I’m in the early planning stages for a project next summer, and would like some opinions.
I have a 24X24 detached garage with a good slab, walls in good shape (2X4 24″ on center) and an inadequately framed roof which is sagging and leaking, with the roof deck rotten in places. I would like to remove the roof framing and reframe as a gambrel roof for 2 reasons:
1. To allow for storage
2. To have the ideal slope (about 60 degrees from horizontal) for possible future solar panels.
There are no center supports in the garage, so the ceiling joists would need to span the 24 feet.
How would you suggest framing this? Should I use I joists or lumber for the ceiling joists? If so, what depth should I use to span the 24′? Or would I be better off using trusses (either prebuilt or site built). The only gambrel roof trusses I’ve seen do not provide storage space because of all the crossmembers. Are there any that provide for an attic room?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Replies
kiddoc,
It would seem to me that your best bet would be to go with trusses. Now you said they don't have gambrel style that have storage, but they do make gable trusses with a room designed in them. Kinda like a bonus room above your garage, easy to set and they finish off nice.
Matt
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I've seen the gable trusses with attic space included, but I really am set on a gambrel style roofline. Maybe Boss Hog will step in and let me know if gambrel trusses can be made to include storage.
Here are a couple of examples of attic trusses. The first one is called "common attic". We do those all the time.The 2nd one is called "Gambrel Attic". It sounds like this is more what you're looking for. The pitch on the sides can be anything you want by chaning the room size, heel heights, and room heights. The 60° angle you mentioned is about a 20.8/12 pitch. I can get more specific in the designs. But I don't know where you're from, what your loading requirements are, local codes, etc. .A couple of thoughts to add - Dormers can be accomodated easily if you want them. We typically double trusses around dormers up to 6', and triple trusses up to 10'. Don't forget to alolow for a stairway to get up there. You can't cut the bottom chord of the trusses out to allow for a stair hole. Post back if ya have any more questions.
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Thanks, the gambrel truss is just what I was looking for. I'll talk to a local yard to see if I can get it here. Of course, I could just make it myself (ha, ha).
Trusses probably are your best bet for ease of building, without adding terribly to the cost.
I'm in the process of building a 24x36 gambrel garage, and opted to go with a couple 24' steel beams supporting 12' long 2x8 joists, then deck it with Advantech and conventionally frame the gambrel roof with knee walls, etc.
Everything's going slower than expected, of course. I'm trying to get joists up now - not too successfully with all the rain we've been having the last 3 weekends. Will probably be building the roof in the snow.
Got some heavy (16") used steel beams pretty cheap, and my framing lumber is pretty much free -- my dad's a part-time logger, who works a trade arrangement with the sawyer -- so this has been the best way to go costwise. Timewise, I probably would have had a roof on a month ago if I'd used trusses.
Don
Seems to me that a truss can be designed to do that very well.
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