat cut does this align- Once the ledgers are installed, I plumb
ment. An alternative is to bevel, or back, the up from the lookouts below to locate any
top edge of the rafter so that the edge is in jack rafters. The jacks can then be measured
plane with the roof. Backing is nice if you’ve directly. They have the same seat and plumb
got a table saw handy, but dropping works cut as the commons, except that the plumb
just as well. cut is made with a 45° bevel.
To find the drops, I cut scrap blocks with Laying out the sheathing cuts is a matter
the same seat cut as the hip and the ledger. of transferring measurements from the raf-
I place the blocks in position on the devel- ters. I usually add overhang to the sheathing
oped drawing, straddling the hip centerline to pick up the top edge of a crown molding.
or, for the side ledger, on the wall line. The
hip line on the drawing represents the raf- Scott McBride has been a carpenter for more than
ter’s center, so the center of the scrap block 34 years and is a contributing editor to Fine
Homebuilding magazine. He lives in Sperryville,
must align with the apex of the cornice Virginia.
angle. For the ledger, the line represents its
inward edge, so the inner corner of the scrap
must land on the intersection of the house
and the cornice. I then draw plumb lines on
the scraps, starting from where the blocks
intersect the cornice’s edges. The height of
these lines is the drop to be deducted from
the seat cut of the hip or of the side ledger.
If you want to bevel the rafters, you need
to go one step farther. From where the block
touches the edge of the bay, draw a line on
the block parallel to its top edge. This line is
the low side of the backing bevel. The center
of the hip or the opposing corner of the led-
ger represents the high side.

Framing a Bay-Window Roof 149

3
truss framing

Raising
Roof Trusses
Rick Arnold and Mike Guertin

W e learned truss raising the hard way.

Fingers trapped between sliding
trusses were broken, and backs were strained
Before the roofing materials and trusses
are dropped at the site, we anticipate where
the crane will be positioned so that all mate-
muscling 32-ft.-wide trusses up two stories rials are out of the way but still easily within
for steep-pitched colonial roofs. The process reach. Before the trusses are lifted to the roof,
involved six or seven guys and usually lasted the crane hoists the sheathing, the shingles,
a whole frustrating, tiring day. The process and the interior-framing materials for the
was tough on the trusses as well. Lifting second floor (see the sidebar on pp. 154–
them flat would cause the truss plates to 155). The crane we hire can usually reach an
bend or pop, ruining the truss. If we were entire house and garage from one position
lucky enough to get all of the trusses in- near the outside middle of the building. We
stalled in a day, we then faced the arduous also keep the job site as clean as possible.
task of lugging up all of the sheathing and Scrap lumber and debris can be accidents
roofing materials. After all of that hauling waiting to happen on raising day. Our scrap
and lifting, there wasn’t much enthusiasm pile is always located out of the way but still
or energy for swinging a hammer. Our within tossing distance of the house.
lives got much simpler after we opened the When the trusses arrive, we land them
phone book to the listing for “Cranes.” on top of 2x blocks as they come off the
We have come to depend on a crane to truck to keep them as flat and as much out
lift the trusses for all but the smallest single- of the dirt as possible. Sometimes trusses
story roofs. Here, we’ll discuss how we use arrive as much as a week before they can be
a crane to assemble simple gable roofs. We installed. If the trusses are not kept flat, they
cover hip and valley roofs on can warp, and after they’ve warped, they’re
pp. 172–183. much harder to install.

Instant, ready-made gable. With the sheathing, shingles, and trim boards already attached, the only
thing this gable needs is the vent. The crew will leave the peak of this gable just tacked in place
until the overall length of the house is checked at the eaves and the peak.

150
Raising Roof Trusses 151
Stacked for easy layout. With
the trusses stacked neatly on
the ground, layout lines are
drawn on all of them at once.
The line closest to the tail will
be used to position the truss
on top of the wall plates. The
other lines are for ceiling strap-
ping. The top chords are laid
out for roof sheathing.

Layouts Are Done discovered that those distances varied sig-

nificantly and that the peaks of the trusses
We have come with the Trusses didn’t line up. Now we mark the wall posi-
to depend on a
on the Ground tion on the bottom chord of the trusses
crane to lift the before we lift them; it’s the quickest, most
We mark three different sets of layout lines
trusses for all accurate way of ensuring that the trusses are
on the trusses before they ever get off the
installed in a straight line.
but the smallest ground (see the photo above). The first set is
First we measure the overall width of the
single-story roofs. for positioning the trusses on the walls. The
house where the trusses will sit. Then we lo-
second is for the strapping or furring strips
cate the exact center of the bottom chord on
to which we’ll screw the drywall or plaster-
the top truss of our pile and measure back
board ceilings, and the last set of lines is for
half of the width of the building minus the
the roof sheathing. We also mark the front
thickness of the wall from that point. For
of the trusses near the tail of the top chord
example, if the house is 30 ft. wide with
to avoid getting them spun in reverse when
2x4 walls, we would measure back 14 ft.
they’re lifted. Before we mark these lines,
83 ⁄8 in. from the center point (figuring the
the trusses need to be aligned on top of one
walls at 35⁄8 in.). We mark each end of the
tip another as closely as possible. We arrange
top truss and then repeat the whole process
Keep the job site as clean them in a stack by tapping them back and
on the lowest truss in the pile. We either
as possible. Scrap lumber forth with a sledgehammer until all of the
snap a chalkline or scribe a line along a
and debris can be acci- bottom chords and ridges are in line. When
straightedge between the top and bottom
dents waiting to happen the trusses are in a straight stack, we can
marks to transfer the layout to the other
on raising day. Locate make our layout lines.
trusses. We extend our position lines slightly
your scrap pile out of the In the past, we aligned the trusses after
onto the face of the bottom chord to make
way but still within toss- they were raised. We would run a string
ing distance of the house.
it easier to see the lines when the trusses are
from one gable peak to the other and bang
being dropped into place.
the trusses back and forth with a sledgeham-
Ceilings in our region are typically
mer until they lined up with the string. But
strapped with 1x3 furring strips before the
all of that banging knocked the walls out
interior walls and wallboard are installed.
of plumb, and the whole process took a lot
Furring strips serve several functions, one of
of time. We also tried measuring in from
which is adding a structural element to the
the tail cuts to position the trusses but soon
trusses. If we didn’t use strapping, the truss

152 Truss Framing

engineer would require us to run three or
four 2x braces the length of the building to
tie the trusses together and also to keep the
gable walls straight.
We mark the lines for the furring strips
16 in. o. c. from the positioning marks at
one end of the truss. Again, the same marks
are made on the top and bottom trusses, and
lines are drawn or snapped between them.
We run a lumber crayon up one side of each
line to indicate which side of the line our
furring gets nailed to once the trusses are set.
The last set of layout lines is for the roof
sheathing. We usually fill in any ripped
sheets at the bottom of the roof rather than
at the top, so we begin our layout from the
ridge. First we measure down along the top
chord of the upper truss from the peak to
the 4-ft. increment nearest the tail of the
truss. We add 1 ⁄8 in. per sheet for the H-clips
plus an extra 1 ⁄4 in. to our overall measure-
ment to be safe. For example, if the top
chord of the truss is 17 ft. 6 in., we would
measure 16 ft. 3⁄4 in. (4 sheets x 1 ⁄8 in. =
⁄ in.; 1 ⁄2 in. + 1 ⁄4 in. = 3⁄4 in.). If a ridge vent is
12

being installed, we increase our extra

amount to a full 1 in., and our layout line is
at 16 ft. 11 ⁄2 in. The top chords of the lowest
truss in the pile are marked at the same
points, and lines are drawn or snapped
between the marks.

Gable Trusses Are

Sheathed and Sided
Before They Go Up
Another big time-saver that we’ve found
is sheathing, siding, and trimming the
gable-end trusses while they are still on the
ground (see the photo at right). It saves us
the hassle of setting up tall staging to work
up high and requires just a little planning.
Because the gable trusses sit on top of walls,
we make sure that there are no humps in
the wall or dips in the bottom chord of the
truss. We check the walls by eye and string Nails for attaching the gable truss are started on the ground. To facilitate setting
the gable truss, nails are started along the bottom chord. When the truss is in posi-
the bottom chord of the gable trusses. If
tion, a crew member on a ladder will drive the nails into the top plate of the gable-
end wall.

Raising Roof Trusses 153

 Let a Crane Do the Heavy Lifting

N o matter what your physical condition,

reducing the amount of bull work on the
job is always welcome. A crane is one great way
shingles are usually delivered the day before
the truss raising, along with several extra pal-
lets to stack them on. We generally stack 21
of saving muscles as well as man-hours and to 24 bundles per pallet and use a long hook
money. Before the trusses are raised, the crane that the crane operator made to feed the lifting
lifts the roof sheathing, second-floor interior- strap through the pallet. We use 3-ft. 2x4s as
wall studs, furring strips, and roof shingles to strap spreaders to keep the lifting straps from
the second floor. crunching the top bundles of shingles (see the
top photo on the facing page). Roofing subcon-
Materials Are Prepped tractors love having the shingles on the second
for Lifting ahead of Time floor. Passing the bundles out a window, onto
With a rough count of all of the second-floor the staging, and up to the roof is much easier
interior studs we’ll need, we crown, cut, and and safer than hauling them up two stories on
stack all of the framing stock on 3-ft. to 4-ft. a ladder.
scraps of 2x4 (see the photo below). The roof

Interior wall framing on the rise. Lumber is stacked ahead of time for an easy crane hoist; crew members
land the framing lumber inside the house where it will be out of the way until it’s needed.

154 Truss Framing

 The roof sheathing is sent out at the same
time as the shingles. Our lumberyard will band
sheets of plywood in any quantity that we ask.
Bundles of 15 to 20 sheets for 5 ⁄8-in. plywood
or bundles of 20 to 25 sheets for 1 ⁄2-in. plywood
seem to work best for us (see the bottom photo
at right). When the sheathing is slid off the
delivery truck, we ask the driver to put heavy-
duty nylon load straps around the entire stack
to keep the steel bands from snapping. Occa-
sionally, we get lucky and are able to coordinate
delivery of the sheathing and shingles with the
actual lift. In those rare instances the crane
plucks the sheathing and shingles right off
the delivery truck and lifts them up to the
second floor.

Placement of the Materials Roof shingles are dropped near a window. The crew member on the left
on the Second-Floor Deck Takes signals the crane operator while the other crew member guides the pallet of
a Bit of Planning shingles to its temporary home.
Roof sheathing and the furring will be used up
before the interior walls are built so that mate-
rial can go almost anywhere. The studs and the
roof shingles, however, need to be positioned
so that they won’t interfere with framing the
interior walls. We try to land the stacks near
windows for easy handling, and because of the
concentrated weight, we keep them away from
the middle of the floor joists to avoid overload-
ing them.
When rigging the bundles and stacks with
the lifting straps, we try to keep the straps as
far apart on the load as possible. The crane
operator takes the strain slowly so that we can
make sure the load is going to stay flat and
even while it’s in the air. It’s not uncommon to
have a load put back down on the ground to
get the straps positioned just right. This minor
hassle is infinitely preferable to a load coming
Prepackaged loads of sheathing are easier to handle. The lumber company
apart or straps shifting and sliding while a load bundles the sheathing in stacks of 15 to 20 sheets for easy strapping and
is in midair. lifting.

Raising Roof Trusses 155

 necessary, we rip a little off the bottom of After the siding is nailed on, we snap a
tip the bottom chord of the truss. chalkline 21 ⁄2 in. down from the top edge of
If rake overhangs are We always plan to extend our gable-truss the top chord and cut the siding off to that
called for, take extra care sheathing down beyond the bottom chord line. We nail on a piece of 1x3 above the
to keep the top chord of of the truss a couple of inches. To set this cut siding as a spacer. The rake boards and
the truss perfectly straight overhang, we run a string between the seat band moldings are nailed over the 1x3, and
while you’re sheathing positions of the truss and measure from the the height of the rake boards is adjusted to
the truss. string to set our sheathing. We always leave match the thickness of the roof sheathing.
the sheathing ⁄ in. short to avoid any bind-
14 We leave the tails of the rake boards long
ing between the gable-wall sheathing and and cut them off after the gable truss is set
the truss sheathing when we’re setting the in place.
truss. The gable truss must be lying abso- If rake overhangs are called for, we take
lutely flat when the sheathing is applied, or extra care to keep the top chord of the truss
it may be impossible to straighten the truss perfectly straight while we’re sheathing the
when it’s installed. Any sheathing that truss. We make our overhangs out of a 2x4
extends above the top chord gets trimmed ladder with waste sheathing nailed to the
off flush. topside of it to keep it stable. The overhang
If no rake overhangs are called for, siding assembly is nailed to the sheathed gable
the gable goes quickly. We start by figuring truss, keeping the top of the assembly flush
out the approximate height of the top of with the top of the truss. We install 1 ⁄2-in. AC
the second-floor windows (they don’t get plywood on the underside of the overhangs
installed until after the trusses) and deter- for our soffits and nail the rake boards and
mine the siding courses from there. It’s best band moldings to the outside of the ladder,
to start one or two courses up from the bot- again adjusting for the thickness of the roof
tom of the truss sheathing so that the siding sheathing. We side the gable the same as
doesn’t interfere with the truss installation. before except that now the siding butts to
Wood siding allows us to adjust our course the plywood soffit and a 1x2 frieze board
exposure slightly to blend the siding on is added.
the walls with the truss siding. We’ve never We often have a chimney or chimney
tried this technique with vinyl siding and chase on the gable ends of our houses.
suspect that it would be difficult to match Before siding the truss, we meet with the
the courses exactly. We’re careful to nail the mason and determine the location of the
bottom course of the truss siding up high so chimney so that we can break back the sid-
that the course coming up from below can ing and rake trim to his dimensions. After
be slipped in later. the gable truss is installed, we drop a plumb
With no rake overhangs, we run the sid- bob from the gable siding to the fireplace
ing over the top chord of the truss but keep footing and snap a chalkline for the mason
the nails 3 in. back from the top of the to go by. The final step in prepping the
chord. The gable-vent hole can be cut out at gable truss is starting nails in the bottom of
this point, and the vent tacked in for install- the truss that will attach the bottom chord
ing the siding. The vent is then removed to of the truss to the end-wall plate (see the
give us a hole for our lifting straps, and it is photo on p. 153).
reinstalled later (see the photo on p. 151).
When there are no gable vents, we leave off
the last couple of siding courses at the top
of the truss and cut a hole for the straps. We
precut the missing siding pieces and tack
them to the gable end to be nailed on later
from a ladder.

156 Truss Framing

Using a Nailer
Saves a Truss
After the trusses are ready, there are other
preparations that make the raising go more
smoothly. First we set up all of the staging
front and rear. All of the walls that will re-
ceive the trusses are laid out, and strings are
set up along the inside of the top plates for
straightening the walls. We install adjustable
diagonal braces to help straighten and tune
the walls. We double-check the plans to see
where the second-floor walls will be built
in order to locate the best out-of-the-way
places to drop materials (see the sidebar on
pp. 154–155). We build a lot of two-story
colonials with single-story attached garages.
We save the cost of one truss by using a
nailer in place of the truss that ordinarily
would go against the wall of house (see the
photo at right). We slide one truss up before
the crane arrives and use it as a template to
mark the nailer location. After installing the
nailer on the house wall, we set the truss in
place and wait for the crane to do the rest.
We also lay out ten 16-ft. pieces of 1x3
with 2-ft. centers for truss spacing and have
another ten ready for diagonal bracing.
We round up a bunch of clubs, 3-ft. to 4-ft.
pieces of 2x4, to put under and between
the piles of materials when the crane drops
them off on the second floor.

Crew Members
Have Assigned
Tasks for the Lift
As truss-raising day approaches, we watch
the weather carefully. The best weather for
raising trusses is calm and overcast. Wind is
our worst enemy, and bright sun can make it
The first gable truss is sent up with two regular trusses. By sending the first three
difficult to see hand signals as well as trusses
trusses up together, the crane will be able to hold the gable truss steady while the
in midair. We always shoot for an early start other trusses are set and while braces are attached to the gable truss.
when the sun’s angle is low and when the
winds are usually calmest. Before the actual
lifting begins, we round up all of the tools
we’ll need for the raising, including the truss

Raising Roof Trusses 157

 Getting the Signals Straight

C ommunication between the crane operator and crew is essential for safe
and smooth lifting. A designated signal person has the responsibility of
directing the lifting operation through hand signals. Here are the four basic
hand signals we use with all of our crane operators.

Cable Up/Cable Down

To move a load straight up or down, the crane
operator must take up or let out the cable holding
the load. To signal this procedure to the operator,
point one finger either straight up or straight down
and spin your hand in a circle.

Boom Up/Boom Down

Raising the boom on the crane moves the load
toward the crane, and lowering the boom sends
the load away. The signal for this procedure is
a thumb pointed either up or down with the
hand moving in an up or down motion.

Boom Right/Boom Left

Moving a load side to side is accomplished
by pivoting the crane and boom. Pointing a
forefinger to one side or the other in the direction
you want the load to move is the proper signal
for this procedure.

Stop and Hold

To hold a load still momentarily, for example,
while positioning blocks on the deck for materials
to land on, a fist held stationary in the air stops
the crane operation until the next signal is given.

158 Truss Framing

spacers, a level and a straightedge for plumb-
ing the first gable, and braces for holding
Lifting the First Three
and adjusting the first gable-end truss. We Trusses at Once Is
also get the tag line ready, fill our pouches
with nails, and recheck the walls to make
Safe and Easy
Setting the first gable truss can be tricky. The
sure they are straight. We also set up a lad-
best way we’ve found is sending that truss
der on the end of the house to make it easier
aloft with two other trusses, but with the
to nail the bottom of the gable truss.
gable truss in a separate strap (see the photo
We always prefer to be a little overstaffed
on p. 157). If we sent up the gable truss by
on raising day. Everyone has assigned duties,
itself, we would have to depend on a brace
and the most important task is signaling
with a steep angle to hold the gable until
the crane operator. We have used the same
other trusses could be set. Our method lets
operator for six years, and we try to have
the crane hold the gable truss steady until
the same crew member do the signaling for
two other trusses are set and safer braces can
every raising (see the sidebar on the facing
be attached. Here’s how it works.
page). For safety’s sake we always review the
After landing the first three trusses at the
hand signals with the crane operator and
end of the house, the bottoms of the two
the crew member who will be signaling. A
thumb pointed in the wrong direction could
regular trusses are kicked away from the ga- For safety’s sake,
ble about a foot so that they don’t interfere always review
get someone knocked off the staging in an
with setting the gable truss. We adjust the
instant. The signal person should never hand signals with
gable truss to its positioning mark at the rear
leave the crane operator’s sight unless he sig- the crane operator
wall, then drive all of the nails we’d started
nals “stop and hold.”
earlier to fasten the bottom chord of the and crew before
For lifting materials, two crew members
on the ground strap and launch loads, and
truss to the top plate of the end wall. starting a job.
The strap holding the two regular trusses
two or three other crew members inside the
is then released, but the one holding the
house land and unstrap loads. The signal
gable remains. We use a short length of 1x3
person usually sits in a second-floor window
with the same 2-ft. layout as the wall plate
where he can watch materials coming in and
to anchor the first two regular trusses to the
see the crane operator clearly. After materials
gable. Then the bases are nailed to the wall
are secured on the second floor, we reposi-
plates on the rear wall.
tion the crew for the trusses.
Next, we brace the gable end with a cou-
The signal person is now stationed on
ple of long diagonals running down to the
the staging at the front of the house to set
subfloor. The extra crew member then slides
truss ends and to signal the crane opera-
two 2x braces through the webs of the regu-
tor. A second crew member is on the rear
lar trusses, and the top ends of the braces are
staging to orient the positioning marks on
nailed as high as possible to the gable-end
the trusses to the inside of the wall and to
truss. We make sure that the braces won’t
nail the trusses to the rear-wall plates. Two
interfere with the bottom chord of the next
other crew members work in the middle
truss we lift into place. We plumb the gable
of the trusses, tying them together at the
truss with a level and a straightedge, and
peak when the crane drops them in. A crew
when it’s ready, the extra crew member fas-
member on the ground puts the trusses on
tens the braces to 2x blocks that have been
the hook or strap and handles the tag line
nailed through the subfloor and into joists.
that steadies the trusses en route from the
Only after the braces have been nailed at
ground to the house. A sixth person is useful
both ends do we release the strap from the
but not absolutely necessary to act as a gofer
gable truss.
and to help when needed.

Raising Roof Trusses 159

Spacers lock the peaks in position. One crew member holds the trusses in place while another attaches truss spacers (made by Trus-
lock, Inc.) along the peaks of the trusses. Strapping replaces the spacers so that only a couple of 16-ft. lengths of spacers are needed.
The crew member at the rear of the house taps the truss into position on the wall plate and nails it home.

160 Truss Framing

 After the first trusses are set, we usually
lift two trusses at a time using a hook that
the crane operator had made. The rest of the
trusses go up rather quickly. One of the two
crew members working the center of the
trusses holds the trusses while the other fas-
tens the Truslock truss spacers (see the
photo on the facing page) (Truslock, Inc.,
www.truslock.com; 800-334-9689). These
spacers unfold, gripping the next truss and
holding it at the proper spacing in one sim-
ple motion.
The two crew members working the
middle of the trusses set the pace of installa-
tion and direct the others. The crew member
at the rear of the house continues to align
the positioning mark on each truss with the
inside of the rear wall and nails his end of
the truss securely with three 16d nails. The
crew member at the front of the house just
traps his end of the truss with a couple of
nails (see the photo at right). After all of the
trusses are up, we restraighten the walls and
nail the front ends of the trusses with three
16d nails. To meet wind uplift and seismic
requirements, we go back and install metal
hold-down hardware as required by the
The front of the truss is left loose. With the trusses secured at
truss company and/or building official or the rear of the house and the peaks locked together, the front of
engineer. each truss is allowed to float until after all of the trusses are in
The extra crew member follows the place. The walls can then be restrung and straightened if neces-
sary before the fronts are nailed permanently.
action, strapping the ridge of the trusses
with the 16-ft. 1x3s and tacking diagonal
braces to secure the trusses until sheathing sheathed and our subfascias set with a crew
goes on. After the ridge is strapped, the truss of five or six. If for some reason we can’t
spacers can be removed and used further sheathe at least one side of the roof before
down the roof. The top of the other gable we have to leave for the day, we put on
end is tacked until we can set the distance plenty of diagonal bracing to secure the
between gables to the same measurement as trusses in case the wind decides to kick up
the overall length of the house. during the night.
The garage trusses are a breeze by com-
parison. The first truss has been braced to Mike Guertin is a custom home builder and
remodeler and contributing editor to Fine
the house wall. We just set the trusses the
Homebuilding magazine from East Greenwich,
same as before and plumb the garage gable Rhode Island.
after the crane leaves.
Lifting the materials and setting the Rick Arnold is a veteran contractor and contributing
trusses for a 2,600-sq. ft. to 3,200-sq. ft. editor to Fine Homebuilding magazine. He is the
author of numerous articles and books on home
house with an attached garage generally construction and remodel. He is a well-known and
takes us three to four hours. By the end of sought-after speaker and presenter at home shows
the day, we usually have the entire roof and building seminars around the country.

Raising Roof Trusses 161

3
truss framing

Rolling
Roof Trusses
Larry Haun

R oof trusses offer many advantages.

They are lightweight (generally made
from kiln-dried 2x4s), so they are fairly easy
A Straight Fascia
is Just a Snap Away
to handle. Because trusses are engineered, Remember to order trusses well in advance
they can span longer distances without of when you’ll need them. In Oregon, where
having to rest on interior bearing walls, al- I work, a three-week lead time is common.
lowing for more flexibility in room size and Before I ask for truss delivery, I make sure all
layout. Finally, installing trusses on most the exterior and interior walls are upright,
houses is pretty simple. If you want to get a nailed off, and braced properly. Interior
house weatherized quickly, roof trusses are walls help to keep the exterior walls straight
the way to go. Ceiling joists and rafters are and plumb. In addition, with all walls in po-
installed in one shot, and no tricky cuts or sition, I have more support for the bundles
calculations are required. of trusses when they’re delivered.
Even when the walls are straight, it’s

Lay Out Braces as worth taking some trouble to ensure that

when the trusses are installed, the rafter
well as Plates ends line up perfectly. There’s an easy way to
Laying out the top plates for trusses is the do this.
same as for roof rafters. Whenever possible, I I measure in 1 in. from the outside edge
mark truss locations on the top plates before at each end of the top plate. Then I snap
the framed walls are raised, which keeps me a chalkline the full length of the wall as a
from having to do the layout from a ladder straight reference line (see the sidebar on
or scaffolding. For most roofs, the trusses are p. 164). As I set each truss, I measure from
spaced 2 ft. o.c. I simply hook a measuring the tail of the rafter chord the distance of
tape on one end of the plate and mark the the eave overhang plus 1 in. I mark this
truss positions every 2 ft., putting an “X” point on the bottom chord of each truss and
on the far side of each mark. I also mark the align the mark to the snapped reference line,
layout on several 16-ft. 1x4s, which serve as keeping the ends of the trusses straight.
top-chord braces during installation.

162
Rolling Roof Trusses 163
 It’s Easy to Keep a Straight Fascia

E ven if the walls

aren’t perfectly
straight, the trusses
can be. To keep the
eaves aligned and the
fascias straight, you
can take advantage
of truss uniformity.
Snap a chalkline along
an outside top plate
(photo 1). Align a mark
on the truss with the
chalkline when you set
the truss (photos 2, 3).

2 3

164 Truss Framing

 I also snap a chalkline along the gable are standing up when you cut the bands
end-wall plates to locate and align the gable holding the bundle, they can fall and hurt
truss. Unless it’s required by code, I usually someone. Lay the bundles down with the
don’t sheathe gable trusses. The gable truss peaks pointing in the direction you’ll be
is set flush with the outside face of the wall spreading the trusses.
sheathing below. I snap the chalkline along
the gable end-wall plates 1 in. from the out-
side. When the gable truss is set on this line, Truss Terms
it overhangs the right amount.
Trusses gain their strength from lightweight components
Cutting blocks to nail between trusses is
assembled in triangular shapes. In most cases, they can
another important step to complete before span the width of a house with no support from interior
you start setting trusses. In seismic and high- walls. Here are three common trusses.
wind areas, code requires blocking between
W truss or fink truss
trusses at the plates and often at the ridge
Top or
as well. I cut 221 ⁄2-in. blocks to maintain the rafter chord
Web
24-in.-o.c. truss spacing and to help keep the
trusses stable as they go up.

Lifting Trusses Bottom chord or joist chord

creates a flat ceiling.
onto the Plates
To help with setting the trusses, I build a cat-
Gable truss
walk scaffold down the center of the house. Top or
rafter chord
Framed with 2x lumber, the catwalk gives
the crew a safe, temporary platform to work
from as we raise trusses into position and
nail them to the wall plates.
The next step is getting the trusses onto Bottom chord Nonstructural gable
the plates. Around here, trusses are delivered studs take the place of
structural webs.
in bundles held together with steel strap-
ping. The number of trusses per bundle de-
pends on the size of the roof and usually the
Scissor truss
types of trusses. For this project, there were
Top or
three bundles: the porch trusses, the scissor Web rafter chord
trusses, and the trusses for the rest of the
roof. With the help of a job-site forklift or
the boom attached to the delivery truck, the
bundles are positioned on top of the framed
Bottom chords are pitched
walls. If the house is too tall for the forklift for vaulted ceiling.
or boom, or if the trusses are heavy or wide,
a crane is the best way to lift the trusses
into place.
To be safe, I lay the bundles of trusses
flat across the walls at the opposite end of
the house from where I’ll begin installation.
Avoid the temptation to set the bundle of
trusses upright on the plates. If the trusses

Rolling Roof Trusses 165

 Unloading and Spreading Trusses Set the Stage

E rected to ease installation, a

temporary catwalk is completed
before the trusses arrive in bundles
(see the photo at right). Lay down the
bundle with the peak pointing in the
direction the trusses will be dragged.
Spread out the trusses near their lay-
out marks, overlapping each truss like
fallen dominoes (see the photo below).

Start at One End Most trusses are lightweight, so one person

walking on the catwalk should be able to grab
with a Gable Truss a truss by the peak and pull it into position.
When the bundles are resting safely on the The gable truss is dragged to the end of
wall plates, I use tin snips to cut the metal the house first. Then, before any trusses are
bands holding the bundles together, taking raised, the rest of the trusses are dragged
care to avoid getting sliced. The first truss is over to their approximate locations, with
for the gable end of the building and usually each truss overlapping the one below, like
has vertical studs instead of angled webbing. fallen dominoes (see the bottom photo
above). With the trusses spread out in this

166 Truss Framing

 Brace the Gable Truss Plumb and in Plane with the Outside Wall

I f the first gable truss is plumb,

the rest will follow. On this house,
the gable doesn’t require sheath-
ing, so the author aligns the outside
face of the truss flush with the wall
sheathing below (photo 1). Holding
a long level against a tall truss web
is a good way to plumb the truss
(photo 2). A temporary diagonal
brace is installed to hold the gable
truss plumb (photo 3).

1 2

fashion, the raising process goes quickly and

efficiently. On this house, the front gable
Roll the Trusses
was the first to go up. While the truss is held into Place
upright, I line it up with the exterior wall When the gable truss is set, I roll the next
sheathing and toenail it every 16 in. with truss into place, which in this case was a
16d nails. I also brace the truss temporarily scissor truss (see the drawing on p. 165). The
until it can be tied to the rest of the roof. truss company sent an extra scissor truss,
so I nailed it to the gable truss to provide
nailing for the end of the vaulted-ceiling

Rolling Roof Trusses 167

 A Team of Three Can Make Quick Work of Rolling Trusses

T he middle man “rolls” each

truss upright while his two
partners toenail truss ends to
top plates (photo 5). Accurate
spacing is ensured because
the author marked the 2-ft.-o.c.
layout with the plates and top-
chord braces ganged together
on the subfloor before the
2
trusses were delivered (photo 1).
The 1x4 top-chord brace
helps to keep trusses properly
spaced until roof sheathing
is installed (photo 2). Cut to a
uniform length of 221 ⁄2 in., 2x8
blocking is nailed to adjacent
trusses and to the top plate,
bracing the lower part of the
roof (photo 3). It’s also impor-
tant to install a permanent 3
gable brace, extending it diago-
nally from the tallest gable stud
(photo 4).

1 4

drywall. A 2x4 nailed to the gable truss ing. As shown in the center photo 3, above,
could have done the trick as well. these 2x members maintain a uniform dis-
With the first gable resolved, I turn to tance (221 ⁄2 in.) between the trusses and help
raising the rest of the trusses. A team of the roof assembly to resist lateral loads.
three framers is ideal for “rolling” trusses When the first couple of trusses have
(see the photos above). You need to have been put in place, I nail one of the 16-ft.
one framer who is located in the middle and 1x4s that I had laid out earlier to the rafter
one who is placed at each exterior wall. Each chords near the ridge. An 8d nail in each
truss is nailed to the top plate with one 16d chord holds the truss at the proper spacing
toenail on one side and two on the other to keep the trusses stable until the roof has
side. After the truss is set, I install the block- been sheathed.

168 Truss Framing

 Once four or five of the trusses have been Now the rest of the trusses can be
put in place, I put in a permanent sway brought into position and nailed into place
brace, which adds lateral stability in the on the layout. For this project, we used scis-
event of an earthquake or high wind. A sway sor trusses over the kitchen, dining room,
brace has 45° angle cuts at both ends and and living room to create a large open area
extends from the top plate of an exterior with a vaulted ceiling. The scissor trusses
wall up to the top chord of an inboard truss. have a 5-in-12 roof pitch with a 3-in-12 ceil-
Building code requires the use of sway braces ing pitch for the interior. Scissor trusses are
at each end of the building and every 25 ft. set just like regular ones, but because they
between. But I like to install sway braces tend to be top heavy, they should be han-
more often for added insurance. dled carefully until they’re secured.

Rolling Roof Trusses 169

 Hardware and Bracing Get the Roof Ready for Sheathing

T he trusses are up, but the framing job isn’t done until the final bracing is installed. A combination of steel
framing connectors and wood braces strengthens the roof assembly and ties it to the walls of the building.

170 Truss Framing

 Tying Up Loose Ends
When all the trusses are in place, I nail Factory-made
16-ft. 2x4s to the tops of the joist chords in trusses save time
the attic space, near the center of the span. and give you a
Overlapping each other and running the full
roof engineered
length of the house, these permanent braces
stabilize the joist chords and hold them at for strength and
the correct spacing. stability.
If diagonal web braces are called for in
the engineered specs, I nail them on at this
point, along with any other braces. Metal
Bottom Chord Braces hurricane clips keep the roof attached to
Running the full length of the the house frame in a heavy wind. The metal
house, 16-ft.-long 2x4 braces are
clips nail to each joist chord and then to
nailed across truss bottom chords
to strengthen the roof structure. the top plates of the exterior walls (Simp-
son Strong-Tie Co.; 800-999-5099; www.
strongtie.com). They can be nailed on the
inside or outside of a wall. Be sure to use the
“hanger” nails made specifically for nailing
these clips.

Larry Haun, author of The Very Efficient Carpenter

and Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House (The
Taunton Press), lives and works in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Roof Truss Clips

Installed where the bottom chord
crosses an interior wall, these clips can
help to prevent drywall cracks by allow-
ing the truss to move slightly in response
to temperature and humidity changes.

Hurricane clips
Install these metal connectors
wherever a truss crosses an exterior
wall. By securing the truss to the top
plate, hurricane clips keep the roof in
place during high winds.

Rolling Roof Trusses 171

3
truss framing

Building Hip
and Valley
Roofs with
Trusses
Rick Arnold and Mike Guertin

A few years and many roofs ago, a

builder approached us about framing
a two-story colonial-style house. He said that
Our methods for assembling hip-and-
valley truss systems have evolved a great
deal since that first puzzled attempt. The
he wanted to try a truss system for the hip biggest advance in our technique came
roof. We had used trusses for a lot of gable when we described the process to our crane
roofs, but we had never seen a hip done that operator. He suggested assembling some of
way. When the trusses for the job were de- the trusses on the ground and lifting whole
livered, we just stood back and scratched our hip sections onto the house in one shot (see
heads. It looked as if bunches of unrelated the photo on the facing page). It worked like
pieces had been strapped together in no par- a charm. Now we even sheathe the assem-
ticular order. The engineering plan looked blies before they go up.
like a map of some unfamiliar suburb.
Too smug to admit that we needed help,
we muddled our way through, lifting each
Building Hip Systems
weird-looking truss up to the roof by hand on the Ground Is
and then moving each piece three or four
times until we found the right spot to nail
Quicker and Safer
it. That roof is still in good shape after two Before anything is assembled, we prep the

hurricanes, and whenever we drive by the hip-and-valley trusses much as we do stan-

house, we chuckle at how much time and dard trusses (See “Raising Roof Trusses” on

effort it took to put that roof together. pp. 150–161). We line them up in a stack
on the ground and mark layout lines for the

172
The hip goes up in one piece. Like a giant box kite on a string, an entire hip section is lifted to its home atop a two-story house.

sheathing and strapping and for alignment this system have the same span as com-
on the walls. If necessary, we also restack the mon trusses, but they’re flat on top. The flat
trusses that will be lifted individually by the parts of the hip trusses become progressively
When framing hip
crane to be sure they’re in the proper order. wider and lower as the trusses step away roofs with trusses,
We lay out the wall plates according to the from the last common truss to begin form- we most often use
truss plan (see the sidebar on p. 174) and ing the hip. The lowest and widest hip truss, a step-down hip
write the number and designation for each the hip-girder truss, supports a series of
truss system.
truss at its layout point. monotrusses, called jack trusses, that com-
When framing hip roofs with trusses, we plete the roof. The hip-girder truss usually
most often use a step-down hip truss system has a heavier bottom chord than the other
(see the top drawing on p. 175). Trusses in hip trusses to accommodate the extra weight

Building Hip and Valley Roofs with Trusses 173

 Truss Fabricators Engineer the Roof for You

T russ systems can be designed for almost

any complicated roof design (see the
photo below). Although the cost for the truss
complicated details such as vaulted ceilings
and roofs with hips and valleys of different
pitches, roofs that would have been a real
package may be more than the cost for con- challenge to frame conventionally.
ventional framing materials, the labor savings We’ve found that the best way to explore
are phenomenal. As an added benefit, the the possibilities is to go over the house plans
interior bearing walls necessary for conven- with the engineer for the truss fabricator. At
tionally framed roofs can be eliminated, which that meeting, we often make arrangements
allows greater design flexibility. Some of the for minor structural changes in the house to
truss packages we have ordered even include accommodate the roof trusses. Sometimes by
moving a couple of bearing points or inserting
a carrying beam, we can change a roof from
conventional framing to a truss system. The
benefits we gain by using trusses have always
outweighed any changes we need to make.
After the meeting, our fabricator usually
gets back to us within a few days with a ren-
dering of the truss plan and a price. We are
occasionally astonished when a truss system
ends up costing less than the lumber for a
conventionally framed roof because trusses
are made of less expensive, smaller dimen-
sion lumber.
We study the truss plan before the trusses
arrive. If we’re having trouble understanding
The map of a complicated roof system. Engi- a plan view of the system, the truss fabricator
neered-truss plans like this one, which is for the will provide an isometric drawing, usually at
roof pictured on p. 183, are provided by the truss no extra cost. An isometric drawing shows the
manufacturer. The plan identifies each type of
roof in 3-D and helps clarify the more difficult
truss and its exact location. This roof features a
dozen different types of trusses. details.

of the jack trusses and the metal hangers measure equal distances diagonally to the
that hold the jacks. Generally, two girder bottom chord. Halfway between our diago-
trusses are nailed together and work in tan- nal marks is the midpoint of the bottom
dem for each hip system. chord. The line between the midpoints is
After the wall plates are laid out, we lay the vertical centerline.
out a hip-girder truss while it is still lying From this centerline we can locate the po-
flat on top of the pile. We begin our layout sition of the outermost jack trusses on both
by locating the exact vertical center of the the top and bottom chords as indicated on
truss, top chord to bottom (see the bottom our truss plans. A jack truss is a monotruss
drawing on the facing page). First we locate with a single top chord. There are three dif-
the middle of the top flat chord of the truss. ferent types of jack trusses in a hip system:
Then from the ends of the flat chord, we face jacks that are attached to the face of the

174 Truss Framing

A Step-Down Hip Truss Roof System

The hip is formed by a series of flat-top

trusses with progressively wider top
chords. The lowest truss in the sequence,
the hip-girder truss, is doubled to
support the jack trusses
that complete the roof.

Last common truss

King jack

Hip truss

Face jack

King jack
Doubled
hip-girder
truss

Side jacks

Finding the Centerline of the Hip-Girder Truss

The layout of the girder truss is based
on the centerline. Here’s how to locate it.

Step 1. Find midpoint Centerline Step 2. Measure the same

of top chord. diagonal distance from
the top commons.

Step 3. Find midpoint between

diagonal lines and connect
to top midpoint.

Building Hip and Valley Roofs with Trusses 175

A jack truss holds the girder
truss upright. The center face
jack truss is tacked to the hip-girder truss and that run perpendicular
girder truss to keep it vertical to it; king jacks that run diagonally from the
while the rest of the face jacks
girder truss and form the outside corners of
are installed.
the roof; and side jacks that are attached to
both sides of king jack trusses.
The layout for the rest of the face jacks is
Straightening the girder trusses. taken from the wall-plate alignment mark
A temporary brace keeps the on the girder truss. However, the center
girder trusses straight while
jack truss is always at the exact center of
they are being nailed together.
the girder, regardless of the spacing. We tack
metal hangers for the face jack trusses onto
the bottom chord of the girder truss with just
a couple of nails in each hanger. They will be
nailed in permanently with spikes after the
second girder truss is mated to the first.

176 Truss Framing

Jack Trusses Are Now we tack the second hip-girder truss
to the first with just a few nails so that the
Nailed to a Pair of girder trusses can be straightened before they

Hip-Girder Trusses are joined permanently. We run a stringline

on the top and bottom chords of the girder
Next we move the prepared hip-girder truss
trusses to get them straight. If need be, we
to a relatively flat area of the job site and
temporarily brace the bottom chord against
prop it upright on blocks. The center face
the ground to keep it straight (see the bot-
jack truss is set into its hanger and tacked to
tom photo on the facing page). The tails of
the girder truss at the top to hold them both
the face jacks are kept at the correct spacing
upright (see the top photo on the facing
with furring strips, marked to match the
page). The tails of all of the jack trusses need
jack-truss layout and tacked on top of the
to be supported, so we make a continuous
bottom chords (see the photo below). When
block out of long lengths of 2x material. The
the girder trusses are straight and the face
blocking for the jacks is raised until the hip-
jack trusses are spaced properly, we nail the
girder truss is sitting fairly plumb, and the
two girder trusses together through all of the
rest of the face jacks are then slipped into
chords and webs, and we nail off the hang-
their hangers and tacked at the top. When
ers for the face jacks.
they’re all in place, we nail them off through
the chords and webs of the girder truss.

A furring-strip spacer keeps the tails in place. Before the system can be squared, the tails of the face jack trusses are spaced accord-
ing to the layout and held in position with a piece of 1x3.

Building Hip and Valley Roofs with Trusses 177

Diagonal measurements square the system. Measurements are taken between the two outermost jack trusses, and the tails of the
trusses are moved in unison until the measurements are equal.

We are now ready to square the assembly. far enough to catch the tails of the king
First we recheck our strings on the girder jack trusses when they’re installed. We will
trusses and then measure diagonally be- straighten the subfascias after the hip sys-
tween the top chords of the two outermost tems are installed on the house walls. If the
face jack trusses (see the photo above). The hip roof is going on a single-story house, we
tail ends of the face jacks are moved in uni- ordinarily stop here. Because the staging is
son until our measurements are equal and simpler for a single-story house and because
the face jacks are square with the girder materials can be passed to the roof directly
truss. We check our strings one last time from the ground, it’s quicker for us to com-
and nail a furring strip diagonally onto the plete the assembly in place.
underside of the top chords of the face jacks
and on top of their bottom chords to keep
the whole system square and uniform.
A 2x4 subfascia is now nailed to the
tails of the face jack trusses and extended

178 Truss Framing

Special Hangers distance from the girder truss and the adja-
cent face jack truss, and we temporarily hold
Hold the Jack Trusses them in place with a furring-strip brace.
For multistory
houses we finish
for the Hip Corners The tails of the hip trusses are usually left
long by the manufacturer and cut to length building the hip
For multistory houses we finish building
on site. We run a string along the tails of the section on the
the hip section on the ground. The next
face jacks to determine where the tails of the
step is tacking the king jack trusses in place ground.
king jacks need to be cut. We usually make
(see the photo below). The king jack truss is
this cut with a reciprocating saw because
built with the top chord at the same pitch
the subfascia tends to get in the way of a
as a hip rafter and functions in much the
circular saw.
same way. The king jack trusses are installed
Next we cut the return angle on the tail
between the hip-girder truss and the last
of the first king jack. We find this cut by
face jack truss on both ends of the assembly.
measuring along the bottom chord of the
They fit into a specially designed hanger,
hip-girder truss from the first face jack truss
provided by the truss manufacturer, that
to the end of the overhang. Then we mea-
eliminates the need for the 45° angles nor-
sure that distance from the tail of the face
mally cut on the top end of a hip rafter. We
jack to the tail of the king jack and make
position the king jacks at exactly the same
our cut there. The subfascia is cut to the

The king jack truss forms the corner. The top chord of the king jack is cut to the pitch of a hip rafter and functions similarly. It is held
in place with a special hanger, and the tail is positioned equidistant from the girder truss and the outermost face jack.

Building Hip and Valley Roofs with Trusses 179

 same length and then nailed to the king- gether with truss plates at the splice point.
jack tail. On the other end of the assembly, We locate the attaching points for side jacks
we cut the king-jack tail and subfascia so by pulling 24-in. centers off adjacent girders
that the length of the subfascia is the same and face jack trusses. The subfascias are laid
as the overall length of the girder truss. The out the same way.
returning subfascias can now be nailed on. If Usually the manufacturer cuts the side
possible, we extend the returning subfascias jack trusses to the proper length but without
back beyond the girder trusses to tie into the the 45° angles on the ends of the chords. We
other step-down hip trusses when they are cut these angles on site. For each hip system,
installed. there are four of each size side jack trusses,
The side jack trusses are attached directly two with right-hand 45° cuts and two with
to the king jacks (see the photo below). A left. Having one person organize and cut
side jack truss is a simple monotruss with the side jacks minimizes the chances of cut-
just a top and a bottom chord joined to- ting them wrong. Once the side jacks are

Side jacks fill in the framing

beside the king jack. Side
jack trusses consisting of just
a top and bottom chord are
nailed to the king jack and the
subfascia.

180 Truss Framing

cut with the proper angle, they can be posi- sections to connect one truss to the next at
tioned and nailed to the king jack truss and the correct spacing. The process is repeated
the subfascia. until we set the first full-height common
Having one
We sheathe the trusses by snapping lines truss. Then we pause the crane and tack a person organize
across all of the jack trusses and filling in as long piece of furring onto the flat tops of the and cut the side
many sheets as we can. We don’t sheathe trusses, measuring and spacing them prop- jacks minimizes
return facets of the hips until the system is erly as we go.
the chances
in place on the house so that our sheathing The common trusses are sent up two at a
will tie back into the other trusses. Lower time and locked in place temporarily with of cutting them
sheets are tacked in place temporarily so Truslock truss spacers (Truslock, Inc., www. wrong.
that we can lift them out of the way when truslock.com; 800-334-9689). The layout for
we nail trusses to top plates. the last common truss is usually irregular to
accommodate the step-down hip or valley

Assembled Hip system. We space that truss with a piece of

furring marked to reflect the difference in
Sections Are the layout. The step-down hip trusses for the

Lifted Level other end of the house can now be sent up

one at a time and braced with furring as we
When we lift the hip sections, we run heavy- did with the first end.
duty straps through the top corners of the
hip-girder trusses where the king jack trusses
are attached for the strongest lifting points Building Valleys Out
(see the photo on p. 173). We attach an of Trusses Is a Snap
adjustable strap around the tails of the three
There are two basic ways of framing valleys
middle face jack trusses to balance the load.
with trusses. The one we encounter most
The crane operator lifts the assembly just a
frequently, and the easiest to frame, is the
little so that we can adjust the middle strap
intersection of two simple roofs. We begin
and get the assembly as level as possible
by setting all of the trusses for the main
before it’s lifted into place. The more level
roof. If there are no interior bearing walls to
the assembly is, the easier it is to position
support the trusses of the main roof where
on the walls.
the two roofs meet, we hang the ends of the
When the assembled hip system is air-
unsupported trusses on hangers nailed to a
borne, a crew member stationed on the
girder truss, which is part of the other inter-
ground keeps it steady with a tag line until
secting roof.
it is within reach of the crew on the stag-
Once the main roof has been sheathed,
ing. First we land the assembly at the layout
we set the trusses for the intersecting roof as
marks on the plates for the hip-girder trusses.
far as the main roof. The valleys are created
Then we have the crane tug the whole as-
with a valley kit, which is a set of progres-
sembly toward the front or back until the
sively smaller common trusses nailed direct-
lines on the bottom chord of the girders
ly onto the sheathing (see the bottom photo
align with the inside edge of the walls.
on p. 182). We usually rip the pitch angle of
When the system is properly positioned,
the intersecting roof onto the bottom chord
we release the straps and nail the trusses to
of each truss in the valley kit. Although cut-
the top plates of the end wall and along one
ting trusses is not a practice that is generally
side. The process is repeated for the opposite
accepted, our truss manufacturer has assured
hip assembly.
us that ripping valley-kit trusses for this type
The step-down hip trusses are now lifted
of application is permissible.
into position one at time. We tack on short
pieces of furring just below each of the flat

Building Hip and Valley Roofs with Trusses 181

 Hips and Valleys Next to Each Other Require Special Trusses

W hen a hip and a valley are too close together to be framed with conventional trusses,
as in the drawing below, special step-down valley trusses have to be used.

Valley line

Hip line

Step-down
valley truss

Step-down valley trusses create the roof plane. When step-down

valley trusses (photo right) are installed, the flat portion of the
top chord gets higher with each successive truss (photo below),
forming the roof plane between the hip and the valley.

182 Truss Framing

 A valley kit is nailed directly
to the sheathing. A series of
If a valley is so close to a hip that a girder the hip and valley lines, they’re helpful as progressively smaller trusses,
truss can’t be used to hold the main roof spacers for the trusses and as nailers for the called a valley kit, forms the
valleys between two intersect-
trusses, a second method using special step- sheathing.
ing roofs.
down valley trusses may be the answer (see As with a simple truss roof, we nail the
the sidebar on the facing page). These valley trusses only along one side of the house dur-
trusses are similar to common roof trusses ing the raising. After the crane leaves, we
except that the top chord is interrupted by a restraighten the walls in case they’ve been
flat extension. The length of the flat exten- knocked out of line while the trusses were
sion is the same for every step-down valley set. When the walls are straight, we nail off
truss and reflects the distance between the the other end of the trusses. Then we go
hip and valley lines. However, the height of back and install metal hold-down hardware
the flat extension increases with each suc- as required by the truss company and/or the
cessive truss, creating both the valley and building official or engineer. This is done
the hip as they go. Again, because each truss to meet wind uplift and seismic require-
in the series is different, we take extra care to ments. Now the rest of the subfascias can be
stack the trusses in the order that they will installed and shimmed straight. After our
be lifted by the crane. Following the truss lunch break, we finish sheathing the roof.
plan to the letter helps a great deal.
Mike Guertin is a custom home builder and
remodeler and contributing editor to Fine
All of the Hip Homebuilding magazine from East Greenwich,
Rhode Island.
and Valley Lines
Are Reinforced Rick Arnold is a veteran contractor and contributing
editor to Fine Homebuilding magazine. He is the
with Blocking author of numerous articles and books on home
construction and remodel. He is a well-known and
After all of the trusses are set and the crane sought-after speaker and presenter at home shows
leaves, we complete the truss installation and building seminars around the country.

with a few extra details. First, we beef up

the hips and valleys with 2x blocks cut with
compound angles. These reinforcing blocks
are not specified on the engineer’s plan,
but nailed between the step-down trusses at

Building Hip and Valley Roofs with Trusses 183

 CREDITS
All photos are courtesy of Fine Homebuilding p. 84: Cordless Framing Nailers, issue 185. All
magazine (FHb) © The Taunton Press, Inc., photos by Krysta S. Doerfler (FHb) except photo
except as noted below: on p. 84 by Justin Fink (FHb) and inset photo
on p. 89 courtesy © Powers; Drawing by Dan
p. iii: Photo by Roe A. Osborn (FHb); p. iv (left Thorton (FHb).
photo) Andy Engel (FHb), (right photo) Roe A.
Osborn (FHb); p. 1 (left photo) Justin Fink (FHb), p. 90: Doghouse Dormers by Rick Arnold, issue
(right photo) courtesy © Donald Blum. 186. All photos by Justin Fink (FHb) except photo
on p. 92 by Krysta S. Doerfler (FHb); All drawings
p. 4: Cutting and Setting Common Rafters by John by Justin Fink and Dan Thorton (FHb).
Spier, issue 142. Photos by Roe A. Osborn (FHb);
Drawing by Dan Thorton (FHb). p. 102: Framing a Classic Shed Dormer by John
Spier, issue 200. Photos by Justin Fink (FHb);
p. 14: Framing a Gable Roof by Larry Haun, Drawings by Dan Thorton (FHb).
issue 60. Photos courtesy © Robert Wedemeyer;
Drawings by Michael Mandarano (FHb). p. 108: Framing a Dramatic Dormer by John
Spier, issue 150. Photos by Roe A. Osborn (FHb);
p. 26: Framing a Roof Valley by Rick Arnold, Drawings courtesy © Bob LaPointe.
issue 161. Photos by Brian Pontolilo (FHb); Draw-
ings on pp. 28–29 by Chuck Lockhart (FHb); pp. p. 118: A Gable-Dormer Retrofit by Scott McBride,
31 and 33 courtesy © Toby Welles/ Design Core. issue 134. Photos courtesy © Scott McBride;
Drawings by Christopher Clapp (FHb).
p. 36: Using a Rafter Square by Greg Ziomek,
issue 111. Photos by Scott Phillips (FHb); Draw- p. 130: Framing an Elegant Dormer by John Spier,
ings by Dan Thorton (FHb). issue 130. Photos by Roe A. Osborn (FHb); Draw-
ings by Christopher Clapp (FHb).
p. 38: A Different Approach to Rafter Layout by
John Carroll, issue 115. Photos by Steve Culpep- p. 142: Framing a Bay-Window Roof by Scott
per (FHb); Drawings by Dan Thornton (FHb). McBride, issue 129. All photos courtesy © Judi
Rutz except photo on p. 143 courtesy © Scott
p. 50: Framing a Hip Roof by Larry Haun, McBride; Drawings by Christopher Clapp (FHb).
issue 98. Photos on p. 53 by Robert Marsala
(FHb); pp. 51, 56–58 courtesy © Larry Hammer- p. 150: Raising Roof Trusses by Rick Arnold and
ness; Drawings by Christopher Clapp (FHb). Mike Guertin, issue 99. Photos by Roe A. Osborn
(FHb).
p. 60: Hip-Roof Framing Made Easier by John
Carroll, issue 182. Photos on pp. 63–64 courtesy p. 162: Rolling Roof Trusses by Larry Haun, issue
© John Carroll; pp. 66 (right photo), 67 courtesy 168. Photos courtesy © Donald Blum; Drawings
© Bill Phillips; p. 66 (left photos) Krysta S. courtesy © Vince Babak.
Doerfler (FHb); Drawings courtesy © Toby Welles/
p. 172: Building Hip and Valley Roofs with
Design Core.
Trusses by Rick Arnold and Mike Guertin, issue
p. 68: Framing a Gambrel Roof by Joe Stanton, 100. All photos by Roe A. Osborn (FHb) except
issue 141. Photos by Scott Gibson (FHb) except photo on p. 174 courtesy of Trussco Inc.,
photos on p. 74 by Andy Engel (FHb); Drawings by Davisville, R.I. and photo on p. 183 courtesy
Dan Thorton (FHb). © Mike Guertin.

p. 76: Roof Framing with Engineered Lumber by

John Spier, issue 153. Photos by Roe A. Osborn
(FHb); Drawings courtesy © Vince Babak.

184
i n de x
A hip roofs, 59
trusses, 168, 183
hybrid of shed and. See
Nantucket dormers
A-dormers, 108–17 See also Web stiffeners laying out rafters, 95
about: overview of, 108 Braces. See Hangers and braces preparing to cut hole for, 96–97
California valleys, 114–15, rafters, 92, 93, 95, 96–97, 98,
116–17 99, 100
compared to doghouse dormers,
108–10
C ridges, 92, 93, 95, 98–100
Calculations subfloors, 93, 99
components, illustrated, 110 trimmers and headers for, 96–97
features and benefits, 108 calculators for, 5, 26, 35, 92
functions of rafter squares, 37 window specifications, 92, 94,
first building steps, 108–11 97–98
gable wall, 108–09, 110 key to, 36
rafter squares for, 16, 36–37, 43 wing-wall dimensions, 94, 97–98
kneewalls, 108–09, 110, 111, Dormers, framing
112 rafter tables and, 54–55, 61
specific. See specific as series of triangles, 92
pitch, 109, 111 See also A-dormers; Doghouse
rafters, 108–09, 110, 111–15, applications
California valleys, 92, 100, 114–15, dormers; Nantucket
116–17 dormers; Shed dormers
sheathing, 115–17 116–17
types of valleys, 111 Collar ties, 22, 70, 73, 95, 99, 123
Common rafters, 4–13
valley rafters, 112–15
aligning with studs, 8–9 E
bird’s mouths, 7, 13 Engineered lumber, framing with
B bracing ridge, 11
calculations/math, 4–5
about: overview of, 76
bearing rafters, 78–79
Barge rafters, 24, 25 cutting to length, 25 correcting mistakes, 83
Battery-powered nailers, 88–89 determining number needed, 22 environmental concerns, 82
Bay-window roofs, 142–49 elements, illustrated, 5 fastening, 83
about: overview of, 142 first rafter, 6–7 layout lesson, 83
angles, 145, 146 installing, 12, 13 lessons about, 82–83
assembling, 144 length of, 5, 6–7, 37 metal hangers, 81, 82–83
beveling hips, 148, 149 metal ties, 13 modular sizing, 83
components, described and nailing, 13 planning, ordering material,
illustrated, 142–44 pattern, 6–7 76–78, 82
cornices, 144, 145, 146, 147, plumb cuts, 5, 6–7 production cutting methods,
149 production cutting, 10–13 78–79
drawing first, 146–48 rafter horse for, 14, 15 reading instructions, 83
laying out hips, 145 rise and run, 5 ridges, 77, 78–79
ledgers, 142, 144, 145, 146, saws for cutting, 14–17 safety considerations, 82
147–48, 149 seat cuts, 5, 6–7 supply disadvantage, 76–78
lookouts, 144, 145–46 staging/laying out, 8, 9 web stiffeners, 80–81
map for rafters to follow, 145–46 starting with straight, plumb See also I-joist rafters; LVL
rafters, 142, 144, 145–49 walls, 4 (laminated veneer lumber)
raising, 149 testing, 11
scaffolding for, 143
site-built vs. manufactured, F
142–44
templates for rafters, 147–48
D Face jacks, 174–76, 177–78, 179
Bird’s mouth Doghouse dormers, 90–101 Fink trusses, 165
common rafters, 7, 13 about: overview of, 91 Flashing, 127–29
cutting on I-joists, 79, 80 A-dormers compared to, 108–10 Frieze blocking, 23, 59
gang-cutting, 18, 19 anatomy of, 92
assembling components on
hip roof, 53, 55–56, 57, 58
laying out, 16–17, 31 ground, 91 G
nailing first, 13 assembling on roof, 98–99 Gable-dormer retrofit, 118–29
valley rafters, 29, 31 California valleys, 92, 100 about: overview of, 118
Blocking components, illustrated, 92 above-floor header, 121, 122–23
frieze, 20, 23, 59 cutting hole for, 97 components, illustrated, 121
gable roofs, 21–22, 23 figuring size of, 95, 98–100 cornice details/finish trim, 124,
finding pitch, 93–96 125, 129

185
 cutting opening for, 118–20 components, illustrated, 70 rafter templates, 52–53
flashing, 127–29 design considerations, 75 ridge cut, 55
inserting new rafters into full-scale layout, 68–71 ridge/hip intersection, 56, 61
sheathed roof, 120–23 gable truss, 73 rise, run, and pitch, 61, 63–65,
preparation, 118 kneewall, space availability and, 66–67
protecting roof during (rain 68, 75 stabilizing, 59
protection), 120 knuckles, 68, 70, 73 story stick, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66
sheathing, 127 laying out trusses on floor, 68–71 streamlining measurement and
sidewalls, 121, 122, 124, 126 plumbing and bracing, 72 layout, 52–53
supporting dormer, 121 plywood gussets, 68–69, 70, 2-D vs. 3-D images of, 65
transferring load for, 121–23 71, 73 See also Bay-window roofs
trimmer rafters, 121, 122–23, pros and cons, 75 Hitachi nailers, 87
124 raising/installing, 72–73
valley rafters, 123, 124–27 sleepers, 74–75
Gable rafter layout (nontraditional truss production assembly, 73 I
approach), 38–49 venting above sheathing, 74–75 I-joist rafters
about: overview of, 38 Gas-powered nailers, 85. See also common rafters, 77, 78–79
altitude of measuring triangle, 43 Nailers, cordless cutting bird’s mouths on, 79, 80
base of measuring triangle, 43 metal hangers for, 81, 82–83
building jig for, 42
hypotenuse of measuring H for other rafters, 80
production cutting methods,
triangle, 43 Hangers and braces 78–79
laying out main part of rafter, for common rafters, 4, 9 production cutting methods
44–47 for engineered lumber roofs, 81, (gang cutting), 78–79
laying out rafter tail, 47 82–83 template for cutting, 79
marking/cutting rafters, 48–49 for gable roofs, 20 web stiffeners for, 80–81
measuring triangle and, 41–42, for gambrel roofs, 72 See also Engineered lumber,
43–44 for jack trusses/hip corners, framing with
preserving layout, 47 179–81
rise, run, and pitch, 41–42 for ridges, 11
setting ridge, 44, 45
step-by-step, 43–49
Simpson Strong-Tie, 83 J
for trusses, 157, 159, 161, 162, Jack rafters
technique overview, 40–41 167, 168, 169, 170–71
traditional methods vs., 38–40 beveling, 32
Heel cuts cutting, 32–33
using jig for, 44–49 illustrated, 5, 31, 53
Gable roofs, 14–25 finding length of, 33, 37
marking/cutting, 16, 18–19, 29, hip roof, 50–51, 52, 57–58, 65,
barge rafters, 24, 25 30–31, 47, 95, 115
blocking, 21–22, 23 66–67
Hip roofs, 50–59, 60–67 laying out, 35
calculations/math, 23 about: overview of, 50, 60–61
collar ties/purlins, 22–23 Nantucket dormer, 139, 140
anatomy of, 52, 61 valley framing, 28, 29, 32–35
compensating for ridge assembling, 58–59
thickness, 22 Jack trusses, 173–76, 177–81
backing the hip, 54 defined, 174
cutting rafters, 14–17 (see also bird’s mouths, 53, 55–56, 57, 58
production cutting) face jacks, 174–76, 177–78,
bringing end of to a point, 56–57 179
finishing overhangs, 25 components, illustrated, 52,
framing ends, 23 king jacks, 175, 176, 179–80,
54, 61 181
framing tips, 22 cutting rafters, 57–58, 66–67
laying out (see also Gable rafter nailing to hip-girder trusses,
dropping the hip, 54 177–78
layout (nontraditional finding rafter drop, 55
approach)) side jacks, 175, 176, 180–81
finding run of common rafters, types of, 174–76
layout tee for, 16–17, 25 62
length of rafters, 22 Jigs, rafter
frieze blocks, 59 for hip-roof framing, 66–67
lookouts, 24, 25 jack rafters, 50–51, 52, 57–58,
nailing, 20–21 for nontraditional layout
59, 61, 65, 66–67 approach, 39–40, 41,
production cutting, 15, 18–19 king commons, 50–52, 54, 56,
staging/laying out, 19–20 44–49
57, 58–59, 61, 62, 64
Gable roofs, framing, 14–25 laying out rafters, 56
Gable trusses, 150–51, 153–56,
157, 165, 167–68
laying out hip rafters, 65
length of rafters, 37, 54–55,
K
Gambrel roofs, 68–75 63–65 King commons, 50–52, 54, 56, 57,
about: overview of, 68 lowering rafters at seat cut, 54 58–59, 61, 62, 64
anatomy of roof, 70 Metric vs. English measuring King jacks, 175, 176, 179–80, 181
angles, 71 systems, 66
collar ties, 70, 73 rafter tables, 54–55, 61

186 Index
For Evaluation Only.
Copyright (c) by VeryPDF.com Inc.
Edited by VeryPDF PDF Editor Version 4.1

L P S
Layout tees, 16–17, 25 Paslode nailers, 83, 86 Saws
Lookouts Pitch beam, 17, 19
bay window, 144, 145–46 A-dormers, 109, 111 circular, 13, 14–16, 17, 19, 25,
gable roof, 24, 25 doghouse dormers, 93–96 42, 49
LSL (laminated strand lumber), gable roofs, 41–42 worm-drive, 14, 17, 18, 19
77, 78 hip roofs, 61, 63–65, 66–67 Scaffolding, 103, 120, 143, 165
LVL (laminated veneer lumber) measuring triangle and, 41–42, Scissor trusses, 165, 169
cutting bevel on, 82 43–44 Seat cuts
headers, 77, 79 Nantucket dormers, 135, 136, common rafters, 5, 6–7, 31
metal hangers for, 81, 82–83 137 dormers and bays, 95, 112, 144,
mounting header hangers on, 82 shed dormers, 104 146, 149
rafters, 77, 79 valley rafters, 26, 28–29 gambrel trusses, 72
ridges, 5, 28, 77, 78–79 See also Rise and run hip roof, 53, 54, 63, 64, 65, 66
safety considerations, 82 Plumb illustrated, 5, 31
trimmers, 92, 96, 97 checking walls for, 4, 6 lowering rafters at, 54
See also Engineered lumber, cut angle, 5, 6–7, 16, 30, 31, 44 marking/cutting, 7, 16, 17, 19,
framing with double-bevel cut, 31–32 29, 30–31
measuring, cutting angles, 16 production cutting, 19
Powers nailers, 89 valley rafters, 31
M Purlins, 22–23 Shed dormers, 102–07
Max nailers, 88 about: overview of, 102
Metric vs. English measuring building, 103–07
systems, 66 R cheek walls, 106–07
Rafter horse, 14, 15 components, illustrated, 104–05
Rafters. See Common rafters; designing and drawing, 102–03,
specific types of roofs 104–05, 106
Rafter squares, 16, 36–37, 43 hybrid of doghouse and. See
Nailers, cordless, 84–89 Nantucket dormers
about: overview of, 84 Rafter tails
cutting, 15, 25 minimizing mistakes, 102
advantages of, 84 overhangs and headers, 105
battery-powered, and cost of use, illustrated, 5
laying out, 7, 31, 47 pitch of roof, 104
88–89 rafters, 102, 103–07
gas-powered nailers, 85 maintaining strength, 17, 19
valley rafters, 29, 31 ridges, 104
Hitachi nailers, 87 scaffolding and guardrails, 103
limitations of, 84–88 Ridges
bracing, 11 sheathing, 106
Max nailers, 88 subfloors, 102, 103, 104
Paslode nailers, 86 compensating for thickness of,
22 window height, 105
Powers nailers, 89 Side jacks, 175, 176, 180–81
Nailers, for engineered lumber, 83 doghouse dormers, 92, 93, 95,
98–100 Sleepers, 74–75
Nantucket dormers, 130–41 Spacers, truss, 160, 161, 181
about: overview of, 130 gable roofs, 44, 45
gang-cutting, 17, 19 Squares, rafter, 16, 36–37, 43
components, illustrated, 134 Step-down hip system, 173–74,
description of, 130 hip roof, 56, 61
illustrated, 5 175, 181
doghouse walls, 130–31, 133 Step-down valley trusses, 181–83
headers and structural rafters, LSL (laminated strand lumber),
134–35 77, 78
LVL (laminated veneer lumber),
jack rafters, 139, 140
lining up roof planes and soffits, 5, 28, 77, 78–79 T
135–37 Nantucket dormers, 133, 134, Tables (rafter), hip roofs and,
pitch of rafters, 135, 136, 137 135 54–55, 61
rafters, 132–40 production cutting, 19 Templates/patterns
ridges, 133, 134, 135 shed dormers, 104 bay-window rafters, 147–48
sheathing, 140, 141 staging/laying out, 19–20 common rafters, 6–7
shed-rafter details, 136–37 thickness of, 5 hip roof, 52–53, 61
strapping ceilings of, 140 Rise and run I-joist rafters, 79
structural backbone, 132, calculating, 5, 29 layout tee, 25
134–35 common rafters, 5 Triangle, measuring, 41–42,
supporting, 132 hip roofs, 61, 63–65, 66–67 43–49. See also Rafter
two distinct interiors, 132 illustrated, 5 squares
types of, 130–32 rafter squares for, 37 Trimmer rafters, 92, 96–97, 121,
valleys, 137–39 valley rafters, 26, 28–29 122–23, 124
Trusses
advantages of, 162
bracing, 157, 159, 161, 162,

Index 187
For Evaluation Only.
Copyright (c) by VeryPDF.com Inc.
Edited by VeryPDF PDF Editor Version 4.1

167, 168, 169, 170–71 calculations, 26, 29, 30–31

building valleys from, 181–83 flashing, 127–29
ensuring straight fascia, 162–64 gable dormer, 123, 124–27
gable, 150–51, 153–56, 157, getting started, 26
165, 167–68 jack rafters, 28, 29, 32–35
laying out, 162 laying out rafters, 30–31
lifting onto plates, 165–66 (see length of overhang, 31
also Truss raising) length of rafters, 30–31, 33, 37
lining up rafter ends, 162–64 pitch of rafters, 26, 28–29
nailing, 159–61 rise and run, 26, 28–29
ordering, 162 See also specific types of roofs
raising with cranes. See Truss Valleys, building from trusses,
raising 181–83
rolling into place, 167–69 Venting roofs
scissor, 165, 169 frieze blocks and, 59
spacers for, 160, 161, 181 gable vents, 156
types of, illustrated, 165 gambrel roofs, 74–75
unloading and spreading, 166 ridge vents, 6, 153
W or Fink, 165 sleepers for, 74–75
Trusses, hip, 172–83
building on ground, 172–76
fabricators engineering, 174 W
hangers for holding jack trusses/ W (Fink) trusses, 165
hip corners, 179–81 Walls
lifting assembled sections, 181 A-dormers, 108–09, 110, 111,
nailing jack trusses to hip-girders, 112
177–78 checking for square, straight,
squaring assembly, 178 plumb, 4, 6
step-down system, 173–74, 175 doghouse dormers, 94, 97–98
step-down valley trusses, gable-dormer, 121, 122, 124,
181–83 126
See also Jack trusses Nantucket dormers, 130–31,
Truss raising, 150–61 133
about: overview of, 150 rafters aligning with studs, 8–9
ceiling furring strips and, shed dormers, 106–07
152–53 Web stiffeners, 80–81
cranes for, 150, 154, 155, 157, Windows
159–61 bay, roof for. See Bay-window
crew assignments for, 157–59 roofs
first trusses, 157, 159–60, for doghouse dormers, 92, 94,
166–67 97–98
gable-end trusses, 150–51, for shed dormers, 105
153–56, 157, 167–68
hand signals for, 158
layout for, 152–53
lifting building materials and,
154–55
nailer aiding, 157
preparation for, 150, 154–55,
157
rake overhangs and, 156
rolling into place, 167–69
sheathing/siding before, 153–56
time required for, 161
two at a time, 161

V
Valley framing, 26–35
about: overview of, 26
A-dormers, 111–15, 116–17
bird’s mouth and tail, 29, 31

188 Index
house & home

Cut and set common rafters

Framing Roofs Frame a roof valley

Raise a gable, gambrel, or hip roof

Design and build dormers and bays

Build hip and valley roofs with trusses

F
raming a roof can be an intimidating project—figuring precise angles
and working high atop a building. But as seasoned roof framers
demonstrate in Framing Roofs, the job is simple when using the right
tools and techniques. Updated with 12 new Fine Homebuilding articles, this
latest edition covers roof-framing basics as well as advanced techniques
on building dormers and raising trusses, and includes information on how
to use rafter squares, cordless framing nailers, and other framing tools. With
pro-tested trade secrets and construction methods, Framing Roofs is the most
reliable reference on the subject.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

updated and expanded

b u i l d e r - t e st e d c o d e a p p r o v e d b u i l d e r - t e st e d c o d e a p p r o v e d b u i l d e r - t e st e d c o d e a p p r o v e d

Framing Floors, Building Stairs

Walls & Ceilings Carpentry
Look for other Taunton Press books
wherever books are sold or visit our
website at www.taunton.com.

Visit www.finehomebuilding.com for the

most trusted building information online
and to learn about Fine Homebuilding f r o m th e e d i to r s o f h Andy Engel
magazine and other homebuilding h
fro m th e e di to r s of

products from The Taunton Press.

The Taunton Press

63 South Main Street, P.O. Box 5507
Newtown, CT 06470-5507
www.taunton.com

Pp Taunton Product #077633