What is the best way to install valley trusses? String ling on top and then push into position?? Thanks
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Do you mean hip,as in a lay-over set?
For two intersecting roofs. Usually, I would stick frame but the truss company sent valley trusses. I thought since they were here already it would be faster. But I have no experience with these so any suggestions for the install are appreciated. Thanks
Edited 6/25/2005 9:24 pm ET by BHACKFORD
Stringing a line then pushing them up to it is probably the best method.
I could calculate the exact theoritical position a valley truss should be in down to the thousandth of an inch. But in reality, variations in material thickness and bows in the lumber make that impractical. So ya just stick 'em where they fit the best.
Some truss manufacturers figure valley trusses from the peak down, and others do it from the bottom up. Asking them what they did ahead of time might save you some head scratching.
As Boss said, run a top string line. I used to pop a chalk line either side where sheathing hits the roof up to where the string line is nailed[peak].
If the trusses are dead-on you might get away pulling 24oc, but just putting them on the chalk line and peak to string is easy.Hope we're on the same page this time :)
Thanks for the advice. I did a few today in 95 degree heat! And yes one truss was out 3/4 of an inch and there is a sheating gap but the shingles will hide it. Thanks to everyone for the good advice.
Assuming you already have a gable truss installed to go off of:
First, sheath the roof in question.
Level over from the peak to determine the height of the ridge line. Find center by pulling measurements diagonally up from the same point down low on the gable truss.
Now you have a point from which to snap valley lines and string the peak.
Plane from the gable to the lowest point on the other roof (the one you are putting the valley sets on) on both sides of the gable, then snap lines from the point of the peak down to those marks. Now you have a stringline for the paeks and chalklines for the pointy ends of the valley set trusses.
Now just have 3 guys, one on each end lining up the points with the chalklines and one in the middle, keeping the truss plumb and lining up the peak with the stringline, once you have all three in position, nail the truss to the roof. (make sure you hit trusses on the other roof, but then You already knew that...lol)
A couple of things, I always string the peak about 1/2" high and eyeball the peaks about 1/2" below the string, this keeps the trusses from pushing the string higher and higher.
Also, depending upon how well the trusses are made, sometimes those three points just won't all line up, you've just got to fudge them a little, my experience is that it's best to keep the peaks correct and fudge the valley points, nobody will notice if the valley is slightly off,
All in all, I feel that it's actually easier and better to field frame these with a ridgeboard and rafters, but you don't want to alter the design that the truss company sent you, they tend to frown on that sort of thing around here.
"All in all, I feel that it's actually easier and better to field frame these with a ridgeboard and rafters..."
So do I.
The only exception would be on REALLY large valleys, like maybe 40' and up.
I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans.
Everything you said was bang on. especially about having to fudge things. (I guess building trusses is not treated as rocket science) the only thing that I'd add is that we always nail a 2x4 skid block flat along the bottom side of the bottom cord.
EDIT: one other thing, don't forget - after you've got your valley trusses up and before you sheet it cut an access hole.
Edited 6/27/2005 11:28 am ET by nails2
No, No ! You're s'posed to do that from underneath, with a cordless sawzall that the battery keeps popping off of, after the insulation has been blown in, in august, While the general is standing there mad because it kept him from passing the final.
It's funner that way. LOL
Bahahaha! Hilarious dude.
LOL...best laugh I had all day! that's a hilarious image!
we call ours "diminishers". First we establish the point where the ridge will strike. To do this we measure from outside of top plate to the truss peak ( along the top chord run basically ), then transfer this measurement further along to where the ridge will strike. Then we string that point. From that point we run two ( or only one line depending on if we have a hip on one side ) down to establish the valley.
Then our valley trusses are set up to both the ridge line and the valley line. As we don't sheath this system works for us, but if you are sheathing I guess it would not be possible to establish the ridge / valley point by measurement.
regards
Mark
http://www.quittintime.com
We rarely get those shipped but most of the advice was/is good.
Myself, since I hate strings, I'd probably just lay a 2x4 on top of the gable and level it. I'd sight it in straight to the projected barge board (our overhangs are always done before we set the gable) and then just bump each valley truss up to the center of the temp ridge board.
blue
For the record.... when trying to find out where your ridge will land on a layover roof (or the centerline of your valley trusses) there's an easy formula so you can put away the long crooked 2x4 and 4' level.
If you've got a construction master calculator...
RISE (of the smaller layover roof)
PITCH (of the roof it will lay on)
RUN= length of ridgeboard or distance from the gable to where it hits the other roof.
As long as your gable is level, yer good to go. The formula assumes equal heel-stands and equal plate heights of the two roofs though. Still works if they're not equal, you just have to make the appropriate adjustment to the RISE number. Don't forget to subtract the sheathing dimension if the larger roof is sheathed before you build the layover roof.
Dies, you don't need a construction master to calculate the placement of the ridge. I've calculated it for years using my $5 dual mode, especially if I have to cut in a long ridge.
Total rise of the snipped gable, divided by pitch of main roof gives you the run. The run is the ridge length. In most cases, you can quickly measure the total rise of the gable before you send it up to be set.
The snipped gable means snipped (or marked) at the dropped ridge height. Often, if I'm cutting a small valley system up in the air (I do 90% in the air) I snip the top and use my torpedo to level the ridge to get my length.
blue
ps we dont' have any crooked linial here in michigan
Same town... different highways... your formula and mine. I try to cut everything I can on the ground and just boom it up to my guys... that's why I'm always trying to find formulas for stuff or at least get my head around the math concepts involved.
I hate standing at the horses and having to run up two stories for a measurement just to keep cutting. Much rather stand on the ground in front of the lumber pile with a calculator and plans and just cut and stack.
You seem to have a bad taste in your mouth about Construction Master calculators. Like they're a gimmick or something. I'm sure you can do most of what the CM's do with your pocket calculator, I just think that they are a great tool and can eliminate an awful lot of mistakes that happen when converting feet/inches to 12th's and decimals. They've also come down so much in price over the past year or two that the price is really easily justified. Don't knock it till you've given it a fair shake.
EDIT: And I'd be happy to send you some of my crooked lineal stock any time you'd like. I've got plenty to go around.
Edited 6/28/2005 10:21 pm ET by dieselpig
Diesel, I have a CMIV. I cant make it work for me because I already know how to fly through all the calcs necessary for most roof framing applications with the cheapie. When I try to fly through with the cm4, I slow to a crawl. I suppose if i'd have started with one back in the 70's, I'd be using one today. There are some huge issues that I've encountered with the Cm when I go through my processes when I use the Cm.
You are right, same town different highways. I don't use a cut man on the ground. For the simple layons, I just send the parts up raw and start hacking and stacking up there on the roof. On our crew, every man cuts for himself.
My methods stem from my days when I didn't have equipment. It was much easier just leaning up 16' stock then sending up all the small cut rafters and trying to balance them somewhere. I learned to create my workstations up there in birdland and I taught all my guys to do the same. Occasionally if the weather sucks up there, they'll do their cutting on the deck under the layon, but that's a rarity for me.