How Do You Build A Roof Rafter

The fourth step in the how to build a shed series this tutorial teaches you the necessary steps to building roof rafters.

How do you build a roof rafter.

Our roof rafter calculator tools are handy for calculating the number of rafters needed rafter length calculator lineal feet of rafter board feed in ridge and sub facia and the total board feet in the roof. Rise and run means that a 6 12 pitch roof has 6 of rise vertical for each foot of run horizontal. Common rafters are the most common type of rafter in construction. Before you begin building rafters you need to determine that you have the right tools materials and measurements.

If you look at the rafter span chart you ll notice that 2x4s can be used for rafters on spans up to 11. The roof rafters provide integral structural support to the roof. Just enter the dimensions of the roof rise and run to get started. The pitch and span of your roof will dictate how long of a rafter you ll need use maximum span calculator to help you find your rafter size.

Laying out hip valley and jack rafters takes experience and skill but if you re building a simple gable or shed roof all you need is the common rafter the basic building block of roof framing. From cutting the rafter parts out to building a jig and assembling the rafters. The first thing to determine is the pitch your roof will have and the span your roof needs to cover. Then enter those measurements into an online roofing calculator to determine how long each common rafter will need to be.

To lay out a common rafter you need the pitch of the roof expressed in units of rise per foot of run in the gable roof example shown here a rafter with 6 in 12 pitch rises 6 in. Due to the width. Possibly the most satisfiying part of the roof yet. Anything beyond that you are looking at using 2x6s for most sheds.

If you re building rafters and aren t sure where to start when determining the length of your lumber you re in the right place our rafter stock size calculator shows you how long your rafters should be so you ll know what you need in terms of framing lumber dimensional lumber studs and more. If you re framing a gable roof on a new house or building a shed or even a doghouse with a gable roof you ll need to cut a number of roof rafters. The rafter assembly is made by using an o s b. To build a hip roof start by measuring the width and height of the building you re putting the roof on.

Before you cut your boards you ll need to measure the width of your building and calculate the exact length of each rafter. For example if your roof is 24 feet long you can have a 4 12 roof pitch. Today we are tackling a big beginner lesson which is common rafter layout and cutting.