Raise Roof...Change Pitch ?

[busternaylor]

Changing the pitch....Raising my roof? I have 25 year old ranch style house in Texas. Hip Roof, 4/12 pitch, 2 ft overhang soffit. I want to raise the roof and leave the existing soffit or overhang, then changing the pitch to 8/12 and Creating a kicked eave or bonnet roof. I have 2x6 rafters on 24", 2x8 ridges and valleys. The original roof framing was done well and properly supported.
Anyone done this? It will have to pass local inspection. Ideas?

Here is what I thought......

I want to leave the existing soffit and pitch by cutting the rafters at the top plate/wall. This will create the kicked eave at the soffit. I change the pitch by starting the new rafters directly on the top plate and extending it to the new raised ridge. Any problems with this? It seems simply ?

[bighammer]

acouple things that jump out to me

when you say "I want to leave the existing soffit and pitch by cutting the rafters at the top plate/wall." what do you have in mind to support the overhang or even better the rafter?

Are you planning on constructing a totally new ridge beam and rafters? Not using the existing rafters for any structual support?

Ventilation issues? Removal of shingles?
Load of new roof?

Consult your local engineer and they can spec out what needs to be done

look at the possiblity of removing the entire roof and replacing it with pre-built 8/12 trusses, the cost comparison might be a suprise - materials and labor -

[busternaylor]

Thanks for your help BigHammer! I have new construction building experience as a general contractor. But I have not done remodels. I always trust my engineer and framer to build new projects. Because of funds I cannot involve an engineer on this job. I am trying to ask all the questions I can to make a qualified determination before I begin. Here is the deal ......
Insurance is replacing my roof because of hail damage. Existing 4/12 pitch, one layer of 3 tab asphalt shingle on top of wood shakes with 1x4 spaced battens. I want to raised the roof pitch and created a newer look and stay close to my insurance replacement cost. I think I can do it, but I do not want to short cut something or create a problem.
Soffit?....Leaving the existing soffit in place .... When I cut the existing rafter from the soffit at the top plate. I would start the new rafter at the same top plate, nailing and blocking the ends together (of the shortened soffit rafter to the end new of the new rafter that extends to a new ridge beam.)
I have never built a kicked eave.....can you give me some helphow to transition from the shortened soffit rafter to the actual rafters ?

[Joe Carola]

Thanks for your help BigHammer! I have new construction building experience as a general contractor. But I have not done remodels. I always trust my engineer and framer to build new projects. Because of funds I cannot involve an engineer on this job. I am trying to ask all the questions I can to make a qualified determination before I begin. Here is the deal ......
Insurance is replacing my roof because of hail damage. Existing 4/12 pitch, one layer of 3 tab asphalt shingle on top of wood shakes with 1x4 spaced battens. I want to raised the roof pitch and created a newer look and stay close to my insurance replacement cost. I think I can do it, but I do not want to short cut something or create a problem.
Soffit?....Leaving the existing soffit in place .... When I cut the existing rafter from the soffit at the top plate. I would start the new rafter at the same top plate, nailing and blocking the ends together (of the shortened soffit rafter to the end new of the new rafter that extends to a new ridge beam.)
I have never built a kicked eave.....can you give me some helphow to transition from the shortened soffit rafter to the actual rafters ?

We do this all the time. What is the width of the house and what is the existing overhang? You say you want to keep the 4/12 overhang and frame a new 8/12 pitch. Any reason why you want to do that and not just bring out the new 8/12 overhang out to meet the existing overhang? You can do this by using bigger rafters or raising the plate in between the existing rafters and ceilings joists.

Give me the size of the existing rafters and the overhang length and the size of the new rafters and I can show you what it would look like with the 8/12 rafters and the 4/12 overhang that you want to keep. I can also show you how to frame it by doing what In just described above with blocks between the plates or bigger rafters so that you have a clean 8/12 pitch all the way out to the end of the existing overhang.

[busternaylor]

This is difficult in limited space...let me try again.
I need framing advice to create a kicked eave by raising the pitch on my hip roof....I understand framing and I know a way to do this..... Is it sound?...... Do you forsee any problems?
I have a 25 yr old ranch house with a 4/12 hip roof.... 2x6 rafters and 2x8 ridges, valleys, and hip....It was well framed ...not saging.....framing wood is DF#3 in great condition. I want to save the 23" overhaging 4/12 soffit, but raise the new roof pitch to 8/12, using the existing rafter material and adding new 2x6 rafters where necessary. .....I want to cut the existing rafters extending from the soffit just beyond the top plate, then begin the new 8/12 pitch by placing the end of a new rafter on the top plate and extending it to the ridge and nailing the shortened rafter and the new pitched rafter together at the top plate creating a kicked eave........ This is a cost restraining job. I must use all of my existing rafters and leave the sofft in intact in order to afford this project.....busternaylor@aol.com

[Joe Carola]

This is difficult in limited space...let me try again.
I need framing advice to create a kicked eave by raising the pitch on my hip roof....I understand framing and I know a way to do this..... Is it sound?...... Do you forsee any problems?
I have a 25 yr old ranch house with a 4/12 hip roof.... 2x6 rafters and 2x8 ridges, valleys, and hip....It was well framed ...not saging.....framing wood is DF#3 in great condition. I want to save the 23" overhaging 4/12 soffit, but raise the new roof pitch to 8/12, using the existing rafter material and adding new 2x6 rafters where necessary. .....I want to cut the existing rafters extending from the soffit just beyond the top plate, then begin the new 8/12 pitch by placing the end of a new rafter on the top plate and extending it to the ridge and nailing the shortened rafter and the new pitched rafter together at the top plate creating a kicked eave........ This is a cost restraining job. I must use all of my existing rafters and leave the sofft in intact in order to afford this project.....busternaylor@aol.com

Are you talking about something like this?

[busternaylor]

Exactly! Cutting the soffit rafter and nailing it to the new pitched rafter. Any problems with this to watch out for......If the shortened soffit rafters remain in tact. How will the new extended rafters perfectly line up at the corner.... considering the soffit rafter are in that space on the top plate?

[Don_P]

Why remove the existing rafters? Just remove a strip of ply and nail the new ones alongside. The existing rafters are too short to reuse on a greater pitch.

[busternaylor]

Thankx for your idea.... I have no deck......I have existing wood shakes / batten that has to come completely off down to rafters...then add the new
OSB deck for shingles..... I can actually use more than half of the existing rafters in shorter spot and only buy the new longer rafters.