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Gambrel Roof Framing

| Posted in General Discussion on January 18, 2000 04:06am

*
Would someone please tell me the best source of information for framing a Gambrel Roof in great detail?

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  1. Guest_ | Jan 14, 2000 05:11am | #1

    *

    Keith,

    Your best "source of information" is right at this web site.

    Joseph Fusco

    View Image

    "Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblance's to that truth."

    Socrates

  2. Mark_Donato | Jan 14, 2000 06:39am | #2

    *
    Keith, What is it you are looking for? I was interested because I like the gambrel style and sticked my own house with a gambrel roof. Maybe I can help?

    1. Keith_P._Uhlman | Jan 16, 2000 12:26am | #3

      *Mark, I wish to build a barn with double wide doors on one end of the second floor. I know how to construct the lower half but am lost as to the Gambrel Roof. I want an unobstructed height inside of at least ten feet, so I assume my knee walls will be ten feet. How far from the exterior first floor wall shall I place them? Where do I start the first rafter? So on and so on? Pictures would sure help, I have searched all the construction books in the local book stores to no avail. Any advice you can give I thankyou for. Respectfully yours, KEITH

  3. Guest_ | Jan 16, 2000 01:26am | #4

    *
    .........Gambrel roofs are a question of esthetics....
    traditionaly the 5 points of the gambrel fall on a circumference... but there are many variations of that ..
    with a 10 ' high ceiling on the 2d floor you've got to do something to break that line, maybe some clever gable dormers sticking out ...
    the knee walls form a series of triangles that are connected by a purlin or a double plate... the ceiling joists sit on top of that plate ...and the upper roof is USUALLY a complimentary pitch to the lower steep pitch... so the roof is 3 strong triangles (two kneewall triangles and one upper roof triangle) an EXAMPLE might be 18/12 lower pitch and 6/12 upper pitch....if you're not careful, the whole thing can end up looking like a mushroom...or it can be very attractive......lots of gambrels in the historic architecture books such as Newport, RI..

    1. Guest_ | Jan 16, 2000 01:31am | #5

      *......here's an example....this is not classic, because it has a long front roof, and a large overhang...but the shed dormers and cupola help to break the long roof...

  4. G.LaLonde | Jan 16, 2000 01:52am | #6

    *
    Keith, Have you thought of talking with a truss manufacturer about fabricating the upper level for you? How big is your proposed building ? I have built many of these type buildings this way by making my own trusses with plywood gussets glued and nailed. You could park a tank on top of them they are so strong. The manufacturers I deal with could easily come up with a design for you. You should check it out.

  5. Guest_ | Jan 16, 2000 05:33pm | #7

    *
    Building your own trusses isn't a good idea, unless the trusses and connections are designed by an engineer. A truss, like a chain, is only as strong as it's weakest link. Your homemade trusses may
    b look
    strong, but may contain just one serious flaw. That flaw could be the thing that causes serious problems 5,10, or 20 years down the road.

    In the 15 years I've been in business, I've never seen a set of homemade trusses that are even close to the engineering standards we use for manufactured trusses.

  6. Mark_Donato | Jan 16, 2000 06:04pm | #8

    *
    Keith, On my house I did it this way..... house 24 x38, 24ft wide first floor, stepped 8 ft high 2nd floor walls in 20 inches each side top roof 4/12 pitch, built 12inch ladders for overhang at first floor top plate .Went from 2nd floor top plate to ladders, legs down to 1st floor top plate. Maybe this can help you scale yours. I also completed a gambrele design last year that was done with trusses, designed and built by a manufacturer. Was much simpler than stick framing and may be way for you to go since you can see what roof will look like before framing. Consider hiring a framer to handle this . What you spend will out weigh the problems you may have. I also have 2 shed dormers front and back . Also Pay attention to what Mike said about a mushroom you dont want to look top heavy.

    1. G.LaLonde | Jan 16, 2000 08:18pm | #9

      *Ron, I'm not saying he should go out and design his own trusses. I'm saying it is easy to make your own trusses if you know the design. I totally disagree with you about not being able to make a truss as strong as a factory truss. The reason I make so many of my own is to make them stronger than the flimsy stuff you get from a truss manufacturer. A glued and nailed large plywood gusset is much stronger than these flimsy little connector plates. I have to repair factory made trusses almost every time I get a load delivered. The process of getting them from the yard and unloaded at the jobsite is enough to pop many of the plates before we even begin to move them. I deal with three manufacturers and we have the same problem with all of them. I also use a better quality of wood. We have been building pole barns in heavy snow country for 25 years and have never had a failure. Quite the contrary, I've seen several manufactured buildings go down. My point is that he is going to have to come up with a design no matter which way he builds it, and there is no reason he cannot build the whole thing himself if he chooses to do so. It may be much easier for him to build the bottom and then set trusses on top of that section to complete the structure. Gambrel roofs are a perfect example of where the joints should be reinforced with plywood no matter which method you choose.

      1. G.L. | Jan 16, 2000 10:47pm | #10

        *This may help you out....http://www.barnplans.com/images/trusses.jpg

  7. Guest_ | Jan 17, 2000 05:02am | #11

    *
    Ya know, I've been through this argument so many times, I wonder why I even bother sometimes.

    You build pole barns for a living ? What would you think if I told you I could build pole buildings just as good as you could ? Well, maybe I
    b could,
    but I probably
    b wouldn't.
    That's the way I feel about people building their own trusses. Technically they
    b could
    do a good job, but they probably won't. They lack the resources and skills to do it right.

    Incidentally, if you've seen pole buildings go down, it's probably because the trusses were underdesigned, or the trusses weren't installed correctly. I've never seen a set of trusses go down that were designed and installed correctly.

    1. Guest_ | Jan 17, 2000 06:40am | #12

      *I've looked at the gambrel truss plans from that site before and thought they looked better than what I've seen the truss companys around here making in terms of wasted space. One of the things I've wondered, is if you bought the plans, couldnt you just have a local truss co. fabricate them for you? Ron?JonC

  8. G.LaLonde | Jan 17, 2000 08:16am | #13

    *
    Nope, I don't build pole buildings for a living. But we have built over 500 structures in the last 30 years, mostly new homes. I now build about 90% of them using manufactured roof trusses. Your contention that a truss manufacturer is the only one who can build a truss is as logical as the plumber who thinks he is the only one who can plumb a house or the electrician who thinks he is the only one who can wire a house. This seems to be a site frequented by people who are trying to learn how to do something for themselves. My original suggestion was that he go to a truss manufacturer and see what they could do for him! Sorry you were offended by the comment that perhaps he could do the same thing himself.

  9. Keith_P._Uhlman | Jan 18, 2000 04:06am | #14

    *
    Would someone please tell me the best source of information for framing a Gambrel Roof in great detail?

  10. Guest_ | Jan 18, 2000 04:06am | #15

    *
    JonC -

    I'm not entirely sure I understand the question. Are you saying buy plans for a gambrel barn, then have the truss manufacturer build them ? Or are you saying buy pre-drawn plans for the trusses ?

    Having a plan for the building would certainly help. A lot of people who ask me for a price on gambrel trusses assume there is some sort of "standard" design, which there isn't. A gambrel roof can be almost anything.

    If you're talking about buying pre-designed truss plans, they would be a waste of money. The sizes, grades, and species of lumber varies a great deal from manufacturer to manufacturer, and from region to region. Design loads and codes also vary greatly. So no "canned" plan for a gambrel truss would work all over the USA.

    I'd suggest sketching up what you have in mind, and taking it to 2 or 3 different places. I suggest multiple places, as pricing on unusual stuff can vary greatly, and one place may come up with a better design than another.

    Is that what you were looking for ?

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