Ok Guys,
I have framed my own home with a stick built roof throughout. My friend has asked me to build a sun room on his house–16×24. He wants scissor trusses. It’s a 5/12 roof design. I spoke with the truss manufacturer, and I do not see too much to worry about, however, they cannot deliver the trusses(9@26′) on the walls. My friend doesn’t want to spend the money for a crane, so we are going to lift them up ourselves. My question is, are there precautions we should make in lifting the trusses up onto the walls? Any advice is welcome. They will deliver Oct 5.
thanks
Replies
I've set the tails up on the walls with the truss upside down then flipped them over. The biggest ones I've done are about 30' long. Yours are small enough this should be pretty easy.
Thanks for the quick response,
One thing I didn't mention is that the sun room is on the deck, 6' in the air. Does this change the way you would lift them? I swear I'm impressed with the amount of knowledge you have about trusses. I lurk here all the tim e for advice, and, you are the man when it comes to trusses.
jack
Since you're standing inside the building on the deck when ya flip the things, it doesn't matter how far off the ground you are. all that matters is the height of the walls.
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The problem as I see it is getting them rested upside down on the walls in the first place if the top plates are 15+ feet in the air. If you can do that, I like Boss's method. I followed his exact advice recently with 28 footers. I'm just a DIY, but we managed. The pre-sheathed gable trusses were a witch with the wind blowing that day. But the standard trusses were light enough that 4 guys could do it handily. A little floppy at that length. So our concern wasn't so much the weight as it was damaging the trusses by allowing them to flex too much.
The walls are only 9' tall - Not 15'.
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True, but they're on a deck 6' in the air. So the top plates are 15' from the ground where the trusses will (presumably) be sitting. I actually mis-read the 9@26 comment to mean they were 9' walls. I think he means 9 trusses at 26'.
Doesn't matter how far the deck is off the ground. You carry the trusses INSIDE the house, then set them up on the walls. So all that matters is the height of the walls off the deck.
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I think we have two different mental images her BH. I am picturing adding this sun room to a finished home. IE-enclosing in an existing deck. Maybe I'm wrong. But no matter. . . .
I think you're visualizing the guy setting the trusses from OUTSIDE the building. I'm saying he should carry the trusses INSIDE, then set them up on the walls from there.
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Thanks for everyone's help. I think I got it. It looks like its more having confidence to do it, than difficult. I'll let you guys know how it turns out. I wish I could talk this cheapskate into hiring a crane. Thanks again.
We set trusses on almost every frame and the method Bosshog described is one we use when a crane is not worth it.
With the truss upside down slide one tail over the wall until you can clear the other wall with the tail. Then let it rest there. I like to stack that many on the walls and then roll them up one after another. Otherwise the last few get to be a pain, trying to roll them over the gable wall or house is the obstacle.
Stringline and brace your walls well so they don't bow when the trusses are stacked up there.
Matt
Just wanted to let you guys know that the trusses went up this weekend in about 30 minutes. We threw ropes on the lower web joints and pulled them up over the front wall of the addition. Piece of cake. Thanks for the help.
jack
Thanks for lettign us know how it turned out.
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The way I like to do it, is to build a plank boarwalk down the middle of the room at plate height, you'll need the odd leg to support it. Then, I stand on the boardwalk at the outside wall and pull the trusses up by rope or someone passes them up. I then walk backwards, draging the truss and stand them up leaning against each other at the other end of the house. Once they are all up, they can be dragged back one at a time and nailed in their final location. This way they aren't in the way as you work.
Damien,
Your method is what I would use. I have set a 2x4 "pole" at one end of the roof to lean them against if needed.
3 People and this would be easy."Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
I'd say three guys and some scaffolding or planks are what you want. One guy at each wall, one guy in the middle on a rolling scaffold. Scissor trusses like to flop over and once you lose your grip they go quick. Two pros could do it, three amateurs is the rough equivalent.