My Homemade Shed Trusses

[Dragonrider99]

Greetings all. Recently someone inquired about homemade trusses. I don't know if he was referring to trusses for a shed or a house but I thought I would put my 2 cents in. When I was building my 10x12 shed, I wanted a Gambrel roof for storage in the loft area. I designed my trusses and built my design. I posted pics here of my finished shed and received several inquiries about how I had built the trusses. Since then, I have designed several trusses for Gambrel roofs for sheds, 3 for friends and 2 for users on here. I have attached my original design as well as a set I designed for a friend that didn't want a roof as high as mine but still wanted a Gambrel roof with storage. I have over 600 cubic feet of storage in my loft area. The floor is fully sheathed with 3/4 plywood with a boxed frame opening for access. The joists on either side of the opening are reinforced with an additional 2x8 spanning the width of the shed. Each truss is mounted directly over a wall stud and attached with Simpson Strong Ties. My roof is perfectly symetrical with the upper and lower roof sections the same length. The design can be easilt modified for any length and height desired. Obviously, this is for a shed and a much larger roof for a home will require additional structural support; however, the basic design remains the same. Anyway, as I said, I just wanted to post what I had done and offer any help I can to anyone desiring to build this type of roof.

If you would like any help doing so, simply send me a private message with your span dimension (total width including overhang) and I will see what I can do. If there is a height limitation as in the modified one I posted, let me know that also.

[Cole]

Any pictures of them built?

[Dragonrider99]

HI Cole

Not sure if I have pics of the trusses themselves but I think I might. I will check my computer at home tonight for some. I remember taking some pics of them mounted on the shed before attaching the plywood.

[TnAndy]

I've built a BUNCH of small storage buildings using a gambrel design.....IMHO, that extra 2x6 vertical truss is way overkill.


Here's the design ( hastily sketched using MS Paint...forgive the sloppiness )


The area under the bottom flat part of the ceiling is open to the shop floor, giving me a nice open shop with a ceiling of 13'6".

[Dragonrider99]

Here is the shed in progress showing the trusses. BTW, this is the first structure I ever built. I am an Engineer by trade and had never built anything like this before. I think it came out pretty good for my first attempt. The entire shed was built alone, by me, with no other power tools besides a circular saw and power Mitre saw.

As far as overkill on the vertical support boards... hey, what can I say??? lol
The shed is almost 15' high and gives me over 600 cubic feet of storage up top.

[Don_P]

I did my 24' wide barn like Andy's with a collar tie on the top. I built ballon frame with 2' sidewalls upstairs and launched the gambrel off of that. It gave me about 8' upstairs. I wasn't comfortable with my engineering of a gusseted truss, it would have opened up the ceiling more. I'd sure like to learn how its done.

[Scottyb]

I'm constructing an outuilding studio 23X13. About to begin roof construction.
1. Can a ridge board be used with trusses (if slotted). If not, what holds the trusses in place.
2. If I "stick" it, can 2x6 ridge boards be found in 24 foot lengths? Or, can shorter length ridge boards be spliced?

[Don_P]

You know, the funny thing about the internet is you never know the skill or knowledge level of the person you're talking to. I hope not to offend if I start simple. There are 2 different types of ridge. You used the term ridge board. A ridge board is simply something to nail rafters to, in the old days it was a 1x or even non existant. It has no structural purpose and bears no weight. As such it needs ceiling joists to prevent the rafters from thrusting and pushing the walls out, sagging ridge bowed walls. It does not need to extend full length and can be made of multiple pieces. My ridge board right now is 54' long done in 4 pieces. The 2nd floor joists provide the thrust restraint of the rafters.
The other type of ridge is a ridge beam, capable of supporting the weight of the loaded rafters, the rafters actually hang from a ridge beam. No ceiling joists are needed with this type. Trusses don't need a ridge and to slot the nail plates would be wrong. They are temporarily spaced and held in place by 2x4's marked at whatever the plan spacing is. The truss sheet will also show permanent bracing locations within the trusses.

[Scottyb]

So what is the dividing line between 2X4 and 2X6 rafters. Is it the spacing (16 vs 24) or is it the span or both? Is there a "table"?

[Don_P]

Both. Here are a couple of tables;
http://www.awc.org/calculators/span/calc/timbercalcstyle.asp

http://www.cwc.ca/design/tools/calcs/SpanCalc_2002/

Best luck.