Roof frame yourself

The construction of the roof is an important stage of the entire construction of the house. That is why special attention is paid to the device of the frame of the upper part of the building. To build a roof frame on its own, we need certain knowledge and experience. Then we will talk about how to make a roof frame.

Frame system of rafters and its types

Depending on the type of roofing construction, the roof frame has several types:

• Rafter frame design, the basis of which are wooden elements. It is used in private construction for the construction of pitched roofs.
• Metal carcass. It is made from specialized metal beams and is used primarily in industrial construction.
• Concrete frame. Concrete slabs are used in its device, which create a flat roof mainly in high-rise buildings.

Before starting construction of a frame construction of a building, it is necessary to decide on the choice of one of the above types and the frame of the truss system, in which the bearing capacity is completely transferred to the farms. For a truss truss device, a timber bar is used, which should be at least 15.0 × 5.0 cm in cross section. After attaching the rafters to the building and among themselves to the frame, the roofing system of the sheathing is fixed. 

Truss structure is divided into naslonnuyu and hanging. It is selected depending on the design features of the building. Both types of rafters are used in the construction of private houses and are distinguished by the fact that, with the hanging system, the main beams rest on the mauerlat, which settles around the perimeter of the building and is attached to the surface of the bearing walls on the upper row of masonry. In practice, the mauerlat is a timber of wood, which has a cross section of 10.0 × 10.0 cm. The rafter legs on the upper side of the truss are fixed with each other by means of a ridge bar. The suspended structure at the top is not attached by rafters between itself. This wooden frame is made in a different way.

In the case of a suspended system, trusses at the top of their construction abut against a longitudinal central wall or specially provided columns for supports. 

When choosing the type of truss construction, the overall dimensions of the structure are of great importance.

Note! Suspended rafters are used in the construction of roofs for houses, the distance between the outer bearing walls of which does not exceed 6.0 m. If the span is greater than this value and there is a longitudinal central wall with load-bearing characteristics or supporting columns, then a suspended roof frame is used. In this case, it will not be affected by the increased load on the weight of the roofing material.   

Installing a power plate

You need to know that the mauerlat is the main support for the frame construction and roofing material of the roof. The task of the mauerlat is to take loads from the entire roof construction and evenly distribute them onto the bearing walls of the building.

• Thanks to this structural element, the durability of not only the roof, but also of the entire building as a whole is increased. If this tier of timber were not used, the vertical loads from the roof would act with a destructive force on the load-bearing walls at certain points. In essence, the mauerlat performs the main supporting and protective function in the whole frame construction of the top of the structure. Such support is not needed only in the construction of wooden houses, in which the top of the walls ends with stacking of bars or logs. This important structural element must be installed when installing the roof frame in such a way that the inner surfaces of its and supporting walls are in the same plane. This will make the interior decoration of the house more comfortable.
• From the side of the street, the mauerlat needs to be buried with brickwork so that the wood material is not exposed to the effects of nature. Walls lined with blocks or bricks should be aligned at the top point with a concrete screed. She, in turn, should be covered with roofing felt in several layers. Instead, the material can be applied heated bitumen. Insulating material is used to protect the mauerlat from moisture, which could be transferred to it from the walls. Excess moisture detrimental effect on wooden material and reduces its durability.
• The most practical and reliable method of fixing the power plate to the walls of the building is the use of metal studs, which firmly fasten the surfaces of both elements. Holes of the required size are made in the bricks or blocks. Finished metal studs, which are made of steel reinforcement, are inserted into the drilled holes. Then the beam for the support is applied for fitting to the studs, marks are made and holes are made on them also in the power plate.

Note! When mounting attention should be paid to the length of the studs. They should protrude from the body of the support bar at a distance of 1.5 cm. At the ends of the metal parts, a thread should be cut, which is ultimately used for final fixing of the power plate with large diameter washers and nuts. As an alternative to this mount, you can use welding.

Installation of a rafter frame

The next stage of work is the installation of the frame of the truss structure of the roof. Before installing the truss trusses, you need to purchase dry wooden elements so that they do not distort and warp over the next time.

• During construction, truss legs in the amount of 2 pieces and ties for joining the first ones in their lower part should be included in the truss structure. Ties are fixed to the rafter legs with anchor details and bolts. Truss trusses in the required quantity are attached to the power plate and fixed using simple technologies. They consist in making the necessary number of cutouts of the correct form in the support bar. In these grooves using simple manipulations set rafters. The distance between the truss structures depends on the exact dimensions of the roof, which are repelled from the dimensions of the house. In practice, rafters should be apart from each other at a distance of up to 1 m. It is necessary to take into account that rafters with a vertical direction are used in some roof frames. Such structural elements are used for the device of high roofs with a vertical size of 3 m and more.
• Crate wooden system perfectly interconnects the structural elements of the frame. But before it is installed, it is necessary to ensure the stability of the roof trusses. To this end, a ridge type timber is foreseen at the top of the structure. On the lower side, however, a temporary harness is arranged, which is removed after the installation of slats or battens. As you can see, the lathing plays an important role not only for the device of the roofing material, but also for a reliable bundle of all structural elements when the roof frame is made with your own hands.
• The system of the batten can be divided by its form into intermediate and continuous. The choice of the type of lathing depends on what roofing material will cover the roof. Intermediate lathing is used if the roof overlaps with dense sheet materials. In this case, there must be a certain distance between the planks.
• If the roof of the roof is expected to be soft or it is rolled into rolls, then continuous crate is used. Only on such a surface can you properly lay this type of roofing material, and only in this way can you ensure long-term operation of the roof. Soft tiles will feel good on a solid crate. If this material is laid on an intermediate system, then it will hang down and be operated poorly.  

For example, for a galvanized sheet, metal tile or slate, intermediate crate is well suited. But since these materials require fastening in certain places, the battens should be mounted with a certain step. Therefore, for the proper construction of the roof frame, it is necessary to do preliminary calculations.

Note! Any materials made of wood are exposed to fungi and insects, and they also burn. To protect wooden material from pests, bars and boards should be protected with antiseptic impregnation. In order for a tree to lose its ability to burn, it needs to be treated with flame retardants. Processing of all wooden elements must be carried out before the start of installation work. This will increase the durability of the wooden roof frame. 

The advantages of metal rafters

In industrial construction, as well as in the construction of multi-story high-rise buildings, roof frames are not made of wooden elements. Rafter systems are carried out in them from the profile metal. The light metal frame of the roof, which consists of steel of a very different profile with thin walls, is distinguished by its reliability and long service life. If we compare the metal rafters and wood, the first have a number of advantages.

• Metal elements, unlike wooden ones, are not subject to burning. In the event of a roof fire, metal structures can withstand high temperatures for a long time and prevent the roof from collapsing.
• When using metal rafters there is no need to process the structural elements with antiseptics and flame retardants. 
• Since the structure is not exposed to infection by insects and fungus, and the surface of the elements is covered with zinc, which prevents corrosion, such a roof can be used for about 100 years.
• Metal rafters can be mounted in all weather conditions.
• It should be noted ease of installation rafters. For installation you need a minimum of tools.
• Since the structure has a small mass, it does not exert large loads on the load-bearing walls of the structure.

Since metal rafters are not terrible heavy loads, any roofing material can be used as a roof slab.

A photo

Video

This video is about installing the roof truss system.