Can I handle trusses with my tractor?

SacandagaBrad · Mar 31, 2005

I'm getting ready to tear down an old garage and build a new attached garage on the house. The old garage really isn't that bad, its just in a bad location on a tight lot and no where near big enough. It has 2x6 rough cut (full dimension) lumber trusses that are still in great shape, span is 20 feet. With the crazy lumber prices, I was thinking of trying to salvage them and reuse them to build an open 24' x 20' pavillion on 4x4 posts for additional boat storage, etc.

Question, is there any way my TC-24D could be used to disassemble the garage, lowering the trusses safely to a staging area? The garage is fairly low with only 7'6" walls and a roof pitch of what looks like 5 on 12. The loader would reach the base of the trusses, just not sure how to secure them or if I would need something like a boom pole to handle them from the top. No idea what they would weigh. Any experiences or guidance appreciated. I just don't want to get in a situation where I'm holding up the contractor trying the impossible.

Thanks - Brad

Darren · Mar 31, 2005

It wouldn't be hard to figure out. You'll need to calculate the total footage of 2x6s in each truss to calc the weight of each truss. You also need to find out how high the ridge of the roof is above ground. With that info, we can figure if your tractor will handle the load. Do you have a set of forks for the loader?

FWIW, I've set heavier trusses than that using two guys and two stepladders. You could take them down the same way as long as you had your Cherrios that morning.

jwstewar · Apr 1, 2005

Hi Brad,

Take a look at my Pole Barn thread - Jim's Pole Barn Project - hopefully and somewhere through it you will find some pictures of the boom pole that I made for my TC24 that I used to set the trusses on my 30'x40'. Only problem we had was about 1/3 of the way up on the end trusses (they had 2' overhangs on them) we had to "help" it a little bit. Once we went about half way, it took the leverage off and we were able to finish taking them up with tractor only.

Boom Pole

End of the Boom Pole

jwstewar · Apr 1, 2005

Forgot to mention what I used for counterweight. Used my 4' KK cutter w/ 8 4"X8"X16" solid concrete blocks. That made the tractor feel pretty stable - especially since, as you know, my tires aren't loaded.

boustany · Apr 1, 2005

Trusses are light. My bro and I installed all the trusses on my very large house, although I paid a crane to place the bundles on the walls. The truss manufacturer shortshipped one common truss with a 36' span, and I installed that alone. It couldnot have weighed over 100 pounds.

They are big and strong, but not very heavy, just a bit unwieldy.

DaMadman · Apr 1, 2005

Sounds like a job for a boom pole and one of these

Rope hoist
I have one in my garage mounted in the rafters and I can hang a 150 pound deer with one hand. I would think if you had a boom pole and one of these rope hoists, or even a chain hoist (if you want to spend the extra) you could handle them plenty easy. It would be better if you have one other person to keep the trusses from spinning and flopping around. But none the less it can be done

chucko · Apr 1, 2005

20' trusses sould not be to hard to deal with one at at time

should be able to let the peek roll botom side up then just set each end off the wall one at a time
2 or 3 guys could most likely do it by hand

bugstruck · Apr 1, 2005

Chucko, That's how to go with that size tractor IMO. A boom pole would work too but 20' trusses are no big deal even handling all by hand if your as close as we are talking to the ground. With a boom pole you want to be sure your on good level ground, even if the trusses are light. Sounds like this job will be on the level. I guess I'm telling my age but we used to spin trusses to 32' and 6/12 pitch by hand in the 70's, larger on some occasions. Week in week out. Admittedly though, that was an experienced framing crew. Cranes were in short supply back then.

I'd recommend removing the roof sheathing incrementally and freeing the trusses up as you go. Make a hand turning pole and lower the peaks down as you stated above (i.e. turn the truss upside down). Take the ends down one at a time by hand. Be careful as they want to slide off the opposite wall they are still resting on. No-brainer really. The truss won't flip over in that upside down position and a set of forks will make quick work of moving it in a much more stable way in that position.

If you are doing this with a boom pole and it's a garage, remove the garage door header (if that makes sense) so you can back straight out. Otherwise the boom pole will me more work than by hand. Trusses don't flip so easy when angled in between two walls on the ground. Carrying them sideways is not a good option unless you have a # of hands.

HTH,

SacandagaBrad · Apr 2, 2005

Thanks for the input. Hadn't really thought about it, but I guess they would be fairly light and easy to handle by hand. Only have 13 of them to get down. The big challenge will be getting the roof off, the previous owner had no fewer than 5 layers of shingles on the roof. It might not be worth the effort depending on time, might just hit it with the excavator and through it all in the dumpster so we can get started with the new addition.

Brad

Paddy · Apr 2, 2005

Take your circle saw and cut the roofing/decking so yo can remove a 4' section. That is cut form peak to gutter 4' from the end. You will be impressed how well a nice new $5 blade will cut through roofing.

Use a 4x4 as sledge hammer from below to seperate the decking/roofing from the truss. Repeat on oposing side.

Remove the truss/es by leaning over the truss to the still attached ones. With crow bar pry up.

Continue. Trusses need the decking to stand up. Don't remove to much decking!

Roofing should remain attached to the decking for easy clean up. 4'x4'roofing/decking is a good weight to handle.

have fun, should take a few hours with a friend to remove the entire roof system