setting trusses with only 2?

NIXON · Feb 24, 2004

Now that you've got the sawzall /pole done . You are going to keep us up to date on the next step of your garage , aren't you ? Have you decided on the siding your going to use ? A lot of us have been watching your progress from the start . And You've done well ! It's almost like it was my own garage /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
John

mopower440 · Feb 25, 2004

well, the next step, i was going to sheath the roof, then pour the floor, then sheath the sidewalls, but may not do any of it for a few weeks due to money, have to pay the kgb, or umm i mean the IRS..i wanted to get the roof sheathing up, that way the ground underneath it could really dry up good and then pour the cement, but the thing that has me worried is this, rememeber way on back i was telling you that some of the posts, mainly on one wall, are only 6" in the ground due to a very long large rock underneath, well, im afraid that if i sheath the roof and not the walls, that when the tornado season starts, the wind might pick it up since the walls wont be on there to keep the wind out..i was planning on drilling a hole in each pole that isnt bried deep and run rebar through it into the garage and then when the cement is poured, that would anchor it to the ground.. the building is nice and sturdy, but im just afraid that if i sheath the roof and one of these wild tennessee spring storms comes up that it might pick it up, probably wouldnt but it still is on my mind, uunless anyone knows how to anchor the poles until the floor is poured or walls are put up?

Evasive1 · Feb 25, 2004

A little late now, but what we use to do a lot when we would strike solid rock would be to drill a 5/8" hole into the rock as far down as we needed and drill the bottom of the pole (4x4 or 4x6). We would drive a 5/8" steel rod into the rock and drive the post down onto the steel rod securing it all with 2 part epoxy. Worked great and saved a great amount of time not having to jackhammer out holes!

wroughtn_harv · Feb 26, 2004

First, did you use hurricane straps?

Hurricane straps are formed steel brackets designed to make the truss and the top plate one.

If you did use hurricane straps, good. If you didn't go to your local box store and get some.

As for securing the roof for storms. A temporary anchor like they use to secure mobiles will work if properly installed. You can get those at your local box store or TSC.

You screw them into the soil where you can and then secure the framework of the building to it with a chain or cable.

If you've got good rock, granite etc, then drilling a hole in at an angle and installing an eye bolt will work too.

The guys much more book learned than I am will be able to explain the size and depth of the hole and eyebolt.

chucko · Feb 26, 2004

if you leave the trusses in the weather with nothing to protect them they will start to look real bad real fast. As they get wet then dry out over and over the plates will work right out of them

Charlie_in_TX · Feb 26, 2004

I'm with harv on that one (go figure). On the posts only 6" deep, clear the dirt next to the post. Drill in the rock with a 1/2" drill. Epoxy in an eyebolt. Do the same on the other side of the pole. Drill a dole in the post and run a cable thru the eyebolts and post. Secure the cable ends.

mopower440 · Feb 26, 2004

Guys, the trusses are secured to the top plate, the book i used to build this said to leave the posts sticking up past the top plate 4" to nail the trusses to, and i did, then for the trusses that go between posts, you nail a 2x6 stub between the 2 2x12 truss supports(top plates) and you nail the trusses to them, i was worried about the wind picking the whole thing up..there is about 5 posts that are not that far in the ground, the rest of them are 4' in the ground.

rambler · Feb 26, 2004

I would anchor down the 'short' posts as others have suggested, with eyebolts in the rock prefered, or if you want to avoid drilling the rock then the longer screw-in-the-dirt anchor eyebolts & cables up to the roof. I'd try to get these close to the 'short' poles.

Me, I would make the roof a priority (after anchoring the short poles) as soon as possible, get it sheathed & metaled (or whatever material you are using for the finished roof - metal is by far the best bang for the buck imho). Siding & floor work can be done anytime, but those new trusses will weather away quickly without a covering.

I'd strongly think total roof first.

--->Paul

mopower440 · Feb 27, 2004

yeah, im getting to work on it..now, about cutting the metal, i have questions about that, on a previous post someone said that you use snip to cut this siding metal, is that true? are they like big scissors or what? I know ill have to cut the metal at an agle along the gables at the gable ends, thats going to be trick seeing as the metal isnt even flat, you know how its got the ridges in it to strengthen it and all..this has been on my mind for a while, thats why i am thinking of using the T11

NIXON · Feb 27, 2004

Mowpower
You need a good set of WISS snips to cut the metal .
I don't have the model # handy but they are about 12-14 " long and look like a giant set of scissors . They have red rubber handles . Also , before you use the ,wrap some tape on the parts of your fingers were they touch . Keeps down the wear and tear on your skin /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif John

Egon · Feb 28, 2004

Skillsaw with plywood blade reversed and wear gloves and gogles.

Egon

BXMMCC · Feb 28, 2004

Metal cutting blades for hand circular saws are available. I put chain saw oil on the cut line with a foam paint brush before cutting; worked great. Used mineral spirits to clean it up - it was pretty messy. Yep, safety glasses and ear plugs are a must!

BXMMCC · Feb 28, 2004

Forgot to add the pointer.

metal cutting blades

Evasive1 · Feb 28, 2004

All three are great suggestions. Don't make a big deal about cutting the metal it is easy and fun. (best part of the job at least for me.) /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I use all three suggestions depending on what kind of cut. The Wiss snips are a must and you will use them for everything after this job for years to come. The plywood blade backwards works great and so do the metal cutting blades for a circular saw. Metal cutting blade for circular saw 3 pack at Wal-mart under $8.00. (Black & Decker 7" cutting abrasive saw blade part #63-217w3 metal A24R, looks like a skinny grinder wheel) Old used circular saw blade put on backwards free.

As stated leather gloves, goggles and ear protection an absolute must!!

rambler · Feb 28, 2004

What everyone is saying - a metal snips & leather gloves.

A Skill saw with a reversed old or a dedicated metal sawblade, eye protection, ear protection, same leather gloves as above. This will get more done, but you'll need the snips. Saw will be about as easy (much noisier!) as cutting the same amount of wood.

Do _not_ skimp on the eye & ear protection, we are not kidding on that part! This is for real, not those endless pointless safety disclaimers in the manuals we get. You need it with the saw, & anyone helping you too. For real.

--->Paul

mopower440 · Feb 28, 2004

Good deal! well, i just got in from staring at the roof for a while..lol.. trying to figure out something, tomorrow im going to try to finish nailing on the purlins, i remembered you all said to break the purlins on a different truss each time for added strength, i cant figure out how to do it without wasting a lot of wood with the 4 ft. centers..as of now, i ended up using 3 12' 2x4's per row, waisting about 3' of board, the roof is 30 ft. long plus a 10 1/2 overhang on each end...

Glenn9643 · Feb 28, 2004

" i remembered you all said to break the purlins on a different truss each time for added strength"

I think what was meant was that you shouldn't let all of the purlins break on the same truss. If you have 8 runs of purlin on a side try to stagger the breaks for each run.

Egon · Feb 29, 2004

For some reason I've always been under the impression that the purlin breaks are joined between trusses as this will make a stronger unit.

Egon

Evasive1 · Feb 29, 2004

Yep,
It is okay if some of the breaks end up on the same truss. Just alternate it so that no two rows of purlins that are next to each other end up on the same truss.

Glenn9643 · Feb 29, 2004

Egon,

That's how I've been doing mine. Just let the lumber go and splice it with a scab underneath and screws. However, some people are hell bent on splicing at the truss so I didn't want to go into all that other. If I was splicing at the truss, I wouldn't have them all break on the same truss. If joining between trusses, I would have the break on alternate trusses also (not all between the same two trusses)