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We can’t seem to find a foolproof system on how to straighten our gable trusses. Thought maybe you guys could give your input.
Do you string lines,eyeball it, use your plywood, straighten before plywood, straighten after plywood, use your blocking to straighten, plumb it at the top and call it good???
We normally run our plywood long and make 1 foot overhangs at the gables. We snap a line and cut our plywood and then attach our fly rafter and blocks but we never know the best way and the best time to straighten the gable truss. The overhang always looks perfectly straight but if you get real picky you can find flaws in the truss next to it.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
THanks
Jake
Replies
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I try to build hog troughs as soon as possible.
Billy
*string, block and brace the gable stud wall..erect the gable truss... plumb the truss..string and block and brace the top chords..tack your plywood so you can check the alignment..build your overhang ladder and your fly rafter...
*When setting a gable truss, I actually have a very different technique than most others I've seen.-Lay the gable (flat on the walls) on the truss to go next to it, flush, and tack them together-sheet the gable-lay out the truss for ladders/lookouts and transfer the marks directly to the gable-toe-nail ladders onto truss, nail 2x6 sub-fascia onto ladders, and nail on 2x2 soffit backing onto gable (if appicable)-nail kickers to outside wall, stand gable-stand truss with ladders/fascia attached-toe-nail ladders to gable to set spacing/projectionAll you need to do now is straighten the first truss and the fasica will follow.
*We nail the bottom chord of the truss to the gable end wall and then plumb up to the peak of the truss. The top chord is notched for the look outs and they are installed, nailed to the truss behind the gable truss, but not nailed to the gable end truss. As we sheet we allow the plywood to run over the edge by a few inches. Finally we snap a chalk line from the peak to the tail along the top chord of the gable end truss. The plywood is cut and then the top of the truss is knocked back and forth to match the cut edge of the plywood. Then the look outs are nailed down in the notched truss. The truss then is as straight as a chalk line can make it.
*Jake....Try this method: do everything just as you normally do, but before you attatch the flying rafter- measure back 12" (or however far you made the plywood overhang) and snap a line there. This should correspond with the edge of the gable truss. Now you just go to every joint in the plywood and push or pull the truss to the line and tack it. (some people use a guy in the attic to do the pushing, I always just drove a nail in the face of the top chord, hooked it with my hammer and pulled. It depends on how comfortable you are reaching over the edge way up in the air like that.) I have found that getting it on "line" every four feet usually makes for a pretty straight gable. Then just nail it off and you are done! Of course this method only works when you use "H" clips and have that little space in the joints so you can see the edge of the truss. Good luck!
*I should add that the gable trusses we use are dropped 3 1/2" (2x4 lookouts), which is why I straighten the truss next to the gable.
*build and sheath the trusses on the ground keeping the trusses on perfect, or very cose to, layout and the sheathing will straighten and plumb your gable in one easy step. You get to work on the ground instead of up in the air. Pick it up with a crane and yer good to go.jim
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We can't seem to find a foolproof system on how to straighten our gable trusses. Thought maybe you guys could give your input.
Do you string lines,eyeball it, use your plywood, straighten before plywood, straighten after plywood, use your blocking to straighten, plumb it at the top and call it good???
We normally run our plywood long and make 1 foot overhangs at the gables. We snap a line and cut our plywood and then attach our fly rafter and blocks but we never know the best way and the best time to straighten the gable truss. The overhang always looks perfectly straight but if you get real picky you can find flaws in the truss next to it.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
THanks
Jake