I'm curious how the pricing works out for you. I made my own trusses for a few buildings in the past, but when I put the last addition on my house I couldn't buy the lumber, plywood, glue and nails for what I could get the trusses delivered from Menards, and the truck had a big enough arm to set them on the walls for me. I was shocked at how cheap they sell these trusses. They actually use such crappy wood it made me a little nervous, but the machines and pressed plates straighten everything out enough to make them useable. The top and bottom chords were 2x4, but the diagonals were all some smaller form of lumber, I'd say something like a 2x3. They have figured out every place to give you the bare minimum required by code, nothing more.
Build your own roof trusses -advice ?
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I'm curious how the pricing works out for you. I made my own trusses for a few buildings in the past, but when I put the last addition on my house I couldn't buy the lumber, plywood, glue and nails for what I could get the trusses delivered from Menards, and the truck had a big enough arm to set them on the walls for me. I was shocked at how cheap they sell these trusses. They actually use such crappy wood it made me a little nervous, but the machines and pressed plates straighten everything out enough to make them useable. The top and bottom chords were 2x4, but the diagonals were all some smaller form of lumber, I'd say something like a 2x3. They have figured out every place to give you the bare minimum required by code, nothing more.
OP
gabeancounter
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Yes they are some great folks. Used them when I built my house in 2008. It amazed me how competitive they are for almost every aspect of building.
mx842
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Mx,
The project is actually 28x50, but all your comments still apply. Enjoyed reading the post and agree 110%.
Blueriver just built these trusses for his pole barn. They look better than most trusses I have seen manufactured. I would not be afraid to walk under these trusses anymore than any other truss. Just seems to be easy to convey a correct opinion by using the fear card.
Oh sorry I don't know where I got the 40 from.
But, that is even better you could do those with 16' and 14' lumber and not have but one break in the middle. That is if you are not going to have any overhang like I'm planning. Yeah those do look good I wonder if he is free for a couple days next week.:laughing: Keep us posted as to how you are progressing and I'll do the same.
gabeancounter said:Correct: conforming to fact or truth; free from error; accurate: a correct answer.
Opinion: a : a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter
Just kidding.
Yes, I am stubborn and you'll probably be reading about a pole barn that fell on a bean counter from GA.
This is somewhat like buying eggs from the grocery store rather than having your own chickens. The FDA inspections are good and are needed for protecting the general public, but I will take my risk eating my own eggs.
Yes, but eating your own eggs can't accidentally kill somebody else 30 years from now. Poor engineering or poor construction can.
The reason we have all those great old structures to use as examples is because all the bad examples have already sagged and been dozed and burned. Some really bad buildings are still standing only because they haven't encountered a strong enough wind or a deep wet snow yet.
Look at how many errors of thought have already been exposed in this thread. A lot of the things we think we know turn out to be really, really wrong...and I'm including myself in that. This is especially the case when people start complaining about 'old, vs 'new'. I know more than one old fella who admires the bird mouth cuts in older rafters and complains about modern engineered trusses with prong plates. That's nostalgia, not rationality. Anybody want to manually make all those cuts? Yet these guys will go to their graves bemoaning the loss of craftsmanship these days.
We don't have codes and standards because of the jobs that were done right. We have them because of the ones that weren't.
OP
gabeancounter
Silver Member
Elikins,
I don't see to many new residential projects that will make it 30 years, so if you are concerned about my pole barn falling down 30 yrs from now, then I have done my job.:laughing:
Many of the new products on the market (hardie, flowguard gold etc) are great improvements, but it stills takes a quality install. Code also accepts foam board and vinyl siding as an exterior. Just because it is new does not make it a better product.
I don't see to many new residential projects that will make it 30 years, so if you are concerned about my pole barn falling down 30 yrs from now, then I have done my job.:laughing:
Many of the new products on the market (hardie, flowguard gold etc) are great improvements, but it stills takes a quality install. Code also accepts foam board and vinyl siding as an exterior. Just because it is new does not make it a better product.
gabeancounter said:Elikins,
I don't see to many new residential projects that will make it 30 years, so if you are concerned about my pole barn falling down 30 yrs from now, then I have done my job.:laughing:
Many of the new products on the market (hardie, flowguard gold etc) are great improvements, but it stills takes a quality install. Code also accepts foam board and vinyl siding as an exterior. Just because it is new does not make it a better product.
I completely agree that new isn't always better, but there's lots of empirical evidence that minor design differences in roof trusses have a HUGE impact on their ultimate strength.
Full disclosure here: I built a 14 X 24 shed at my old house and I made my own modular half trusses, but I massively overbuilt them just to make sure they wouldn't fail. I'm not one of those people who thinks you have to pay an 'expert' to do everything.
But...if I had to do it again I would pay somebody to make them. I would have been under roof faster and for less money. If DIY doesn't save you time or money then you're just doing it for the experience, and I've already had the experience.
